A Conceptual Model of the Emergence of Diversity and Inclusion Officers in Division I Collegiate Athletics

In recent years, Division I athletic departments have adopted athletic administrators of diversity and inclusion. These inaugural actors hold distinct titles, but the essence of their position mirror Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs) in higher education and business domains. The purpose of this manuscript is to offer a conceptual model that explores why intercollegiate athletic departments have adopted these positions and why these positions will continue to increase in adoption. The emergence of these roles occurs on the backdrop of prominent social movements in the United States (U.S.) and high-profile intercollegiate sport scandals while also aligning with contemporary trends in higher education institution. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

How Political Tech Can Become More Equitable

The conclusion turns the book’s findings into a set of recommendations for how campaigns can create the more equitable political technology field of the future. The conclusion argues that candidates and their campaigns must create more deliberate hiring processes designed to achieve gender equity, inclusion, and diversity more broadly, especially in leadership. Creating real institutions to ensure accountability would result in clear consequences for misconduct. Investing in positions such as chief diversity officers would provide for more sustained efforts to recruit, retain, and develop staffers from underrepresented groups. Campaigns can create more workplace flexibility to support all their employees. Women in leadership positions can promote women’s voices in office culture. Male allies must use their already recognized voices to promote those of women and work to ensure representation through hiring and promotion. Media outlets need to be more deliberate about their coverage of campaigns.

Structuring Diversity: Chief Diversity Offices as Structural Responses to a Cultural Issue

Aim/Purpose: Higher education has faced increasing perceptions, mainly by students, of unwelcoming campus racial and diversity climates. As a result, during the past decade, there has been a peak in the inaugurations of chief diversity officers. Yet, little is known about how these offices are established. Background: This study explores and describes the emergence of the chief diversity office at two research-intensive universities. Methodology: This study utilizes a qualitative case study to answer the research questions. Contribution: The study provides new knowledge about the impetuses that prompt the formation of chief diversity officers. Further, the findings inform the higher education community about the establishment of chief diversity offices at two universities that might help institutions inaugurate new offices. Findings: Findings illustrated that the formation of the chief diversity office at these research universities represented structural responses to cultural issues on campus. Recommendations for Practitioners: A recommendation for practitioners is to consider a thorough assessment of the campus climate as a means to prompt the formation of a chief diversity office. The structural attributes of the realized unit should be directly associated with the specific context of the respective campus. Recommendation for Researchers: Recommendations for researchers are to empirically address social identity when examining chief diversity officers and to further investigate job and work attitudes, such as organizational commitment or burnout, in these leaders. Impact on Society: Present day colleges and universities are the most diverse in history. Considering changing demographics, it is important to understand how institutions are structurally responding to diversity on campus. Future Research: Future research might investigate the nuanced ways in which institutions of higher education are inaugurating new offices and appointing new diversity leaders. Considering the distinct aspects of diversity, scholars might explore the salient skills or relevant background experiences that colleges and universities are seeking in these new leaders.