An Equity Audit: Evaluating Two Universities' Public-Facing Diversity Information

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: Policy and Equity in Domestic and International Contexts (Table 16)

Abstract

An equity audit was conducted to evaluate public-facing diversity information about two universities in the mid-Atlantic region. Located 11 miles apart and serving as the only public universities in the region, both schools are part of a larger state-level University System (US). The first university is a Historical Black College/University (HBCU) while the second university is a predominantly white institution (PWI), thus we will reference these schools as HBCU and PWI in our report. Our comparison critically examines public conceptions of diversity that are inherent in the demographic reporting in state and regional levels for public universities. Additionally, we consider the ways in which legislative mandates drive and reinscribe monolithic conceptions of identities.

Authors

• Honor McElroy, Salisbury University

• Haley Cristea, Salisbury University

• Amber Meyer, Salisbury University