Ensuring equity in higher education is no easy feat.
However, speakers during the session "Transformational Change in Community Colleges – Becoming an Equity-Centered Institution”, presented at the REMOTE: The Connected Faculty Summit hosted by Arizona State University, outlined the challenges, competencies and steps community colleges and other institutions can address to help implement an equity agenda in their school.
Moderated by Dr. Kelvin Bentley, Digital Learning Consulting at Success Academy Charter Schools, the session featured Dr. Kimberly Beatty, Chancellor, Metropolitan Community College and Dr. Christine McPhail, President, St. Augustine’s University, co-authors of Transformational Change in Community Colleges. The session focused on transformation in community colleges and presented practical approaches to implementing an equity agenda in higher education.
According to McPhail, relationship building and communication are essential competencies for leaders to do this type of work well. “The top two things are the capacity or ability to build the key relationships necessary to facilitate and sustain the equity agenda and the ability to reach out to the key stakeholders and communicate the message,” McPhail explained.
Beatty added that mobilizing others and start having the conversation about equity are also important.
“You have to understand the organizational culture and mobilize others around the real issues,” she said.
Also, important to understanding competencies, McPhail pointed out, is examining the data. “The leaders at all levels of the institution have to be able to grasp the data surrounding their own demographics internally and externally so they can put together the complete picture,” she said.
The crucial conversations around equity have been happening for a long period of time, but social justice activities and the emphasis on student success in populations where students are not enrolling or completing are happening more frequently, according to Beatty. “COVID brought the digital divide issue to the forefront and from an equity perspective, illuminated the resources some communities have,” she said.
“It behooves us to take a look at the issues not just from a diversity or inclusion perspective, but also equity,” McPhail explained. “We need to address all three to get this right. If we integrate the overlapping aspects of diversity, equity and inclusion, we have a more holistic look at the student experience through the equity lens. That means we have to go beyond a mission statement or a vision statement that says that all students need to be treated fairly. We’re saying it also has to be integrated into the conversation from a mindset but we need to institutionalize the policies and practices that ensure that all students, faculty and staff will be treated fairly.”
While McPhail noted that this is not a new conversation, it’s still timely, pointing out that the timing compels us broaden that limited conversation that we were having in the past, and look it as a total experience – particularly community colleges. “We need to look at it from a triple perspective, including politics, economic impact and also the cultural aspects of the communities we serve.”
Addressing Equity Issues
McPhail and Beatty outlined several approaches to addressing equity issues.
Change processes and policies. According to McPhail, one of the challenges is to get people to accept the data and look at all the stakeholder interest and see how to put in processes that will be inclusive for all students. “We’re talking about dismantling some of the policies and practices that have held us hostage for a long time,” she said.
Understand the concept of equity. “It’s a heavy lift,” Beatty added. “The first thing is getting people to understand what equity is, and how it’s part of a continuum to inclusion. Equity alone is not diversity. The execution is also important. That goes across sectors and topics.”
Focus on training. Training is also important to transition from theory to practice. Developing a plan that includes best practices is key.
Address hiring practices. We need to look at where we advertise, and look at the steps in place that ensure we’ve cast the net to extend the opportunity and create a level playing field, explains Beatty.
Institutionalize the policies and practices. “We need to look at how we engage our trustees and governing board in the conversations about how to help us institutionalize this work,” McPhail noted.
For more articles from the REMOTE summit go to:
Strategies for Educators to Thrive in Post-Pandemic Teaching
Preparing for the Unprepared: Strategies for Equitable, Inclusive Education
The Future of Admissions Presents Challenges and Opportunities
6 Evidence-Based Techniques for Hybrid Teaching
Lessons Learned From the Pandemic Will Forever Shape Higher Education
Higher Education Faculty at the Helm of Equality and Inclusion