Leading for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education

This course is open to professionals interested in learning more about leadership in higher education for a changing demographic or interested in developing their own leadership skills. The very idea that individuals can be taught to lead is not without its skeptics. Reasonable people, even some scholars in the field, point to the important traits, skills, and attributes that are observed in many visible leaders and contend that certain qualities necessary for effective leadership are not easily transmitted. To accept this premise and conclude that some people are born as natural leaders and others cannot be expected to lead at all is to make a mistake at the other end of the logical spectrum. We believe that leadership can be taught as long as it is concurrently nurtured, that most people possess a constellation of strengths around which they can construct their own leadership philosophy and approach, and that leadership development programming—if done well—can be transformative for organizers and participants.

Course Level Objectives: Understand the historical narrative of institutions as well as institutional structures that have created instances of inclusion and exclusion in colleges and universities. Describe how transformational leadership is enacted for diversity, equity, and inclusion in a complex and contested environment. Compare legislative, governance, and public accountability and expectations in relation to contemporary issues in higher education. Analyze the strategic diversity planning process and documents of a selected institution. Recommend innovations and opportunities for transformational change at various levels of the ecological model using the strategic diversity planning process as a tool.