Updated on July 12, 2022
In Fall 2020, the American Talent Initiative (ATI), an alliance of high-graduation-rate colleges and universities committed to expanding access and opportunity for low- and middle-income students, established its newest community of practice (CoP) focusing on academic equity. The past year has laid bare long-standing inequities within our nation’s higher education system, which extend throughout the academic experience and beyond. Together, the 35 CoP members are committed to creating equitable academic communities—from admissions to pedagogical practices and postgraduate support—in which all students can feel a sense of belonging and thrive.
The Academic Equity CoP builds on efforts led by senior leaders at Georgetown University and the University of Texas at Austin, who co-hosted The Summer Institute on Equity in the Academic Experience in June 2019, in collaboration with ATI. A second summer institute was held in June 2021.
In the spirit of promoting practice- and knowledge-sharing across institutional borders, we’re compiling resources and publications related to the CoP’s activities on this page. In the coming months, we will regularly update the links below with new materials and insights.
- [Updated October 21, 2020] Announcing ATI’s Academic Equity Community of Practice
- [Updated May 20, 2021] Striving for Academic Equity: A Collective Commitment: The interactive statement presented on this site is the product of reflections and conversations amongst ATI CoP members about what we at ATI mean by equity in the academic experience, and how the CoP can act upon its collective commitment to striving towards greater academic equity.
- [Updated July 8, 2021] Provocative, Productive, and Collaborative: The 2021 Academic Equity Summer Institute
- [Updated September 27, 2021] An Interview with Nyree Gray, Chief Civil Rights Officer at Claremont McKenna
- [Updated February 2, 2022] An Interview with Dr. Jay Darr, Director of University Counseling Center at the University of Pittsburgh
- [Updated July 12, 2022] The Show Goes On: Growing an Ecosystem Devoted to Academic Equity
- CoP Member Case Study Series: These case studies shared below build off of presentations given by CoP representatives at a CoP webinar titled, “Using Data to Advance Academic Equity.” In each case study, the authors outline how they have leveraged data to enhance equity-related initiatives on their campuses.
- Using Data to Fuel Inclusive Excellence at Virginia Tech: Dr. Jill Sible, Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education and Professor at Virginia Tech, and her team discuss Virginia Tech’s initiative to improve representation and success among underrepresented students in STEM fields.
- Using Equity Data to Guide the Design and Implementation of the New General Education Curriculum at Ohio State: Dr. Meg Daly, Professor at Ohio State, highlights how the university used data to help reimagine core undergraduate coursework with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- [Updated May 31, 2023] Advancing Student Success through Academic Equity Topical Research Projects: Research Reports by ATI Honorarium Awardees George Mason University, Marist College, and Muhlenberg College
To find out more about ATI’s Academic Equity Community of Practice and the resources provided on this site, please contact Sunny Hong (Sunny.Hong@ithaka.org).