Social Equity in the Academy: state policy and diversity in higher education

Abstract

This study examines the implementation of Senate Bill (SB) 438 and House Bill (HB) 905, Institutions of Higher Education -Plans for Programs of Cultural Diversity in its first and earliest stages. The central research question guiding this study is: How does policy implementation theory illuminate the challenges of managing the implementation of new higher education social equity and diversity mandates in Maryland? Employing a qualitative research approach, this study gave voice to the participants and revealed that the implementation of unfunded social equity and diversity mandates in times of severe economic stress requires varied policy implementation approaches. The implementation mode utilized by each participant depended upon the institutional culture, resources, structure and demographics.

Recommendations are offered for practitioners, scholars, and legislators and for further research possibilities. Given that there are multiple factors that affect policy implementation and acknowledging that these vary across college and university type, the recommendations put forth should be considered for their appropriateness on an individual basis.