Essay on Radical Position Exposes Hypocrisy of Higher Education Institutions' Inclusivity

Templeton, et al. (2016) present a radical position that outlines the hypocrisy of higher education institutions as dedicated to inclusivity, especially, against people of color. Similar sentiments by Booker, et al. (2016) indicate that although higher learning institutions present a vision and mission statement that is reflective of diversity objectives, more often the overall mission of the institutions does not provide infrastructure and systems that can support the attainment of the set diversity goals. In this regard, both Templeton et al. (2016) and Booker et al. (2016) affirm that the term "diversity" is used in a majority of institutions of higher learning as a publicity move rather than a real objective to be attained. Notwithstanding, empirical evidence shows that diversity training for both faculty and students has the implication of making both parties appreciate a greater sense of community, growth, and conflict resolution (Booker, et al., 2016). Diversity training as a multicultural course in higher education can, therefore, be a critical tool in advancing intercultural tolerance and empathy among diverse individuals in both faculty and student population (Kahn & Agnew, 2017). Fundamentally, although higher institutions of learning recognize the importance of diversity they show little to no commitment towards its implementation (Booker, Merriweather, & Campbell-Whatley, 2016; Kahn & Agnew, 2017). Kahn and Agnew (2017) make the observation that diversity learning in higher education is increasingly becoming a necessity as it aligns with the goals of globalization in which intercultural understanding is noted to foster growth, collaboration, and understanding. Equally, Birx, et al. (2018), added that colleges must recognize the potential that lies in diversity training as a tool for enhancing inter-cultural empathy and understanding. Hence, "diversity" as a term is herein regarded as a means to bring together people, not necessarily students, together (Birx, et al., 2018; Kahn & Agnew, 2017). An exceptional outlook into the implications of diversity in higher education finds that it is linked to the intention of turnover as staff members can easily be triggered by suggestions of injustice in the organization's principles as pertains to its commitments to fairness and justice (Fitzgerald, et al., 2018). In comparison, Sonnenmoser (2018) presents a scenario where the policy of the Goldwater Institute encourages free speech and academic integrity to the effect that faculty and student body deem the institution fair in its approach toward diversity and inclusion. To this end, "diversity" as a term is utilized to define fairness, equitability, and justice in institutions of higher education.

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O'Shea, et al. (2016), evaluated social inclusion as an attribute of diversity in higher education and found that students drawn from LSES (Low Socioeconomic Status) had a predisposition to feel excluded by institutions of higher learning apportioning blame to biases in the varsity selection process in favor of students from HSES (Higher Socioeconomic Status) backgrounds. Killpack and Melon (2016) present similar concerns regarding the perception of faculty's bias engrained in institutional bias that establishes stereotypical attitudes toward diverse students. Consequently, such student's abilities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) subjects are hindered from development (Killpack & Melon, 2016). Baker (2018) reverberates sentiments by Killpack and Melon (2016) in presenting their findings from the ACT 101 Program, which was meant to provide equal opportunity for learning among minority students in institutions of higher learning. Notably, when diverse students were taught using special programs that appealed to their unique learning capabilities, they were capable of improving their overall performance (Baker, 2018). Chiarelli-Helminiak and Lewis (2018) explored the possibilibility that minority groups had less access to higher education opportunities causing a form of intimidation that led to the poor performance of minority students in colleges. Notably, the authors all categorize "diversity" as a term used to define implications associated with access to education opportunities.

According to Pulliam and Gonzalez (2018), predominantly white institutions (PWI) have a tendency to discriminate against minorities leading to dismal performance in their academic participation. Tinto's Student Integration Theory suggests that engagement of minority students in social and academic activities leads to their persistence whereas disengagement leads to their fallout or falling behind (Smith, 2018). Puliam and Gonzalez (2018) added to Smith's (2018) sentiments by noting that minority students who find themselves discriminated in their institutions of higher learning are likely to drop out of college owing to the pressure or at least perform dismally in both co-curricular and curricular activities. Jones and Manigo (2018) also added their voice to the discussion indicating that minority students are likely to quit college in their first-year owing to the stigma that they often get from PWI as they are victimized, ridiculed, and even bullied. Gillson and Cherian (2019) insist that students in college must be introduced to intercultural studies as part of the curriculum as it will help with integration and cohesion among them. What resonates among Smith (2018), Gillson and Cherian (2019), and Pulliamand Gonzalez (2018) is the fact that the term "diversity" is treated as a word used to describe discrimination and exclusion of minority students in institutions of higher learning.

Sentiments by Avery and Thomas (2017) imply that the modern workplace is comprised of the multicultural workforce, however, the colleges are not churning out graduates who are competent interculturally. Consequently, there is a growing need for the development of diversity studies at the college level with the implication that it will equip varsity graduates with the skills necessary to cope in an intercultural workplace environment (Cherng & Davis, 2017). In this regard, research presented by Cherng and Davis (2017) suggested that educators in higher learning institutions are ill-equipped on matters of intecultural competence; hence, they cannot effectively teach their students on the same. Reverberating the same remarks, Canrinus, et al. (2019), insist that diversity knowledge among teachers is critical in the development of coherence in programs put in place for both faculty and students in advancing diversity competence. Diversity as a term as used by Avery and Thomas (2017), Cherng and Davis (2017), and Canrinus et al. (2019) all point to diversity as a means of developing competence in advancing knowledge.

The diversity debate has developed concerns in scholarly circles, especially in higher education as more varsities around the world target a multi-culturally diverse student body (Nada & Araujo, 2019). Nada and Araujo (2019) advanced that a new model of thinking has been introduced in higher learning as an intercultural student body mandates that an intercultural way of thinking should be instituted in the organization. Similar sentiments are shared by Billingsley, et al. (2017) indicated that an institution where the faculty workforce was comprised of lecturers who are people of color provided not only an avenue of experience from different teaching perspectives but also exposed their students to varied learning experiences from a multicultural workforce. Furthermore, Schachner (2019) backs Billingsley et al. (2017) and Nada and Araujo (2019) claims by indicating that cultural pluralism is the evolution of the faculty and student body in varsities to foster equality and inclusion with the implication of advancing intercultural tolerance, awareness, and empathy. What is apparent in the literature is that the term "diversity" is utilized as a word that implies a sense of inclusivity that nurtures understanding and cohesion in the college environment.

Conclusion

Fundamentally, the literature presented in this review sought out to evaluate the incongruency in the use of the word "diversity" in the context of higher education and racial relations. The literature finds that it is a term used to describe the level of commitment of higher learning institutions to inclusivity (Booker, Merriweather, & Campbell-Whatley, 2016; Kahn & Agnew, 2017). Similarly, it is a term utilized to define fairness, equitability, and justice in institutions of higher education (Birx, et al., 2018; Kahn & Agnew, 2017), to define implications associated with access to education opportunities (Killpack & Melon, 2016; Chiarelli-Helminiak & Lewis, 2018). The term is also treated as a word used to describe discrimination and exclusion of minority students in institutions of higher learning (Gillson & Cherian, 2019; Smith, 2018; Pulliam & Gonzalez, 2018), equally the literature also finds that diversity as a means of developing competence in advancing knowledge (Cherng & Davis, 2017; Canrinus, Klette, & Hammerness, 2019). Finally, the literature also determined that diversity is a term that incorporates a sense of understanding and cohesion in the college environment (Billingsley, Bettini, & Williams, 2017; Nada & Araujo, 2019; Schachner, 2019). The findings of the review, however, reveal a few gaps in contemporary research. Specifically, how are URMs (Underrepresented Racial Minorities) marginalized owing to the power imbalances associated with the meanings brought about in the review associated with the use of the term "diversity" in institutions of higher learning?

References

Avery, D. R., & Thomas, K. M. (2017). Blending content and contact: The roles of diversity curriculum and campus heterogeneity in fostering diversity management competency. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 3(4), 380-396. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2004.1

Baker, C. A. (2018). The education bridge: A longitudinal analysis of the ACT 101 programs' effectiveness on student success. Journal of Access, Retention, and Inclusion in Higher Education, 1(Fall), 1-16. Retrieved from https://www.wcupa.edu/universityCollege/asp/documents/ADP%20Journal-2018-First%20Edition-corrected.pdf

Billingsley, B. S., Bettini, E. A., & Williams, T. O. (2017). Teacher racial/ethnic diversity: Distribution of special and general educators of color across schools. Remedial and Special Education, 40(4), 199-212. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0741932517733047

Birx, D. L., Fischler, M. J., Holba, A. M., & Bahr, P. T. (2018). Rethinking higher education: Leading through integration. Journal of Higher Education Management, 33(2), 1-11. Retrieved from http://www.aaua.org/journals/pdfs/JHEM_2018_33-2_Online.pdf

Booker, K. C., Merriweather, L., & Campbell-Whatley, G. (2016). The effects of diversity training on faculty and student's classroom experiences. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 10(1), 1-7. doi: https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2016.100103

Canrinus, E. T., Klette, K., & Hammerness, K. (2019). Diversity in coherence: Strengths and opportunities of three programs. Journal of Teacher Education, 70(3), 192-205. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487117737305

Cherng, H. S., & Davis, L. A. (2017). Multicultural matters: An investigation of key assumptions of multicultural education reform in teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 00(0), 1-18. Retrieved from https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/teacherbeat/multicultural_study.pdfChiarelli-Helminiak, C. M....