About this course: This course is open to professionals interested in learning more about leadership in higher education for a changing demographic or interested in developing their own leadership skills. The very idea that individuals can be taught to lead is not without its skeptics. Reasonable people, even some scholars in the field, point to the important traits, skills, and attributes that are observed in many visible leaders and contend that certain qualities necessary for effective leadership are not easily transmitted. To accept this premise and conclude that some people are born as natural leaders and others cannot be expected to lead at all is to make a mistake at the other end of the logical spectrum. We believe that leadership can be taught as long as it is concurrently nurtured, that most people possess a constellation of strengths around which they can construct their own leadership philosophy and approach, and that leadership development programming—if done well—can be transformative for organizers and participants. Course Level Objectives: Understand the historical narrative of institutions as well as institutional structures that have created instances of inclusion and exclusion in colleges and universities. Describe how transformational leadership is enacted for diversity, equity, and inclusion in a complex and contested environment. Compare legislative, governance, and public accountability and expectations in relation to contemporary issues in higher education. Analyze the strategic diversity planning process and documents of a selected institution. Recommend innovations and opportunities for transformational change at various levels of the ecological model using the strategic diversity planning process as a tool.
Who is this class for: Higher education leaders who are currently working or interested in issues of diversity, equity and inclusion on college campuses.
Created by: University of Michigan
Taught by: Dr. John C. Burkhardt , Professor of Clinical Practice, Special Assistant to the Provost for University Engagement
Center for the Study of Post-Secondary Education
| Level | Intermediate |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Leadership Challenges of the 21st Century
The system of higher education has grown from a complex history and evolving mission to serve the public good. Higher education leaders and administrators should reflect upon and consider this history and its implications for equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts on campus. This module will help you to recognize historical narratives and present day consequences on campus, from the way students are admitted to the buildings on campus.
10 videos, 2 readings
- Reading: Module 1 Overview
- Video: Re-envisioning Higher Education Leadership for the 21st Century
- Reading: Help us learn more about you!
- Video: Leading Toward Greater Inclusion, Diversity & Equity In Our Institutions & Society Part 1
- Video: Leading Toward Greater Inclusion, Diversity & Equity In Our Institutions & Society Part 2
- Discussion Prompt: Reflection
- Video: Leadership & The Diversity-Inclusion Paradox
- Video: Leading Towards Equity
- Video: Map Exercise
- Discussion Prompt: Campus Map Labeling Activity
- Video: Our Culture of Creating Knowledge
- Video: Tools for Developing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- Video: Past Decisions with Modern Impact
- Video: Defining Knowledge, Tools & Courage
Graded: Discussion Participation
Graded: Campus Map Labeling Activity & Discussion Participation
WEEK 2
Bias of Consciousness
Higher education institutions have been shaped through a history of exclusion. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Women's Colleges, and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) are a few examples of these institutions. This module will help you to understand the various structures, schools, and organizations that have developed as a result of historical exclusion and the role each plays in equity, diversity, and inclusion on campuses across the United States.
4 videos, 6 readings
- Reading: Module 2 Overview
- Video: Historical & Structural Roots: The American System of Higher Education
- Reading: Video: Long Beach City College - "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Conference" - Keynote Speaker: Daryl G. Smith 2012
- Reading: The Drama of Diversity and Democracy: Higher Education and American Commitments
- Reading: Op-Ed: The Missing Students of Color and the Rest of Us
- Reading: Dr. Betty Overton-Adkins
- Video: A Word Regarding HBCUs
- Reading: Video: The history and importance of the HBCU experience
- Video: Institutional Type Leaders in Action: Part I
- Discussion Prompt: Structures of Exclusion
- Video: Knowledge, Tools, Courage
Graded: Discussion Participation
WEEK 3
Contested Discourse
Social discourse is intertwined with modern issues faced by students on campus. Student movements develop in response to contested discourse and seek to change not only tensions on campus, but address social inequities as well. This module will provide background on contested discourse as well as highlight several student movements addressing contemporary campus issues.
1 video, 9 readings
- Reading: Module 3 Overview
- Video: Framing the Conversation: Contested Discourse
- Reading: Video: Dog Whistle Politics
- Reading: Racial Tension and Protests on Campuses Across the Country
- Reading: Have We Learned Anything From the Columbia Rape Case?
- Reading: I Too Am Harvard
- Reading: Undocumented & Unafraid Movement
- Reading: Video: Being Black at UCLA
- Discussion Prompt: Respond to Student Voices
- Reading: Colleges need a language shift, but not the one you think
- Reading: ‘Political correctness’ has become a codeword for hate
Graded: Student Voices Discussion Participation
WEEK 4
Strategic Diversity Planning
4 videos, 4 readings
- Reading: Module 4 Overview
- Video: Framing the Conversation: Strategic Diversity Planning
- Video: Student Impact: Making Voices Heard
- Video: Introduction to the U-M Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategic Plan: Watch from 33:16 to 1:02:50
- Reading: School of Education Strategic Diversity Plan
- Video: University of Michigan Strategic Diversity Plan
- Reading: Enacting Diverse Learning Environments
- Reading: Making Diversity Work on Campus: A Research-Based Perspective
Graded: Strategic Diversity Plan Evaluation
WEEK 5
Rethinking Leaders, Leadership and Leadership Development
4 videos, 6 readings
- Reading: Module 5 Overview
- Video: Rethinking Leaders, Leadership & Leadership Development
- Video: Rethinking Leadership through Personal Timelines
- Discussion Prompt: Create Your Personal Timeline Activity
- Reading: Dr. Peter G. Northouse
- Video: A Discussion of Leadership Theory
- Video: Institutional Type Leaders in Action: Part II
- Reading: Video: About the Role of Chief Diversity Officer
- Reading: An Examination of Strategic Diversity Plans and Processes at Select Research Institutions
- Reading: Optional Readings in Diversity and Leadership
- Reading: Post-Course Survey
Graded: Personal Timeline Activity & Discussion Participation
FAQs
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Coursework
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University of Michigan
The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.
Ratings and Reviews
Very well organized. Excellent assignments and tools.
This is must take class for anyone in Higher Education! Learn more about diversity! So relevant for everything going on in the world today!
Very interesting course and easy to follow. Sometimes a bit slow, since I suppose it's how the professor feels comfortable in front of the camera. Thanks for making this available to the world!
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The course is stimulating, but the materials can be long-winded; some of the readings are 50+ pages long, and it can be tough to assess which parts are relevant to the assignments and in how much depth to study them. That being said, the course provides excellent readings on diversity, equity, and inclusion and approaches the topic critically, not just from a standpoint of creating new programs, but emphasizing the need for institutional transformation.