Changing Higher Ed

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


Listen Later

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/

#HigherEdLeadership #HigherEdChangeManagement #HigherEducationPodcast #DEI

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Changing Higher EdBy Dr. Drumm McNaughton

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

8 ratings


More shows like Changing Higher Ed

View all
This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

90,844 Listeners

Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,260 Listeners

Coaching for Leaders by Dave Stachowiak

Coaching for Leaders

1,460 Listeners

Teaching in Higher Ed by Bonni Stachowiak

Teaching in Higher Ed

368 Listeners

Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,442 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

111,785 Listeners

Future U Podcast - The Pulse of Higher Ed by Jeff Selingo, Michael Horn

Future U Podcast - The Pulse of Higher Ed

131 Listeners

FranklinCovey On Leadership by FranklinCovey

FranklinCovey On Leadership

219 Listeners

The Next Big Idea by Next Big Idea Club

The Next Big Idea

1,272 Listeners

Uncensored CMO by Jon Evans

Uncensored CMO

36 Listeners

The Key with Inside Higher Ed by insidehighered

The Key with Inside Higher Ed

55 Listeners

Hard Fork by The New York Times

Hard Fork

5,443 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

15,237 Listeners

What Now? with Trevor Noah by Trevor Noah

What Now? with Trevor Noah

4,059 Listeners

College Matters from The Chronicle by The Chronicle of Higher Education

College Matters from The Chronicle

63 Listeners