Specifically in higher education, the research found several standards emerged as indicators of successful diversity programs on other campuses.

1. Access and representation of underrepresented students, staff, and faculty

  • Active recruiting of students and faculty of color.
  • Having minority admission counselors on staff.
  • Availability and tracking of racial/ethnic data on students, faculty, and staff.
  • Engaging in strategic faculty hires.
  • Monitoring staff and faculty searches and modifying processes as needed.
  • Using alternative recruiting venues for faculty and staff to increase the diversity of the pool.
  • Educating and training search committees.
  • Partnering with community colleges and high schools to reach more diverse students.

2. Opportunities for cross-racial interaction

  • Incorporating diversity-theme-based living and learning communities into campus housing options.
  • Taking diversity issues under special consideration when making housing assignments.
  • Cultivating a dialog among faculty, staff, and students on diversity issues.
  • Engaging in and examining conversations about challenging and significant social issues as a campus community.

3. Academic and social successes of underrepresented students

  • Creating and implementing summer bridge programs that introduce underserved middle and high school students to college life.
  • Establishing special honors programs to support and encourage college application and attendance among at-risk students.

4. Diverse perspectives in classes

  • Requiring all students to take diversity courses with content addressing both domestic and international issues.
  • Applying pedagogical approaches that are race and culture aware.
  • Increasing race/ethnic/multicultural studies courses.

5. Support academic/social needs of underrepresented students

  • Creating and making accessible support groups for underrepresented students.
  • Planning and executing varied social programs and activities.
  • Organizing academic support programs for underrepresented students.
  • Instituting peer mentoring programs

6. Support for underrepresented faculty and staff

  • Establishing mentoring programs.
  • Providing increased access to grants and research sabbatical leaves for faculty of color.

7. Link the work of student affairs and academic affairs

  • Collaboration between the offices of student affairs and academic affairs to produce joint programming on diversity.
  • Integrating student learning in curricular and co-curricular activities.
  • Creating shared accountability, recognition, and reward programs.

8. Connect campus with ethnic communities

  • Sharing the university's broad knowledge base and pool of experts with the community.
  • Establishing successful communication contacts and networks within minority communities.
  • Increasing collaboration with community-based organizations on diversity-related activities.
  • Growing the involvement of individuals from the communities in university programs, activities, committees, etc.

9. Assess progress

  • Ongoing assessment of the campus climate for diversity.
  • Measuring learning outcomes by a set of goal areas.
  • Tracking changes in the university demographic profile, specifically in representation, retention, graduation, and promotion.