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Students of Color Identify Ways Enivronmental Faculty Can Advance Racial/Ethnic Diversity in Undergraduate Programs

Author(s): Tania Schusler

Loyola University Chicago

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Summary:
This grounded theory study documents the experiences of students of color in undergraduate environmental degree programs. Its results can inform faculty, staff, and administrators about how to cultivate greater diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Licensed under CC Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International according to these terms

Version 1.0 - published on 02 Apr 2019 doi:10.25334/Q44X7J - cite this

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    Racial and ethnic diversity in environmental disciplines lags far behind the 38% people of color (POC) population in the U.S., despite research documenting high levels of environmental concern among POC. Addressing this inequity is essential to advance environmental justice. Identity diversity also lends itself to cognitive diversity, which promotes creativity and innovation in solving environmental problems. Environmental degree programs serve as a pipeline to environmental careers. Thus, we investigated the experiences of students of color in undergraduate environmental degree programs at two private universities in Chicago. The results deepen understanding of how environmental programs in higher education can become more inclusive, thereby strengthening the pipeline to environmental careers for POC and increasing racial/ethnic diversity in the field towards more innovative and just environmental solutions.

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