IDENTIFYING THE PATHWAY TO INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE: A CASE STUDY INVESTIGATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STRATEGIC DIVERSITY PLAN AT A HIGHLY SELECTIVE LIBERAL ARTS

Abstract

Leaders of higher education institutions are constantly considering how they may transform campus environments to be more welcoming to students with marginalized identities. Thus, to create these environments, leaders typically utilize a process known as strategic diversity planning. Strategic diversity planning is a widely practiced phenomenon within the higher education industry. However, we still know relatively little about it. First, the existing research has disproportionally placed large public institutions and university systems at the center of attention. Secondly, in some cases, the existing literature has favored things like the content of strategic diversity plans, paying less attention to the specific factors of change that undergird the development of a strategic diversity plan. Finally, the literature has not paid much attention to the specific agents of change who show up to do the work of strategic diversity planning. Therefore, to address these challenges, this study aimed to understand better how institutional leaders at a highly selective liberal arts college developed a strategic diversity plan. Using a single site, qualitative case study approach, data from two sources were collected and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study reveal critical components of the process for strategic diversity planning at a highly selective liberal arts college and the nature of students’ involvement in processes of strategic (diversity) planning.