An Explanatory Case Study: Exploring How Implementing Change Efforts Influences Community College Administrators' Understanding of Racial Equity

Abstract

While there is an increase in racial and ethnic diversity on college campuses, the rate of degree completion remains uneven and disproportionate to the population (Aud et al., 2012; Williams, 2013). For Black and Latinx students at both two- and four-year institutions, degree completion issues remain persistent and have widened over time (Taylor et al., 2020). Scholars have explored how institutions are trying to achieve racial equity on college campuses (Dowd, 2007; Harris III & Bensimon, 2007; McNair et al., 2020; Witham et al., 2015), particularly focusing on equity-minded policies and practices that are enacted through formalized processes led by external initiatives (e.g., AAC&U’s Committing to Equity Project, CUE Equity Scorecard) and the impact of state and federal regulations to promote racial equity at the community college level (Felix, 2021). While researchers have documented the impact of these interventions, there is limited examination of internal, self-directed types of institutional equity initiatives, especially in the community college context. Using an explanatory case study methodology, this study examined a self-directed racial equity change effort at a community college in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The study used interviews, participant-observations, and document analysis grounded in Shared Equity Leadership and equity-mindedness as the guiding frameworks of the study. My study addressed the following research questions: (1) How, if at all, do individuals engaged in an organizational change process at their institution evolve in their understanding of racial equity over time?; (1a) What experiences, opportunities, and relationships influenced how they define and understand racial equity?; (2) How, if at all, do their roles influence how individuals think about and engage in the process of implementing racial equity-based change? My study revealed the evolution of racial equity understanding for five community college administrators that engaged in a racial equity change process. The findings highlighted significant experiences, opportunities, and relationships that were central to their growth and development. Their role on campus and on racial equity workgroups and teams also influenced the way participants thought about and engaged in implementing racial equity-based change. Overall, the study found that identity is key in shaping how people engage in the implementation process, personal identity may influence individual level understanding, division may shape what is a priority and tactics leveraged to support racial equity efforts, and level of leadership (on and off the team) informs whether you can hold people accountable and how you do so.