December 6, 2024
NADOHE sent the following message to the Western Association of Schools and Colleges: Senior College and University Commission regarding proposed changes to their 2023 Standards of Accreditation. We must continue to underscore the value of our members' work in advancing inclusive excellence and opportunity for all.
To the WSCUC Commission:
The National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) has been made aware of proposed changes to the Western Association of Schools and Colleges: Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) 2023 Standards of Accreditation with refinements that effectively remove the language that “promotes the success of all students and makes explicit its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.” While understanding the potential political or judicial challenges to the role that accrediting bodies hold in the higher education space, we are concerned that such proposed revisions undermine the moral and practical imperatives of the higher education enterprise that specifically advances access, opportunity, success, and social mobility, and in the end, full inclusion in the promise of higher education for all students but especially those from historically marginalized and minoritized populations.
NADOHE is a membership organization of over 2,000 chief diversity officers, diversity professionals, scholars and researchers who lead and influence diversity efforts in higher education. These functions, though increasingly mischaracterized as ideological, are core to the academic role of higher education in society and are evidence-based and research-driven. They strengthen the ability of colleges and universities to create the academic and social supports that are necessary to successfully educate the increasingly diverse student population, a diversity that is profoundly transforming all areas of the nation. At the core of diversity, equity, and inclusion work is 1) a profound commitment to excellence; 2) understanding the impact of diversity as essential to business success; 3) an acknowledgment of the role institutions of higher education play in preparing students to develop into competitive and successful workers in STEM and national security; 4) ensuring that academic freedom, social discourse, and civic engagement can foster an environment that addresses the major issues facing society; and 5) compliance with existing state and federal laws.
Our 2020 Standards of Professional Practice for Chief Diversity Officers in Higher Education recognize the imperative for colleges and universities to reflect their espoused values and to deliver on their commitment to making their institutions inclusive learning and working environments for all. We have made a commitment to the pursuit of inclusive excellence as a “mission-driven edict at all levels of the institution.” The highest levels of accountability, along with commitment and responsibility, must reside throughout institutional leadership. The role of this accrediting body, as noted by WSCUC, is to strive to “advance quality and equitable student success across a range of higher education institutions and missions to foster inquiry, innovation, excellence, and sustainability through its dual responsibilities as an accreditor for accountability and continuous improvement.” Our roles and responsibilities are similar, which includes institutional accountability for the success of all students.
Fully understanding that in the current environment, WASC is not changing the intent of these ideas and that the words diversity, equity, and inclusion could be a distraction, it is disappointing because their removal has the potential for muting and diminishing commitments to these ends. The words are not hollow. Their purpose is well understood because of the role they play in ensuring that the higher education enterprise is one that is open, fair, and equitable for all.
Now is not the time to demur from the challenge. Rather it is an opportunity to redouble commitments to the mission, values, and objectives that all institutions of higher education hold sacrosanct and ensure that they are clearly articulated for the academy and the public. Keeping these ideas front and center is a critical first step.
Sincerely,
Paulette Granberry Russell, J.D.
President and CEO
National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education