Shared Equity Leadership: Working Collectively to Change Campus Cultures

• In Event: Reimagining the Leadership and Change Playbook: Synergizing Emerging Perspectives on the Cultivation of Equitable Postsecondary Education Systems

Abstract

A common strategy for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education is the creation of Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) positions. While the role of leadership is crucial for promoting the type of culture change required to make institutions more equitable, too often campuses find that equity work gets siloed in the CDO’s office or that they lack the attendant resources, authority, or power to make meaningful change. In this paper, we present a new approach to equity leadership called Shared Equity Leadership, which provides a framework for broadening the work of leadership to include more people in a variety of positions and roles who can work together to promote more just and equitable outcomes.

Authors

• Elizabeth M. Holcombe, University of Southern California

• Adrianna Kezar, University of Southern California

• Natsumi Ueda, University of Southern California