Future of DEI in the Higher Education Workforce

The Future of DEI in the Higher Education Workforce takes readers through an in-depth and probing analysis of the evolving and contentious landscape surrounding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in American higher education over the past two decades.

Tracing the origins of DEI as a legal and institutional response to racial desegregation, shaped notably by the Supreme Court’s interpretations of the Fourteenth Amendment, authors Edna Chun and Alvin Evans examine how its core values were interpreted over this period and, later, undermined through a series of court rulings. Situating these legal shifts within broader political and demographic contexts, while also underscoring the way federal and state actions have sought to preserve white, sociopolitical dominance, the book advocates for a strategic shift of its own: rather than regarding these as separate, isolated initiatives, DEI principles should be embedded within a broader human resource and talent management framework. For meaningful progress to be made, the authors argue, the values, principles, and practices at the heart of equal opportunity must be woven into workforce processes from hiring to advancing talent. Within higher education, this calls for a recalibration of human resource and diversity strategies that transcend institutional silos and reflect new workforce realities.

Extensively researched and illustrated with case studies depicting innovative approaches in support of inclusion, equity, and organizational justice, the book provides a thorough account of the current backlash toward DEI practices and raises compelling responses for researchers of higher education and academic and administrative leaders. It offers compelling strategies for academic and administrative leaders that will continue the progress toward inclusion, equity, and social justice in higher education.

Edna Chun is Chief Learning Officer with HigherEd Talent, a strategic leadership and organizational development consulting firm. Dr. Chun also teaches in the Human Capital Management Department of the Columbia University School of Professional Studies.

Alvin Evans is Higher Education Practice Leader with HigherEd Talent. With more than 20 years of executive-level experience in complex local education agencies and doctoral institutions of higher education, he works with organizations seeking to develop strategic and cutting-edge organizational capabilities.