Historically white institutions (HWIs) across the country are, in some way or another, working to address racial disparities within their organizations. As a part of campus diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, DEI advocates work to examine ways to increase faculty and student recruitment and boost the retention of marginalized groups.…

Bold interventions are needed to change racial disparities and unacceptably low STEMM completion rates at historically white institutions that have the resources to train a new generation of scientists with diverse backgrounds. Three university case studies were conducted on the Meyerhoff Adaptation Partnership, which sought to develop…

Engineering programs at historically White institutions (HWIs) often perpetuate stereotypes and racism against Black students, impacting their experiences and opportunities in the field. Minority engineering programs (MEPs) provide support and resources to minority students in engineering, challenging stereotypes and fostering positive identity…

Asian international students continue to suffer from sexually harassing behaviors on college campuses. However, there has been little to no reporting of the incidents that cause their distress. Drawing on narratives of Asian international students in a predominantly white institution, the current study examines the barriers that these students…

Undergraduate students often view and define terms differently than faculty and scholars. Differences in the operationalization of terms can lead to miscommunication and misunderstanding, especially within university classrooms. The present study used the theoretical framework of sensemaking to understand how undergraduate students perceived and…

In the competitive landscape of higher education, institutions grapple with the challenge of fostering racial diversity and a sense of belonging among students, particularly at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). This disquisition presents a comprehensive improvement initiative implemented at Western Carolina University (WCU) aimed at…

This collective case study is intended to examine the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives of three historically white institutions (HWIs) in the southwest region of the U.S. through the lens of Critical Whiteness Studies (CWS). I employed the theoretical framework of Gusa (2010), White Institutional Presence, and Ray (2019), Theory…

After reading Chris Lowney's (2003) book, Heroic Leadership, with its concept of "twice born" individuals, the author asked himself what it might mean, as a university administrator, to be "twice born." Yet, he was more curious to consider this concept as a framework for shaping, and perhaps even reshaping, the academy itself.…

Studies indicate that minoritized students attending Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) may struggle with engagement and establishing a sense of belonging. Peer mentoring may play a role in enhancing these opportunities to foster academic performance and retention. The sense of belonging and engagement for minoritized students at a PWI is…

Using the Applied Critical Leadership (Santamaría & Santamaría, 2012) framework to operationalize leadership and to celebrate the ways in which Black women Vice Presidents of Student Affairs (VPSAs) acquire institutional access to create real change, this study sought to identify what motivates Black Women to engage in creating supporting…

Staff members in institutions of higher education who are not faculty, such as those who work in student affairs, information technology, student business services, and other areas, may feel invisible and unappreciated. This sense of obscurity for racially marginalized staff can be intensified by discrimination and oppression that persist within…

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) faculty and staff are influential in the recruitment and retention of intercultural students to higher education institutions. This study sought to investigate and strengthen the recruitment experiences of BIPOC students as they navigated the process at a highly competitive, predominantly white…

This dissertation investigated the impact of The Encounter, a professional development workshop focusing on diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice, on the self-efficacy of White women K-12 educators in predominantly White schools in the Midwest. Employing a qualitative phenomenological approach, the study examines how participants'…

The heightened use of "safe space" in educational settings has been the subject of polarizing contemporary controversy and protested by conservative and progressive camps alike, raising concerns about whether "safe space" remains an educationally viable concept. In response to claims that safety is conflated with…

This study focused on Black women faculty experiences of inclusion at predominantly White institutions in the United States. Despite diversity and inclusion initiatives, there has been limited progress in recruiting and retaining Black women faculty. The study used Collins' (1986) Black feminist thought and Shore et al.'s (2011) inclusion…