The Teams Presidents Need: Cultivating Inclusive Teams through University Cabinet Searches

The homogeneous nature of senior leadership in U.S. colleges and universities and the absence of diverse perspectives in decision making is cause for concern. The nation's college student population has become increasingly diverse, with Black, Latinx, Asian and Pacific Islander (API), and Indigenous groups making up 45% of 4-year college enrollment in Fall 2021. In contrast, although some gains in diversity in the senior leadership of colleges and universities exist, their ranks remain largely unchanged even as institutions invite more diverse student populations to campus. In the most recent American College President Study by the American Council on Education (2023), 72% of the overall number of college presidents identified as White, and 67% identified as male (Melidona et al., 2023). These numbers highlight the need to examine and develop strategies for achieving parity in higher education's senior leadership ranks overall. This study focused on the need for racial diversity in the cabinet because of cabinet members' influence and contributions to decision making that impact an increasingly diverse student body. Cabinet officials frame issues, influence leadership priorities, develop institutional policy, and engage with stakeholders on behalf of the president. This influence and level to which presidents rely on their cabinets illustrates the need to develop strategies to ensure presidents and university governing entities are supported by diverse sets of leaders with lived experiences that contribute to equity-minded decision making (Bensimon & Associates, 2022). This study explored the efforts institutions undertake to cultivate racial diversity in cabinet-level roles through their search strategies. The primary research question was: What search strategies do institutions with stated goals of diversity and inclusion use to achieve racial diversity in cabinet roles? Findings revealed that the necessary conditions for engaging in hiring practices that result in inclusive cabinet teams are an institutional commitment to combatting structural racism, a presidential leadership in advancing diversity, and change management strategies to address resistance hiring diverse cabinet teams. Strategies institutions considered effective in securing diverse talent for cabinet teams include: (1) Cultivating pipelines through expanded networking and relationship building. (2) Engaging search firms as mutually accountable partners (3) Valuing candidates as people (4) Reputation for inclusive culture with confirmation that the reputation is warranted. Cabinet officers play an essential role in establishing and sustaining campus climate due to their contributions to decision making, policy formulation, and influence over institutional priorities and resources. Understanding effective search strategies to cultivate inclusion in cabinet-level teams is significant to achieving diverse, equitable, and inclusive campuses and the ideals of U.S. higher education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]