DEI as a Transformational Catalyst for Higher Education and Public Good

In 2021, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) implemented its recognition standard on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), identifying their combined importance in assuring quality in higher education, and recognizing their essentiality in realizing the vision of higher education as a public good. Recent Supreme Court decisions and anti-DEI legislation challenge past and ongoing DEI efforts across the nation, on the faulty premise that all U.S. citizens are treated fairly. CHEA aligns with other DEI proponents to remain resilient in the face of prevailing opposition, recognizing the importance of DEI in higher education's role in maintaining global competitiveness and fostering innovation. This article explores the relationship between the DEI constructs, quality assurance, student success, and public good. [The introduction to this article was written by Cynthia Jackson Hammond.]