Date of Degree
2025
Degree Name
Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)
Department
Department of Counseling and Higher Education (CAHE)
Director
Mac, Jacqueline
Committee Members
Nyunt, Gudrun; Becker, Kelly Iwanaga
Keywords
organizational change, racial equity, racial equity plans, transformational change, community colleges, Illinois
Abstract
ABSTRACT
A MULTIPLE CASE STUDY ON RACIAL EQUITY PLAN IMPLEMENTATION AT ILLINOIS COMMUNITY COLLEGES
Jennifer R. Jennings, Ed.D.
Department of Counseling and Higher Education
Northern Illinois University, 2025
Jacqueline Mac, Director
Implementing racial equity plans in institutions of higher education requires institutional commitment and a shift in the organization processes, policies, and practices. Implementing organizational change in institutions of higher education is complicated and rife with opportunities for missteps. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to understand two community colleges implemented Illinois Equity in Attainment (ILEA) racial equity plans. Findings revealed that the colleges practiced “racial reticence” while implementing their racial equity plans, which the author identifies as an example of how Whiteness manifests in institutions even while they are engaged in racial equity work. The research also showed the challenges that institutions face moving from writing a plan to implementing a plan. The research also indicates the significant role that leaders play in the success of institutional change. Implications for both practice and research are addressed based on the findings from the study.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses and dissertations are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors, unless otherwise indicated.
Recommended Citation
Jennings, Jennifer, "A Multiple Case Study on Racial Equity Plan Implementation at Illinois Community Colleges" (2025). Dissertations of Practice. 83.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-disspractice/83
