Running head: STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING DIVERSITY CHALLENGES 1

Strategies for Improving Diversity Challenges

Ray Crawford

ID#L27085136

EDUC 741-B07

Dr. Van Buren

Liberty University
STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING DIVERSITY
2

Strategies for Improving Diversity Challenges

For colleges and universities to remain relevant, diversity must be taken into grave

account. This article will feature four strategies that will help to improve the challenge of

diversity in colleges and universities.

First, colleges and universities must establish an influential culture of advisement. For

instance, minority students will need the help necessary for academic success. Many parents of

minority students are not equipped to help their children to navigate the process of entering

college and university. So because of the deficit of some minority parents to help their children

navigate the college process, there needs to be a robust advisory college counsel established to

help minority students (Ecampusnews, 2020, p. 1).

Second, colleges and universities must recruit diverse employees. Recruiters must see to

it that diversity must exist among the faculty and the staff. This diversity must include a gender

neutral-job description. Also, colleges and universities must promote long-distance interviews of

minorities via social media and interviews conducted by video conferences for job prospects who

live far from the campus (Ecampusnews, 2020, p. 1).

Third, colleges and universities must provide the means to train first-year students

regarding cross-cultural sensitivity. Part of this training must include unconscious bias. Students

can be asked to discuss a difficult topic on race and inclusion to unseat their subconscious bias.

Topics can include discussions on Black Lives, Blue Lives and All Lives (Ecampusnews, 2020,

p. 1).
STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING DIVERSITY
3
Fourth, funding diversity in my estimation can be considered the best strategy. It is

money that makes the mare go around. The Gate's Foundation plays a significant role in helping

to facilitate the propagation of diversity in universities. The Gate's foundation awarded 90, 000,

and 000, in postsecondary success grants. This grant is given to the university by helping in the

area of innovative work (Prinster, 2015, P. 1). Gates Foundation accepts requests from colleges

and universities. This grant is in the form of “Grand Challenge Grant" opportunities. This grant

is based on spurring competition (Prinster, 2015, p. 1).

support of Ecampusnews, Nancy Lee Wilkinson (2017) contends that university

leadership must avoid tokenism in the process of recruiting a diverse faculty. For instance,

Wilkinson says, “Avoid tokenism. Anyone would appreciate an invitation to join a diverse

faculty for more than a request to create diversity in a department (Wilkinson, 2017, p. 169).

Wilkinson continues to say that “Recognize, appreciate, and celebrate the diversity that already

exists among your colleagues; they surely differ in terms of economic background. Age, social

class, religion, politics, or other important criteria even if they look a lot alike” (Wilkinson, 2017,

p. 169).

The above strategies are applicable to an institution as well as the broader industry of

higher education at large. For example, several colleges and universities ascribe to the belief that

diversity is very important in the advancement for colleges and universities. The college and

university leadership is of the belief that diversity plays an instrumental role in “Their student

bodies, faculties, and staff and staff is important for them to fulfill their primary mission:

providing high quality education” (ACE, 2012, p. 1). The community must know why are

colleges and universities believe diversity is beneficial to universities and colleges. University

and college leadership ascribe to the idea that diversity “Enriches the educational experience”
STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING DIVERSITY
4
and that we can learn from these enriched experiences (ACE, 2012, p. 1). Diversity gains an

advantage in helping to shatter stereotyped ideas and that diversity plays a significant role in

critical thinking and that students can learn to communicate with people with varied

backgrounds. Diversity in colleges and universities help to pave the way for students to become

good citizens in a society that is already pluralistic and complex (ACE, 2012, p. 1).

Moral and Ethical Considerations of University Diversity

According to Luke Wood and Adriel Hilton (Wood & Hilton. 2012), community colleges

must establish ethical considerations concerning diversity on campus. Wood and Hilton contend

that university leadership must strive to create parity for individuals who have a disadvantage by

society. Both authors said that university leadership must work to help disaffected women and

communities of color (Wood & Hilton, 2012, p. 1).

The authors assert that this disaffected community includes communities of color, which include

students of color, faculty of color, and staff administrators of color (Wood & Hilton, 2012, p. 1).

Wood and Hilton continue to say that because of the “Increasing student diversity and marked

representation from nontraditional student populations, such as minorities, part-timers, older

students. And the socioeconomically disadvantaged'' (Wood & Hilton, 2012, p. 1). College

leaders must “Become more attuned to the needs of multiple groups and constituencies (Wood

& Hilton, 2012, p. 1).

Impact of Diversity in University

University diversity serves as a significant impact on the student body. For example, variety does

not only benefit students of color. Learning that involved many people from various backgrounds

help to foster collaboration that helps with creating grounds for innovation. As a result of this
STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING DIVERSITY
5
innovation, students are benefited. Research proves that diversity leads to higher levels of

academic achievements and the improvement of group dynamics (Kerby, 2012, p. 1). Finally, it

does make sense that working in a diverse body benefits are inevitable. For example, the more

we work with those who have different perspectives, the more we will gain a broader experience.

Therefore, we will have a more integrated outlook on the world, and in turn, we will become

more tolerant of those who have different perspectives from us.

References

A diverse faculty in a public university. Yearbook of the association of pacific coast

Geographers, 69,

168–172. https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1353/pcg.2007.0017

Ace. (2012). On the importance of diversity in higher education. Retrieved 26 February, 2020,

from https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/BoardDiversityStatement-June2012.pdf

Ecampusnews. (2020). 4 best practices around diversity and inclusion in higher

ed. Retrieved 24 February, 2020, from https://www.ecampusnews.com/2018/04/27/4-

best-practices-around-diversity-and-inclusion-in-higher-ed/2/

Five ethical paradigms for community college leaders: Toward constructing and considering

alternative courses of action in ethical decision making. by: Wood, J. Luke, Hilton,

Adriel A., community college review, 00915521, Jul2012, Vol. 40, Issue

Kirby, S. (2012). 10 Reasons why we need diversity on college

Campuses. Retrieved 24 February, 2020, from

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2012/10/09/41004/10-reasons-why-

we-need-diversity-on-college-campuses/

Prinster, R. (2015). Why diversity matters: securing grants. Retrieved, from

https://www.insightintodiversity.com/why-diversity-matters-securing-grants/