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Representation Matters: Comparing Diversity Within Academic Social Media Imagery to Institutional Demographics

Sat, April 26, 1:30 to 3:00pm MDT (1:30 to 3:00pm MDT), The Colorado Convention Center, Floor: Ballroom Level, Four Seasons Ballroom 4

Abstract

Diversity is a prime characteristic for recent and upcoming high school graduates seeking college admission. Simultaneously, contemporary higher education marketing relies on social media to project themselves as places where students can find the diversity they are seeking. Researchers have found that colleges and universities have exaggerated their racial diversity, seemingly commoditizing diversity for recruitment and embracing racial capitalism. This study offers the first large-scale, generalizable analysis of the misrepresentation of ethno-racial diversity by colleges and universities. We compared the student racial/ethnic demographics reported by the U.S. DOE to those that institutions of higher education project on social media over a one-year period. Numerous significant differences between the projected diversity and actual institutional demographics were found. Implications will be discussed.

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