Positioning Honors Colleges to Lead Diversity and Inclusion Efforts at Predominantly White Institutions

Authors

Susan Dinan, Adelphi UniversityFollow
Jason T. Hilton, Slippery Rock UniversityFollow
Jennifer Willford, Slippery Rock UniversityFollow

Date of this Version

2023

Document Type

Article

Citation

Chapter 11, pages 277-300

In: Honors Colleges in the 21st Century, Richard Badenhausen, editor

National Collegiate Honors Council, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States, 2023

Comments

Copyright 2023, National Collegiate Honors Council. Used by permission

Abstract

Honors Colleges are well positioned to be leaders in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives on the campuses of Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) by embracing motivated and engaged students from a broad range of backgrounds. Stretching the missions of honors education beyond narrowly defined academic excellence to embrace intellectually curious and creative students and not just those with stellar standardized test scores and GPAs will yield more dynamic and inclusive communities. Embracing holistic admissions practices allows honors colleges to build cohorts of students whose experiences may or may not include being recognized as the smartest in the class in their K-12 experience and opens honors learning to students who think differently or challenge traditional academic expectations. Fostering partnerships with offices on campus that address student life, equity issues, and mental health puts honors colleges in the middle of the matrix that defines the experiences of all students and makes honors more relevant and approachable to students who might not have been reached by traditional efforts to recruit the academically elite. Centering social justice campaigns will make honors colleges attractive to students who might not have considered themselves honors material. Changing the way honors colleges conduct assessment might allow for the importance of diversity and inclusion questions to take center stage. Removing systemic barriers, while creating supportive and inclusive honors experiences that prepare students to engage in future social justice initiatives, allows honors, even in PWIs, to lead the effort to create a more diverse and inclusive future.