From the founding of the first colleges in colonial America to the modern-day institution, the question of who is meritorious enough to gain admissions to an institution has always relevant. The early colleges and universities utilized gender, status, and profession to help decide who should enter an institution. Currently, the formula is more…

In the competitive landscape of higher education, institutions grapple with the challenge of fostering racial diversity and a sense of belonging among students, particularly at Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). This disquisition presents a comprehensive improvement initiative implemented at Western Carolina University (WCU) aimed at…

While there have been multiple instances of digital manipulation and mishandling of images of racially minoritized individuals by college and universities, most of the literature on higher education marketing is limited to the study of the images themselves. In this comparative case study, I consider both the racial representations found in the…

Many departments seek to improve their equity, diversity, and inclusion using data-informed methods; however, not much is known about how closely department leadership aligns their review practices with appropriate theory. This dissertation seeks to explore four areas: 1) how are equity, diversity, and inclusion are being conceptualized (implied…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand by reviewing the current empirical literature the leadership trajectory and pathways of women of color in leadership roles within higher education institutions and to identify a change model approach that can be used as an implementation model across different types of higher education…

In Chapter 1, we study the allocation of homogeneous positions under affirmative action policies where some positions are reserved for underrepresented groups on a "minimum guarantee" basis. Each individual has a merit-based score and may be eligible for multiple reserves. When an individual counts towards each of the reserves that she…

This study explored the challenges and barriers of women of color participation in administrative roles of higher education. Women of color tend to hold positions that are marginal in higher education organizations, lacking authority and influence while placing them in positions to not be influential in change or decision making. However, it is…

The current study focuses on the role of peacebuilding in the higher education sector of Pakistan's conflict-affected region of Balochistan. The research is an extended case study of the University of Balochistan. It addresses how the institution's peacebuilding agency has evolved in the face of ethnic conflict and the neoliberal reforms pursued…

Affirmative action is a topic that has been a flashpoint amongst policymakers, lawmakers, and the public since President Kennedy introduced the phrase in 1961. Within education, a legal status quo has been in place since the Supreme Court's ruling in "Regents of the University of California v. Bakke" (1978), banning strict racial quotas…

This dissertation includes three essays on school choice. In Chapter 1 we consider the priority-based affirmative action policy in school choice. We weaken the responsiveness to affirmative action policy by requiring at least one minority student to be weakly better off when their priorities are improved. We find that under both the…

The United States and Brazil have histories of colonization, slavery, and racial inequalities. In addition, both countries have adjudicated cases centered on the use of affirmative action admissions policies in higher education but with differing results. The constitutional court of Brazil, the Supremo Tribunal Federal, ruled universities could…

I conduct a series of analyses aimed at assessing equity in selective American colleges over a 20+ year time frame. My main measures of equity are enrollment and completion in selective colleges, which I disaggregate by race/ethnicity. After creating an institutional-level panel data set with variables on college revenues and expenses, tuition,…

It is generally accepted that education is a powerful enabler of social mobility in the modern world. However, access to quality and specialized education is still highly unequal, creating pathways for some groups of people and barriers to others. This dissertation explores three approaches to understanding and addressing inequalities of…

This qualitative dissertation explored the challenges faced by African American students in a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Hospitality Program at a Historically Black Community College (HBCC) in Alabama. Framed by Social-Identity Theory, Critical Race Theory, and the Inclusive Excellence Framework, the study addressed the…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between race/ethnicity and the college degree attainment of underrepresented racial minority (URM) students receiving a merit-aid scholarship. Using an institutional database from a highly selective public university, multiple statistical techniques were conducted to examine how degree…