When DEI Is Off the Table: How Higher Ed Leaders Can Still Drive Institutional Change

Higher education’s approach to DEI is under fire—from political pressure, public skepticism, and internal fatigue. But abandoning DEI isn’t the only option.

In this episode of Changing Higher Ed®, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Columbia Law professor Susan Sturm about how higher ed institutions can continue to drive inclusive institutional change—without relying on traditional DEI frameworks that may no longer be viable.

Sturm, author of What Might Be: Confronting Racism to Transform Our Institutions, reframes DEI as a long-term, systems-level strategy rooted in leadership, trust, and organizational learning. She introduces the concept of “full participation,” where individuals from all backgrounds can thrive and contribute to the institution’s mission—and outlines the leadership mindsets and practices necessary to build that reality.

Through examples from UMBC, Columbia, and court systems, Sturm shows how change begins with local experimentation, paradox navigation, and support for “organizational catalysts” who bridge across roles and perspectives. She also explores how discomfort, conflict, and even failure can become engines for cultural learning—if leaders are willing to embrace vulnerability and complexity.

Topics Covered:

• Why current DEI models fall short in higher education

• The paradox of racial salience and its impact on reform

• How institutions can foster “full participation”

• Why local experimentation drives scalable change

• The role of discomfort and rupture in institutional learning

• How to resource and support internal change agents

• What boards and presidents must do to align DEI with strategy

Three Key Takeaways for Leadership:

1. Train leaders to recognize and hold paradox—not resolve it

2. Invest in internal catalysts who can bridge across silos and groups

3. Reframe DEI as mission-aligned infrastructure, not add-on programming

Recommended For:
Presidents, provosts, board members, DEI officers, and change leaders looking to move beyond check-the-box diversity efforts and create meaningful, sustainable institutional change.

Transcript: https://changinghighered.com/dei-is-off-the-table-how-higher-ed-can-still-drive-institutional-change/

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