Dickinson and IIE Release New Equity and Inclusion Publication

‘Models of Change’ publication looks at diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in international higher education

The Institute of International Education (IIE) and Dickinson College have unveiled a comprehensive open-access publication aimed at providing insights and case studies advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in international higher education. Models of Change: Equity and Inclusion in Action in International Education, collates and summarizes practical guidance for professionals seeking to build inclusive, equitable and sustainable communities within their higher education institutions and among the populations they serve.

"We are building a strong community of practice for international and higher education professionals from around the world who are looking for meaningful ways to make inclusion and equity central to our shared work,” says Associate Provost and Executive Director of Dickinson’s Center for Global Study and Engagement Samantha Brandauer '95. “This joint publication fills me with hope as it highlights both the complexity of the project and pathways forward for us to build more inclusive, just and sustainable communities.”

At roughly 70 pages—including four case studies—the publication is the culmination of three sets of IIE-Dickinson-led virtual workshops attended by nearly 300 leaders from more than 100 institutions and organizations in 10 countries.

“In 2020, many of us were wondering, ‘What does the future of international education look like, and how can we support a positive outcome?’ ” Lindsay Gee Calvert, director of the IIE Center for Access and Equity, writes. “For us, it was doubling down on our organizational commitment to our DEIA values and strategies. Knowing that we cannot work effectively in silos or in isolated capacities within and outside of our organization, we looked to a mutual partnership to expand our learning and sharing potential.”

The case studies come from a range of leaders and practitioners, including Monica Francioso, of CEA CAPA Education Abroad; Nedra Sandiford and Katie DeGuzman of Dickinson College; Julia Zeigler and Kapik Yeung of Brandeis University; and Lisa Miller, B. Dia Draper, and Vincent Mack of Dartmouth College. They align with the following themes:

• Self-awareness and an understanding of one’s own positionality and how it shifts across contexts are key components of this work. This process of self-inquiry is ongoing.
• The work of change toward more inclusion and equity can happen at different levels. The authors understand their spheres of influence and have started where they have the most ability to effect changes, even small, incremental ones. Small steps can have big ripple effects.
• This work is a process, and it is iterative. We need to be able to articulate what progress and growth look like in our context, garner lots of feedback, learn from our missteps, reflect and then begin again. We need to keep asking, Who is missing? Who is not being heard?
• This work is most effective when done collectively. Part of our role is to build bridges to communities, with partners abroad, to our students, and to our colleagues across our institutions and organizations. We need to de-silo this work together and build communities of practice.

“This collaboration stands alone as the most authentic 'real talk' among a community of practitioners I had experienced heretofore. What a delight to contribute and listen in on colleagues from all continents offering granular-level examples of their challenges and solutions, says CGSE Academic Director and Resident Director of Dickinson in France Julia Carnine, who has more than 25 years of experience in the study abroad field.

Models of Change is the first printed resource from the partnership, which IIE and Dickinson created in response to renewed calls for justice in 2020. The partnership leverages the strengths of both institutions with a common commitment to international education and a shared mission of building inclusive, equitable and sustainable communities. Both institutions bring deep expertise and a global network that provides an opportunity to reimagine an international education framework that incorporates global, intercultural and equity/inclusion lenses. To date, IIE and Dickinson have led three sets of virtual workshops: Moving from Inclusivity Talk to Equity in Action in International Education Leadership (2020-21), Building Bridges: Committing to Global Equity and Justice in International Education (2022), and How Do You Know You Are Meeting Your Global DEI Outcomes? Assessing and Communicating Impact (2022).

To codify and expand its DEIA Commitment in the international education field, IIE announced the all-new IIE Center for Equity and Access in March 2023. In July 2023, the Center’s IIE American Passport Project—a grant aiming to assist 10,000 Pell-eligible U.S. students to obtain U.S. passports to study abroad by the end of the decade—received a 2023 AAUA Khaladjan International Award for Innovation in Higher Education.

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Published October 26, 2023