An Inconvenient Truth About "Progress": An Analysis of the Promises and Perils of Research on Campus Diversity Initiatives

Abstract

Predominantly white institutions (PWIs) have increasingly implemented formalized diversity initiatives over the past 50 years as a response to ensuing federal legislation (e.g., 1965 Higher Education Act), student protests of the late 1960s, and the influx of Black students into PWIs. These initiatives were established to support students from historically and racially underrepresented populations, while enhancing campus diversity. The purpose of this article is to provide a critical analysis of research focused on formalized diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice (DIEJ) initiatives that have been implemented in higher education from 1968 to 2018. Our findings illustrate that while there is some higher education scholarship exploring issues of DIEJ, the number and focus of articles that analyze specific initiatives is lacking at best, but has increased over the past 20 years, with most focusing on programmatic and curricular efforts.