Lukas/Pexels
Over the past two decades, numerous diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts have been made to increase student equity with varying results. Institutional research (IR) departments have not always played a major role in these efforts. As the central collection point of institutional and external data and surveys, IR is in a strong position to help inform student equity initiatives. In fact, the inclusion of IR could be necessary for a successful DEI effort.
Role of IR in Student Equity Initiatives
IR offices routinely gather, process, and analyze data from numerous sources for various purposes. Therefore, institutional researchers have the experience, knowledge, and skills to provide the information required for successful DEI initiatives. IR offices know what data are available and can identify datasets that might be appropriate to include in any deep dive into equity research.
Dr. Bethany Miller, director of institutional research and assessment at Macalester College, is a frequent presenter at regional and national conferences on student success. She recently co-presented a session at the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) annual conference entitled “Can We Handle the Truth? Using Collaboration and Data to Advance DEI.” Miller believes that IR’s role in DEI initiatives is “to take data and turn it into something informative, put it into context, and disseminate it.” IR needs to consider data governance, best practices, and the appropriate questions to ask and “can help with disaggregating data between groups and contextualizing the data.”
Retention, success, and assessment results can help inform DEI initiatives. External data such as those from IPEDS and the U.S. Census Bureau can add additional insights. Survey results from current and former students, as well as from the community and business and industry, among other sources can provide context for success data. Without including IR in the conversations, DEI effort leaders will probably not be aware of all the applicable information that IR can provide.
In addition, Miller believes that IR’s role is to understand and interpret the data and to know where data comes from and what it means, as “there is no perfect dataset.” In a published interview, Michael Benitez, Jr., vice president for the office of diversity and inclusion at Metropolitan State University, Denver, and Miller’s co-presenter at the AAC&U conference, stated that “IR is in a position to advocate for the right tool to tell the story.” For example, climate surveys “are not intended to provide the sum total of information about diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus; however, they can certainly contribute to the work, and IR can place them in the context of the other surveys and data to paint a fuller picture.”
Departmental Collaboration
Equity initiative leaders can increase the buy-in and strengthen the impact of their efforts by collaborating with different areas of the college. Involving the entire campus provides diverse experiences and viewpoints, thus increasing the success of the initiative. IR offices already routinely collaborate with other departments as part of their day-to-day operations.
Miller believes that creating trust with other departments is vital to having an effective IR office. “Relationships with the campus community are very important, and IR needs to be tuned in to the campus community through conversations and involvement,” she said. Miller cited language changes made on surveys and reports to better reflect current requirements as an example of a successful collaboration, indicating that “IR needs to be responsive to the needs of individual campus areas.”
One challenge when collaborating with other departments is the different levels of data literacy that normally exist across a campus. Miller stated, “It is important to understand the level of data literacy on campus to know how to best present the data and find new ways to disseminate results.” She is careful to make sure the data provided by her office is understood by the recipients. “I tell the campus community that any data report we send out is like a minor — it doesn’t come unaccompanied.”
IR offices also serve as honest brokers when involved in departmental collaborations. According to Benitez, “At one institution, different areas use different definitions, making it impossible to really benchmark and measure any gaps or successes. IR can work to standardize definitions across campus. In addition, a push for transparency can lead to accountability as gaps are identified.”
Keys to Successful DEI Collaborations with IR
For all these reasons, collaborating with IR can greatly increase the chances that a DEI initiative will produce successful results. Here are some things to consider when building strong partnerships.
- Miller advises DEI initiative leaders to “bring IR in early to cut down frustration.” Including IR at the beginning of a DEI effort can save time and resources and increase the chances that the initiative is ultimately successful.
- How and where the data are to be disseminated should be planned from the beginning, according to Miller. Everyone needs to understand and agree on partnerships and the information desired.
- As in all collaborations, open and honest communication is a requirement. Benitez cautions that institutional researchers need to be “aware that the biases they bring inform the data that is collected as well as how it is collected, analyzed, shared, and even what is shared.”
In DEI collaborations, Benitez believes that “the most important contribution is IR’s ability to collaborate on what the data suggests and the recommendations that come out of the work.” He continues: “When IR is empowered to listen to the needs and vision of DEI, and collaborates with us, the data and research that is applicable comes alive and can be used to make change and advance equity and inclusion. This way, institutions can truly claim they are data-informed institutions as opposed to being driven by the politics of power and control.”
