College Futures Foundation Presents Webinar & New Report Launch: Racial Bias in College Presidential Searches, Poses Solutions
On October 31, the same day that the Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments about the future of affirmative action in college admissions, College Futures Foundation is presenting a webinar, launching a new report called Whiteness Rules: Racial Exclusion in Becoming an American College President.
The webinar is scheduled from 10am-11am Pacific Time. The media are invited to attend. To RSVP, click here.
While race conscious admissions are a focus of national attention, this new research report and toolkit reveal racial bias and exclusion in the search for and selection of college and university presidents, explaining why so little has changed in the makeup of higher education leadership since the 1970s, despite a diverse pool of learners seeking higher education opportunities today.
Webinar panelists include:
- Eloy Ortiz Oakley, President & CEO of College Futures Foundation
- Bensimon & Associates: Dr. Estela Mara Bensimon, Dr. Megan Chase, Dr. Cheryl Ching, Dr. Román Liera, Dr. Raquel Rall
- Michele Siqueiros, President, Campaign for College Opportunity
Why does this report matter? While the majority of students in California's public higher education system are Latinx, Asian American & Pacific Islander, and Black, the racial-ethnic and gender makeup of the presidents of these colleges and universities is much the same as in the 1970s: almost exclusively white and male.
Why has so little changed in California's colleges and higher education institutions nationwide? Why does it matter? New research conducted by Bensimon & Associates for College Futures Foundation uncovers answers and solutions.
As the state pushes for more college graduates to close the workforce skills gap and build a robust and inclusive economy, California's system of higher education must perform better for students of color and close racial equity gaps. Leadership is an important piece of that puzzle.
Diverse, equity-minded college presidents and other higher education leaders who reflect the state's learner populations are needed to develop welcoming and inclusive campus climates, enact policies and practices that close equity gaps, support faculty of color, and better enable students of color to access resources and graduate. The state's higher education segments have an opportunity to demonstrate commitment to closing equity gaps by diversifying leadership at the top.
The new research published in Whiteness Rules: Racial Exclusion in Becoming an American College President, illustrates how racialization happens in college presidential searches in California's public higher education institutions?the University of California (UC), California State University (CSU), and California Community Colleges (CCC). The findings on structural bias in these processes, and the proposed solutions in the companion toolkit to the report, have implications for racial equity at other levels of administrative and faculty leadership, at the system level, in other states, and nationally.
Presently, the positions of Chancellor at the California State University system and the California Community Colleges?the heads of those segments?are vacant, as are a number of college president positions throughout the state. California's public higher education systems are positioned to play an important role trailblazing equitable hiring practices in their presidencies, chancellorships, and CEO positions.
The research by Bensimon & Associates for College Futures Foundation involved extensive interviews with college presidents, executive search firms, and other stakeholders. It identifies aspects of the standard approach to presidential searches taken by many colleges and universities that exclude Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and AAPI presidential prospects. It also provides a set of tools that stakeholders can use to take concrete steps toward executive leadership that is more representative, culturally competent, and equity-minded?to the benefit of all students, faculty, staff, and the society they help shape.
The companion toolkit offers context and concrete steps that higher education institutions can take to reduce bias and improve equity and inclusion within their presidential search processes and open the door to more diverse leadership.
Embargoed research report and companion toolkit are available upon request prior to the webinar, as well as, media interviews prior to and during the webinar with Eloy Ortiz Oakley, President & CEO of College Futures Foundation and the research team led by Dr. Estela Mara Bensimon of Bensimon & Associates.
College Futures Foundation works to ensure that more students who reflect California's diversity complete a B.A. and access the opportunity for a better life. College Futures Foundation believes this is best accomplished when California's education system is designed to meet students' needs, dedicated to fulfilling their aspirations, and ensures equitable outcomes.
College Futures Foundation: More graduates for a thriving economy. Visit us at www.collegefutures.org.
News published on and distributed by:
