Document Type
Conference Presentation
Publication Date
10-1-2021
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the understanding and experiences that MSU-Mankato faculty have had with developing the recently mandated diversity, equity, and inclusion outcomes for new and revised program proposals. These outcomes are part of the Equity 2030 initiative. The research is broken up into two sections, which will be published as separate papers. Project 1: Using critical discourse analysis, we problematize and critique both the stated goals and the implementation of this initiative. Using the lens of critical race theory (CRT), we work to unmask language that maintains Whiteness as a neutral default by asking these research questions: Will the language of DEI in institutional communication as used by administrators and faculty challenge or maintain systemic bias? Will the language of subsequent DEI proposals challenge or maintain Whiteness as uncritiqued norm? Project 2: Of particular interest for this study were the participants' experiences writing these outcomes, their understanding of what these outcomes entail, how they planned to integrate this content into their courses and assess these outcomes, and what professional development they would like to see to help them integrate and assess these program outcomes in the future. We evaluated faculty member’s current ability to write, teach, and assess DEI outcomes using mixed methods research (survey and interviews). We used text analysis tools to compare faculty definitions of equity, diversity, and inclusion to the definitions provided by the Association of American Colleges & Universities as well as to Manning Marbles’ articulations of the terms corporate multiculturalism, liberal multiculturalism, and radical democratic multiculturalism. We also discussed what types of professional development faculty would be willing to invest in as well as what areas of professional development are most effective in promoting EDI outcomes, based on extant research.
Department
English, Marketing and International Business, Library Services
Publication Title
Scholars at Work Conference
Recommended Citation
Lybeck, K., Schomberg, J. and Scott, K. (2021, Oct. 1). DEI curricular initiatives: Transformational change or mere performance? [Conference session]. 2021 Scholars at Work conference, Minnesota State University, Mankato.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Included in
Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Disability and Equity in Education Commons, Higher Education Commons
