Does diversity training in PSE work?

Demand for diversity training is rising for many reasons, writes the Chronicle of Higher Education, but questions linger over whether or not it works. Many PSE officials often turn to diversity training to address mounting tensions or moments of crisis, especially with the recent protests over race relations at the University of Missouri. Yet the fact remains that diversity-education programs have existed for many years now “without appearing to have solved much of anything,” writes the Chronicle. In 1997, for example, a Bryn Mawr College study estimated that 81% of colleges had tried holding workshops for students to discuss their experiences of racial bias. While students reported experiencing positive effects in these workshops, the Chronicle concludes that “only recently have researchers begun to know if the workshops actually change how people think and feel.” Chronicle of Higher Education (Subscription Required)