Institutional Transformation Towards Equity

The groundwork for this project began in the immediateaftermath of the “Twin Pandemics” of 2020: the COVID-19 pandemic and the summer of racial unrest that followed the murder of George Floyd. As the research team conducted a literature review and gathered initial data, campuses across the country grappled with how to meet the many emerging needs of the post-2020 world. In the summer of 2023, the project team began the data collection process in earnest just as the Supreme Court’s decisions in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina overturned affirmative action. Data collection took place against the backdrop of escalating attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and programs that have taken place on campuses and in state houses since the landmark ruling. Each of the six institutions included in this study felt the reverberations of these “Twin Pandemics”. The impact of these events surfaced in every conversation the research team had with study participants.

Part One

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Part Two

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Acknowledgments

It is with deep gratitude that we thank the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for sponsoring this

research and being invested in what is working to transform the success of Black, Indigenous, Latine,

and low-income students. We could not have done this work without dedicated program officers who

asked thoughtful questions and accompanied us on the journey.

We also want to express immense gratitude to the many participants who were willing to share their

insights and experiences.

Thank you to our team who researched, reviewed, scanned, wrote, interviewed, analyzed and gave

their time, insight and expertise to this project.

Co-Principal Investigators

Sharon Fries-Britt, Professor, University of Maryland

Bridget Turner Kelly, Professor, University of Maryland

Research Partners

Tashera Gale, Research Director, Higher Ed Insight

Kathleen Jarman, Research Associate, Higher Ed Insight

Research Collaborators

Kimberly Griffin, Dean and Professor, University of Maryland

Julie Park, Professor, University of Maryland

University of Maryland Doctoral Students

Antoinette Chanel Newsome

Tyanna A. E. Clayton-Mallett

Kahlea Michelle Hunt-Khabir

Ashley Ogwo

Satra Taylor

Shytance Wren

Administrative Support

Cheryl J. Ross

Videographer

Dillon Donolds Studios