The Race, Diversity, and Equity in Higher Education certificate program is designed for higher education professionals looking to deepen their understanding and develop their leadership, on historical and contemporary topics related to inclusion, justice, power, and privilege.

The Race, Diversity, and Equity in Higher Education certificate program offers a virtual, intensive, accelerated, 6-month professional learning experience that reflects on the history and policies related to diversity in institutions of higher education; explores the workings of race and bias and its relationship to equity and diversity; and examines promising practices to approaching diversity and leading institutional change

The Race, Diversity, and Equity in Higher Education certificate program includes 6 modules, each exploring a different topic. Each module includes asynchronous work, as well as a live session to support discussion and deeper examination.

Live sessions tentatively occur from 5:00-7:00 pm ET on:

• March 14th (Monday)
• April 5th (Tuesday)
• May 3rd (Tuesday)
• June 1st (Wednesday)
• July 6th (Wednesday)
• August 3rd (Wednesday)

The Race, Diversity, and Equity in Higher Education certificate program is modeled after a popular graduate course at Penn GSE designed for higher education leaders and administrators. Designed and facilitated by Dr. Ann E. Tiao, Penn GSE Assistant Dean for Student Services, and Dr. Jessie Harper, Assistant Dean, Faculty Affairs and Diversity, this new and innovative certificate program will engage higher education personnel in an exploration of critical issues, ideas, and best practices related to race, diversity, and equity.

This program is organized around the following 6 modules:

Module 1: Diversity in Higher Education: History and Practice
In this module, you will reflect on the history and policies related to diversity in institutions of higher education, and explore the social construction of race and its relationship to equity and diversity.

Module 2: Deconstructing Whiteness
In module 2, you will explore the origin of the notion of whiteness, and discuss its impact on institutions, policies, and individuals.

Module 3: The Multi-Faceted Nature of Bias in Higher Education
In this module, you will develop an understanding of the connections between different forms of bias based on particular identities, and explore promising practices to approaching diversity and leading institutional change.

Module 4: Building an Inclusive Community: Access and Choice in Higher Education
In module 4, you will examine the question of institutional responsibility of access, and how institutions can utilize access and choice to build inclusivity and belonging on campus.

Module 5: Campus Climate and Retention
Module 5 explores the key drivers that affect campus climate, particularly those drivers that relate to retention, and how leaders within institutions can design and support campus climate efforts.

Module 6: Retaining an Inclusive Community: Free Speech
Finally, you will reflect on how to build and retain an inclusive campus community, and discuss tensions between diversity of thought, inclusivity, and campus climate.

Interested in learning more about this program? Watch a recording of our program information session:

Ideal candidates for this program are higher education leaders, faculty, and administrators.

Completing the program application is simple and easy. Simply click on the “Apply Now” button to complete your application. Applicants will be admitted into the certificate program on a rolling basis. You should expect to hear about your application decision within two weeks of applying.

If you are accepted into the program, you will be emailed directions for how to pay your program enrollment fee. When submitting payment, you will see two options for paying the $4,500 program fee. Payment is required by February 24, 2022 in order to finalize your enrollment.

Payment in Full - This option will allow you to pay the entire program fee immediately upon registration.

Payment Plan - This option will allow you to enroll in a payment plan. The payment plan schedule is as follows:

• Payment 1 - $1,125, due immediately upon registration
• Payment 2 - $1,125, due on April 1, 2022
• Payment 3 - $1,125, due on June 1, 2022
• Payment 4 - $1,125, due on August 1, 2022

Please note that there is a discounted program fee of $3,200 for those who complete their application by January 28, 2022.