Sustaining Institutional Change for Inclusive Excellence

Inclusive Excellence as a concept unifies our best aspirations for equitable student success in higher education, evidence-based pedagogical reform, and the value of a diverse and diversely educated populace. Moving away from a student-deficit model is a tremendous shift in mindset and in allocation of responsibility, and will require commitment and action at all levels of an institution. Creating inclusive programs that support the success of all students will challenge faculty and departments to engage in critical self-reflection, and commit to changes in attitudes, habits, and practices. Concurrently, university administration must also examine institutional policies and practices from a new perspective and commit to providing true recognition, advocacy, and resources for this faculty work without dictating top-down solutions. The work of inclusion can succeed when bridges are built across the faculty and administration. This effort is further empowered when the network is extended across multiple institutions, drawing from a larger set of ideas and tapping into disciplinary culture beyond institutional bounds. In this symposium, representatives of four institutions awarded Howard Hughes Medical Institute Inclusive Excellence grants will offer case studies of what has worked (and what has not) to create more inclusive student programs. They will also share mechanisms of support that fostered collaboration across universities. Then, symposium attendees will engage in a guided participatory design activity to map opportunities for cultivating sustained changes that promote inclusion and student success at their home institutions.