Can I see myself there? How Black potential applicants use diversity cues to learn about graduate program climate.

Abstract

In academia, showcasing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) values has become increasingly prominent in efforts to recruit students and faculty with marginalized identities, yet little work has examined the empirical effects that such DEI practices and identity safety cues have on the perceptions of these institutions. In the present study, we examine the contextual factors that shape how Black science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students learn and draw inferences about diversity and cultural climate in the graduate programs to which they consider applying. A sample of 217 Black participants with background in a STEM discipline viewed a mock academic department website which presented varied combinations of expressed diversity cues (diversity vs. neutral mission statement) and/or evidence-based diversity cues (racially diverse vs. all-White faculty). Participants reported perceptions of the department's DEI culture, their own perceived fit within the program, and belief of future personal success within that institution. Results indicated a significant main effect of evidence-based cue, in the form of faculty diversity, on all examined outcomes, with Black participants more positively assessing a program exhibiting this cue. An expressed cue, in the form of diversity statement, did not have significant effects. These results indicate that in higher education, as in other settings, evidence-based cues may be more effective means to cue identity safety. This study provides a foundation for future research to help guide efforts of academic programs seeking to create a welcoming and supportive climate for all potential applicants. Public Significance StatementWith the rise in conversations regarding best practices for approaching diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, it becomes increasingly important to empirically study the effects of such initiatives, specifically within academia. The present work explores factors that impact DEI efforts and more general identity safety cues in higher education-specifically, among Black potential applicants to a graduate program in psychology. The study examined the individual and combined effects that faculty representation and diversity statements within a department have on Black potential applicants. We found that faculty diversity had a larger, and more positive, effect on perceptions than the statement. This study extends previous work by exploring the unique context and considerations that arise within an academic setting, and it also has implications both inside and outside of academia that can be applied broadly and inform organizational DEI efforts.