Poster #68 - Institutional History and Campus Racial Climate: A Case Study of a Professional School

• In Event: 2-110 - Poster Session 07
  In Poster Session: PS 07 Section - Diversity, Equity & Social Justice

Integrative Statement

Although diversity has become an almost universally accepted goal for predominantly White institutions of higher education (PWIs), many colleges and universities continue to struggle to create a positive climate for racial diversity. Hurtado et al.’s (1998, 2012) campus racial climate framework identifies five interconnected dimensions of campus racial climate that have implications for college students’ experiences and outcomes. Three of the dimensions are institutional (the historical legacy of inclusion or exclusion, compositional diversity, and organizational structures) and two are individual (psychological perceptions and behavioral climate). With the exception of compositional diversity, most campus climate research has focused on individual-level dimensions (Hurtado et al., 2012). The lack of evidence regarding the racial history dimension is particularly notable. The little research that has explored this dimension suggests that unlike other racial/ethnic groups, Black students are negatively impacted by an institution’s historical legacy of exclusion (Harper & Hurtado, 2007).

The current study uses qualitative data collected as part of a larger mixed methods single instrumental case study. The goal of the case study is to develop an in-depth understanding of how various stakeholders perceive the institutional dimensions of racial climate at a professional school. The professional school is located within a PWI in the south that has a history of racial segregation. However, within the last few years, the professional school has made a commitment to improving its climate for racial diversity by implementing several initiatives. The recent initiatives include recruiting faculty from traditionally underrepresented groups and faculty whose research focuses on equity, incorporating diversity into the curriculum, and implementing a holistic student admissions review process.

The data for this paper are based on semi-structured interviews conducted with six students of color at the professional school. Half of the participants are graduate students and half undergraduate. Five participants identified as African American and one as Latino. Each interview lasted approximately one hour. Participants were asked about the school’s mission statement, commitment to diversity, racial history, recent diversity initiatives, and general climate for racial diversity. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed.

Preliminary results support the interconnected nature of the professional school’s racial history and other dimensions of racial climate. The students connected their professional school’s history of racial segregation with current patterns of racial separation among students and their own feelings of lack of belonging, particularly with white peers. Additionally, all participants perceived the institution’s racial history as related to current incidents of racial discrimination ranging from personal microaggressions to major racist incidents occurring on campus. Moreover, the students perceived connections between the school’s racial history and organizational structures. Specifically, students discussed the school’s history in relation to its recent diversity and inclusion efforts, including acknowledging its history of exclusion and hiring a dedicated diversity officer. In sum, these findings suggest the importance of examining an institution’s history of racial segregation to better understand and improve current racial climate.

Authors

• Kimalee Dickerson, University of Virginia
  Presenting Author

• Joanna Williams, University of Virginia
  Non-Presenting Author