The intersection of internationalization efforts and diversity, equity, and inclusion: The case of U.S.-based international branch campuses.

Abstract

U.S. higher education institutions are increasingly expanding their international efforts while simultaneously addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) objectives. Yet, the nexus of internationalization and DEI remains murky. As one way to understand the intersection of internationalization efforts and DEI, this qualitative content analysis examines the prevalence, location, themes, and public availability of DEI statements found on websites of U.S.-based international branch campuses (IBCs). We focused on the extent to which home campus commitments to DEI are publicly replicated in international settings. While all home campuses had a DEI statement, findings illuminate a low prevalence of stand-alone DEI statements at the IBCs, with only 21 linking to or reposting the home campus statement and only six out of the 67 having DEI statements unique to the IBC context. Findings suggest that U.S. higher education institutions with IBCs are not replicating institutional DEI commitments as a public statement in the same way as on the home campus. This study also contributes to a richer understanding of how some IBCs navigate the tensions of enacting (or not) home campus DEI commitments within the differing local context in which they operate abroad.