The Power of Inclusive Excellence in Higher Education

In today's society, we are increasingly recognizing the importance of diversity and inclusion in all aspects of life. This is particularly true in the field of higher education, where it is essential to create an environment that is welcoming and supportive of all students, regardless of their background or identity.  To that end, Inclusive Excellence can be a helpful model. Developed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), Inclusive Excellence is a comprehensive approach that seeks to infuse equity and inclusion efforts into every aspect of a college's operations. The goal is to ensure that every department, program, and learning experience is designed to meet students where they are so they can be successful.

Inclusive Excellence is not just an initiative, but a way of thinking about how your college does its work. For systemic change to occur, it needs to become a habit of how you design your college to meet the needs of students so they can achieve more. At its core, Inclusive Excellence is about helping a college identify areas of strength and improvement to ensure that all students can finish what they start.

One of the hallmarks of Inclusive Excellence is holding authentic conversations. As the saying goes, "If you don’t like what’s happening in the relationship, change the conversation!" By changing your collective campus conversation, a college can address opportunity gaps and ensure that all students have equal access to educational opportunities and support. To achieve this goal, it is essential to address these opportunity gaps in a systematic way.

Through engaging your entire campus community in meaningful conversations around Inclusive Excellence, you can explore questions that get at the heart of defining equity and how it shows up at your college. By reflecting on these responses and committing to real actions that bring about change, you can understand how to make a difference in the lives of your students in ways that speak to their sensibilities and concerns.

Inclusive Excellence matters because it recognizes the importance of diversity and inclusion in creating an environment that is welcoming and supportive of all students. By adopting a comprehensive approach that includes communication, conversation, action, and accountability, you can address opportunity gaps and ensure that all students have equal access to higher education and support. So start by changing the conversation and commit to making your college more inclusive for everyone. If you want to learn more, let’s begin a conversation!