Data-Informed and Equity-Driven Approaches to Institutional Transformation: Exploring Uses of Racial Climate Assessments

• In Event: Centering Equity and Belonging: Transforming Outcomes Across Higher Education

Abstract

Since the early 1990s, colleges and universities have administered campus climate assessments (CCAs) to evaluate racial dynamics and promote equity. Yet, little is known about how institutions transform data into action. This paper presents findings from case study research exploring exemplary uses of climate assessment results to drive institutional transformation. Drawing on interviews with key campus actors, including DEIJ and Institutional Research leaders,—we identify strategies for leveraging assessment data to confront exclusionary histories and realign institutional structures to improve conditions, particularly for racially marginalized groups. Findings reveal key organizational factors—leadership engagement, cross-unit collaboration, and intentional accountability structure—that enable equity-driven, future-oriented use of climate data. This research advances scholarship on campus racial climate and equity-focused institutional transformation.

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

• Amanda Carrasco, University of California - Los Angeles

• Denise Ortiz, University of California - Los Angeles