Racial Climate Assessments: Ends or Means for Institutional Action

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Wednesday 10:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Race and Racism in Higher Education (Table 12)

Abstract

This study explores how campuses assess and use racial climate data, tracking progress, identifying in-action, or changing educational environments for marginalized racial identity groups. Using a sequential mixed-methods approach, data was collected from a national sample of institutions featuring DEIJ administrators and institutional researchers’ perspectives. Survey analysis of 583 valid responses reveals varied uses and challenges of climate assessments, emphasizing the importance of intentional data use for organizational learning and change in areas such as planning, faculty development, and student services. This overall study aims to understand the role of climate assessments in fostering institutional change and to identify best practices and areas for further development. We discuss the future of DEI and racial climate assessment.

Authors

• Sylvia Hurtado, University of California - Los Angeles

• Gabriel Gutierrez Aragon, University of California - Los Angeles

• David Ulises Vargas Ezquivel, University of California - Los Angeles

• Marcelo Alonso Almora Rios, University of California - Los Angeles