Measuring the diversity inclusivity of college courses: An update

Abstract

In our current educational and national contexts, few things matter more than finding ways to facilitate learning across differences. Including diversity in the college curriculum is one well-established way to promote this learning. In this update to Nelson Laird's (2011) work, we use questionnaire responses from 4,468 faculty at 42 colleges and universities to show that all types of faculty are including diversity in some aspects of their courses, while certain faculty- such as women, faculty of color, and those who perceive a strong commitment to diversity among the people at their institutions- are more likely to include diversity than their colleagues. We discuss implications for faculty, faculty development, and students in the paper.