The National Center for Institutional Diversity has launched a new digital learning toolkit to help aspiring leaders in higher education plan for equitable change at their institutions. This free resource is available for enrollment and open to University of Michigan community members and practitioners at other institutions.

The toolkit was created by the CASCaDE, or Change Agents Shaping Campus Diversity and Equity, project at the NCID in collaboration with experts in higher education leadership, research and policy.

CASCaDE operates with four values at its core: collective impact, inclusive excellence, democratized access and equity-mindedness. 

“These toolkit resources can help practitioners at all levels act effectively as leaders, regardless of whether they are in a formal leadership role,” said Elizabeth R. Cole, NCID director and professor of university diversity and social transformation, psychology, and women’s and gender studies in LSA. “It is more important than ever that faculty, staff and administrators are equipped with the tools and knowledge necessary to serve their students and uphold civil rights in higher education.”

The toolkit is structured around the THESIS Model for Change Agent Empowerment. Change agents are staff and faculty with formal and informal leadership roles who are dedicated to organizational transformation. According to the THESIS Model, change agents seeking to transform their campuses and improve student success outcomes must cultivate a critical consciousness, develop social and political navigation skills and use diversity scholarship for informed decision-making. 

The toolkit offers a set of learning, reflection and action-planning tools and resources centered around these three key areas for leadership development. All three chapters include interactive activities, video explainers, practitioner narratives and more to create a well-rounded and engaging online learning experience. Learners can also download the tools into an interactive PDF for continued learning.

Those who complete the toolkit’s five-chapter learning pathway will receive a certificate of course completion.

The next phase of this work will offer a facilitated guide for campus teams to reflect, dialogue and discuss strategies in their departmental context to advance student success.