Perceptions of New DEI Laws and the Recent Affirmative Action Decision among Engineering Faculty and Staff
- Conference
- Location
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Portland, Oregon
- Publication Date
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June 23, 2024
- Start Date
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June 23, 2024
- End Date
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July 12, 2024
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Minorities in Engineering Division(MIND)
- Tagged Topic
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Diversity
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/47841
Paper Authors
Julie M. Smith CSEdResearch.org
Dr. Julie M. Smith is a senior education researcher at CSEdResearch.org. She holds degrees in Curriculum & Instruction and Software Development. She also completed a doctoral program in Learning Technologies at the University of North Texas. Her research focus is computer science education, particularly the intersection of learning analytics, learning theory, and equity and excellence. She was a research assistant at MIT’s Teaching Systems Lab, working on a program aimed at improving equity in high school computer science programs; she is also co-editor of the SIGCSE Bulletin.
Abstract
Introduction: In 2023, several states enacted restrictions on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, and the Supreme Court ended the use of affirmative action in college admissions. These changes require higher education faculty and staff (HEFS) who want to work to end disproportionate representation in engineering programs to carefully reconsider how they will move forward in their work. The rapidity and recency of these changes mean that little is known about how these changes are understood by HEFS.
Objective: The primary purpose of this paper is to answer the question: How do HEFS, especially those in engineering, perceive the new legal landscape?
Methods: We gathered data from HEFS who chose to participate (n = 46) in a community of practice designed to help participants understand and negotiate the new legal landscape. This data included a survey, written artifacts from community activities, meeting transcripts, and plans for action. We performed a content analysis on this data using the framework developed by Kania et al. for understanding systems change that considers structural, relational, and transformative factors in order to determine how participants perceive the recent changes to the law.
Results: Our analysis found that participants had a variety of concerns related to the new legal reality, including those related to structural, relational, and transformative change. They expressed various concerns and sentiments about the changes, largely focused on the likely impact on underrepresented students and their own ability to serve these students. We also uncovered some misconceptions about the nature and extent of recent changes, such as the people and contexts to whom the new regulations apply.
Conclusion: This paper makes an important contribution to understanding how engineering HEFS understand and perceive the new legal landscape. This understanding is an important precursor to appreciating how those who want to work to improve representation in higher education might continue to do so within the constraints of recent changes to the law. The paper includes suggestions for serving all students in a manner that comports with the new legal landscape.
Smith, J. M. (2024, June), Perceptions of New DEI Laws and the Recent Affirmative Action Decision among Engineering Faculty and Staff Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/47841
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