How a Background in Equity-Driven Leadership Sets You Apart

The ever-increasing acknowledgment of racial inequality and social injustice in today’s climate has helped bring to light the long-standing inequalities present in higher education. Many schools struggle to properly and equitably support all students as campus communities become more diverse in age, background and experience. 

As an industry, higher education often falls back on “business as usual,” which unfortunately means relying on systems of privilege, preference and prejudice to guide admissions, scholarships and student services. As schools have become more aware of these issues, they are looking for leaders to provide fair and equitable solutions. In other words, schools are looking for equity-driven leaders.

What is equity-driven leadership?

Equity-driven leadership in schools seeks to ensure that students of all backgrounds and experiences receive equal and fair access to the resources, support systems and services they need to reach their full academic and social potential. 

Many schools have begun to hire administrators with titles like “Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” and “Chief Equity Officer.” As their titles imply, these roles are meant to help colleges and universities identify disparities in resources, ideas, respect and outcomes.

While these positions are necessary and important, one person cannot change an entire institution. From academic affairs to the college's president, there's a need for leaders in every department who can identify opportunities for improvement and enact meaningful change.

How a background in equity-driven leadership makes you a better leader in higher education

1. You have the cultural competence to perceive inequalities on campus

Successful leadership in higher education today requires critical thinking about inequality and oppression to combat institutional discrimination and biases. The most effective leaders are prepared to work toward eliminating disparities in educational outcomes — a background in equity-driven leadership prepares you to do just that. 

As Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) offices continue to identify opportunities for change and improvement, they’ll need equity-minded peers and colleagues to help formulate and enact new policies that better serve the most marginalized populations. Leaders who have focused their education on driving equitable change will be key partners for DEI offices as they seek to ensure all students have equal access to success.

2. You can offer solutions to problematic policy and historical injustices

As enrollment of minority populations increases at colleges and universities across the country, many schools have discovered that their campuses may not be welcoming, supportive or safe for students of all backgrounds. Increased use of social media has only compounded these issues by increasing public awareness of racist and bigoted campus crises. One way colleges and universities have begun to address issues of race and social justice on campus is by hiring new leaders with a background and proven track record of developing and enacting equitable policies.

Individuals with a background in equity-driven leadership understand these historical trends in higher education and their implications for contemporary policy issues. Hiring leaders who can offer equitable solutions to the old-school problems of privilege and prejudice allows schools to show students and communities that they understand their needs and are prioritizing the development of better policies and practices.

3. You can utilize restorative justice practices to foster an inclusive campus community

Historically, a college or university’s approach to misconduct has been to punish the offender (often through suspension or expulsion) as a way to remove any legal liability from the institution. While this method of governance addresses wrongdoing on campus and aims to prevent recursion, it doesn’t address the harm inflicted upon the victim or campus community. 

Restorative justice in higher education seeks to repair any harm caused by a crime, misconduct or systemic injustice. Rather than simply punish or exclude the offender, restorative justice in education creates a dialogue between leadership, victims and the campus community. The goal is to allow individuals who have been affected by misconduct to identify the responses that will meet their unique needs.

Many schools have begun to enact restorative justice practices in conduct administration, residential life, orientation and student leadership development. Individuals with a background in equity-driven leadership can influence the restorative justice policies at these schools as they’re being developed.

A Master's of Higher Education Leadership from USD SOLES Will Prepare You for Equity-Driven Leadership

Students in the Master of Higher Education Leadership program at the School of Leadership and Education Sciences at USD have ample opportunity to practice equity-driven leadership inside and outside the classroom. 

In fact, here’s what one student has to say about her time in the Master’s in Higher Education Leadership program: 

“My graduate career in the MAHEL program was life-changing and still is on-going because the learning never stops. The classroom and practical experiences and my interactions with faculty members empowered me to find my voice and to use my personal values to follow my passion of being a social justice educator and advocate. If it weren't for the academic challenges and tremendous support from faculty members, my peers, supervisors and students, I wouldn't have grown intellectually or personally. I would highly recommend this program to anyone seeking an intellectually rigorous and educationally supportive environment that prepares you for whatever future path you may choose.” – Ariela Canizal, class of 2017.