EDD 837 - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice in Higher Education

3 credit(s)
Diversity has been a focus of higher education research, policy, and practice for decades. Our growing understanding of diversity in colleges and universities has helped expand its definition to include not only race, ethnicity, and gender, but also how those identity facets relate to other aspects such as socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, ability, generational, international, legal status, religion, among others. This growing definition of diversity challenges outdated perceptions of who are “traditional” college students, who has access, who has opportunity, and who is included or excluded? Higher education in the United States is challenged to construct more inclusive environments and pluralistic learning communities for students, staff, and faculty. This course, therefore, expands beyond diversity to equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ).

This course provides a broad but deeper understanding of diversity by examining emerging research and employing different theoretical approaches in the analysis of distinct identity aspects and of group differences in experiences, perspectives, and outcomes within U.S. higher education. Students engage in reflection of self, organization, and others to build awareness and knowledge of how individuals are situated within spaces so as to dismantle oppressive experiences for historically marginalized populations.

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