Part I: Preliminary Information
Title: Towards a More Aspirational Alternative in Higher Education: Moving Beyond
Conventional Diversity Discourse
Abstract:
This research examines dominant discourses of diversity in higher education and aims to develop
a new, more creative and optimistic conceptualization of diversity. Many diversity advocates and
practitioners concerned with these issues acknowledge that they do not have language adequate
to express the aspirational nature of their work (Ahmed 2006, 751) and that they must be more
creative with their efforts (Hoag 2008, 18). This project will address the following questions:
How can the framework of diversity be improved in order to better capture and serve the ideals
of full-fledged inclusion, freedom, and justice? How might today’s diversity initiatives be redesigned and expanded to create better universities? Grounding itself in the literature of diversity
in higher education and “provisional utopian” philosophy, this project will propose a new
framework for diversity and offer a new program for action that universities might begin to
follow.
Personal Statement:
When I was a sophomore in high school, my Great Books instructor assigned me David
Foster Wallace’s famous Kenyon College commencement speech, “This is Water,” for reading
homework. To a bookish 15-year-old struggling to understand what it meant to be “good at
school,” this speech was a godsend. The part of Wallace’s argument that has stuck with me since
then is his assertion that the value of a liberal arts education is not the age-old cliché that it
teaches you how to think. Rather, Wallace claims that the value is much greater: a liberal arts
education teaches you how to exercise some control about what you think about (Wallace, 2005).
When it is so easy to go through life on auto-pilot, it becomes an absolutely essential skill to be
present and conscious in a given moment.
In hindsight, I realize that my Great Books class, and more specifically this speech, is
what first introduced me to philosophical works and philosophical thinking. It was then that I
committed myself to staying conscious and alive, as Wallace urges. Though research might not
seem like the most obvious way to stay in the moment, as I grew interested in scholarship, I
realized it could help me to seek justice, learn everything I can, and above all, ask better and
better questions in order to stay conscious.
I had always been curious about feminism, but when I came to college as a mostlycloseted woman in a relationship with another woman, the stakes of learning about feminism and
social justice seemed immeasurably higher. My coursework grew to reflect my concerns with
gender justice. I took “Current Controversies in Feminism” in the spring of my first year, which
broadened my perspective on what feminism was and could be. Taking the class with a
philosophy professor helped me realize the kind of intellectual work I wanted to do. I left that
course with a new major, no definitive answers to several immensely complex questions, and a
new lens through which to ask some of those questions.
As I learned more about power, privilege, and social justice, I began exploring these
issues and questions whenever I could, for example, analyzing female writers of the 17th Century
for my literature class and bringing up feminist disability theory when we discussed assisted
suicide in my bioethics course. I grew more active on Elon’s campus and wrestled with questions
of how to enact positive change within institutions. I hoped to connect my identity with my
academics and to figure out where I was positioned amidst the groups I saw working towards a
better future.
The Lumen Prize would provide me with the resources to continue this justice work and
broaden its application through my research. With the extra mentoring of the Lumen scholar
community, I would gain new perspectives on my work from Elon students and faculty.
Receiving the Lumen Prize would allow me to study abroad, where I would experience scholarly
work in a radically different context. Finally, I hope that my experience with research will assist
me as I apply to and hopefully attend graduate school.
Some argue that, at its core, academia is a privileged and rather self-indulgent pursuit.
This may hold some truth, but research keeps me conscious and aware of the complexities of the
world. It keeps me passionate, excited, and hopeful about the future. It offers me a chance to
contribute to social justice canon. It gets me out of the default settings that Wallace critiques and
helps me develop a curious and engaged, and awareness of the world.
Part II: Project Description
Focus:
The aim of my project is to generate a new framework for thinking about diversity on
college campuses –a framework more creative, ambitious, and congruent with such institutions’
larger missions than the frameworks presently used. My work is centered on the student
experience but connected to broader aspects of university life (diversity of university
administrators, of assigned authors, etc.) so far as they serve the student experience.
The term diversity connotes quantifiable heterogeneity without speaking to a set of more
ideal goals. Thus, by labeling their desired outcome “diversity,” universities may well limit their
thinking and ability to move beyond what has already been achieved. Philosopher Sara Ahmed,
along with other critics, examines the lack of specificity around the term diversity, pointing out
that it can “conceal the operation of systematic inequalities under a banner of difference”
(Ahmed 2006, 746). Ahmed holds that diversity officers and university administrations have
been working towards broad (though not always fully acknowledged) goals of equity, inclusion,
and justice for a long time, but they have been forced to keep changing the names of the
initiatives as the political climate around these issues changes. Scholars of educational policy
Rosemary Deem and Jenny Ozga concur, claiming that the term diversity “does not suggest any
form of redistributive justice” in the way other terms might (Deem and Ozga 1997, 33).
Even if a more ambitious term that acknowledges redistributive justice is used to describe
what is now called diversity, there remains a higher goal for practitioners to aspire to. Emily
Robertson, an epistemic philosopher, suggests we must seek “the inclusion of the voices,
experiences, perspectives, questions, interests, and social location of those groups who have been
traditionally marginalized in the institutions of knowledge production and dissemination”
(Robertson 2013, 300). She theorizes that the ultimate goal should be to develop citizens who
can “maintain credible inclusive institutions of public knowledge” (299). Marginalized groups
often do not even have the epistemic framework or opportunity to articulate their experiences to
themselves or others (302; Cooper 2004, 11; Young 2000, 53.). Even if these groups are brought
together through specialized programming (scholars call this “bonding” (Shaiko 2013)), the
“bridging” that might allow them to branch out and make connections amidst their intersecting
identities will not happen (Shaiko 2013).
My questions thus become: How can the framework of diversity be improved in order to
better capture and serve the ideals of full-fledged inclusion, freedom, and justice that universities
seek? How might these diversity initiatives be re-designed and expanded to create better
universities, and what specific programs or changes might be enacted that better serve these
goals? I propose to address these questions using contemporary utopian thought. Philosopher
Karin Björnberg suggests that setting optimistic but difficult-to-attain goals “can make it easier
to adopt consistent and meaningful sub-goals and action plans” (Björnberg 2006, 145).
“Provisional utopias” can assist in goal-setting even when we know these goals will likely need
to be continually adjusted before they are reached. Björnberg’s utopian turn echoes the selfdescribed “utopian method” of the social critic and writer Paul Goodman, who argues that
utopian thinking “aims at far-reaching social and cultural advantages” (Goodman 1973, 14) but
also encourages simple and direct, yet visionary problem-solving. Contemporary utopian
thought is not the imagination of the impossible that many associate with the term; rather,
scholars today define utopian thought as desiring and enacting a better way of living and being
(Levitas 2013, 177). It is a method, a “reconstitution of society” (xi) that could be the proper way
to encourage positive change by embodying the change itself (Cooper 2014, 2).
This straightforward, optimistic method of utopian thought can be applied to diversity
issues. For example, one widely-acknowledged hindrance to campus diversity initiatives is that
many students opt out of programming, instead retreating into their rooms (Shaiko 2013).
Reversing the way we normally try to engage students, one potential solution to this problem
might be bringing the atmosphere of justice and inclusion to residence halls. Elon University has
already begun a similar practice with its Global Neighborhoods, in which students attend
internationally-themed events and are members of learning communities that focus on global
citizenship. Advocates for a “choice architecture” that would nudge students out of their comfort
zones (Shaiko 2013) might suggest expanding this atmosphere to all living spaces, or changing
the very structure of the buildings so that students are necessarily immersed in environments
outside the ones they are used to. This is but one example of what a contemporary utopian “postdiversity” vision might look like.
“Provisional utopian” thought might also encourage us to re-imagine – and greatly
widen– the scope of diversity policies. It is not just a matter of offering or enabling a framework
for disadvantaged groups, but for everyone. Diversity should be an immersive experience for all;
rather than having specific spaces or programs for “diverse” students, the entire campus should
be set up so all students feel welcome and none can opt out of new experiences.
As a student who has done diversity work on a university campus, I am fascinated and
hopeful about this more aspirational approach. By the time I leave Elon, I will have spent four
years grappling with questions of inclusion and justice in various capacities: as a student leader,
a residential advisor, a member of the queer community, and a scholar. I entered Elon just as the
Chick-Fil-A controversy was brewing. By engaging with this issue, I immediately began to
recognize the depth and complexity of questions about what a university should be doing both
for its marginalized populations and for those in more privileged positions. I cannot hope to find
all the answers, but by the time I complete my project, I hope to offer something genuinely new,
hopeful, and creative to current discourses and practices dealing with diversity.
Proposed Experiences:
To further develop my project, I plan to take two semester hours of research in the fall of
my junior year, during which I will continue reviewing the relevant literature on my topic and
complete an application for Elon’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE).
Additionally, I plan to take the Methods of Philosophical Inquiry course with Dr. Cahill. While I
have already had several individual sessions with Dr. Cahill in preparation for this proposal,
taking the formal class will assist me in further developing the methodology for my research. I
plan also to embark upon a carefully-designed tour of universities doing unique diversity work,
using these visits as an exploratory phase in my project that will help me assess the promise of
new diversity initiatives on university campuses.
Throughout my junior year I will also serve as the president of Spectrum, Elon’s queerstraight alliance. This leadership role will allow me to directly apply aspects of my research to
my other experiences as a student, and vice versa. I will continue exploring various aspects of
diversity work at Elon, including working with Drs. Bloch-Schulman, Cahill, and Batchelor on a
gender equality initiative hopefully funded by the Diversity Infusion Project. During Winter
Term of 2015, I plan to study abroad with Dr. Amy Allocco, exploring caste, gender, and
religion in South India. I will return to my project in the spring, taking two semester hours of
research in order to begin a detailed outline of my paper. If awarded SURE, I will spend the
summer of 2015 developing a list of ideal practices in diversity work and drafting my research
paper.
During the fall of my senior year, I will again take two semester hours of research. This
should prepare me to construct a presentation for the National Conference for Undergraduate
Research (NCUR). I will also submit my project to the conference of the National Association of
Diversity Officers in Higher Education and the conference of the Philosophy of Education
Society.
Proposed Products:
This project will culminate in a research paper outlining the way colleges and universities
tend to approach diversity issues and initiatives, developing a new framework and vocabulary for
conceptualizing and furthering what we currently call “diversity,” and recommending some ideal
practices for universities to follow. Additionally, I plan to create an executive summary of my
findings that will serve as a program for action for universities to consider as they move forward
with their efforts.
This research aims to inject hope and creativity into a topic that many in higher education
are concerned about but unsure how to address. My findings should be of interest to scholars of
higher education, scholars of educational philosophy, and university administrators. In fact, I
hope to present this proposal to Elon’s administration, using Elon as a sort of laboratory for this
experiment. I will also create a presentation to share my findings more widely, particularly at
SURF, NCUR, and any other conferences to which I am accepted. Lastly, I will pursue the
publication of my work in scholarly journals such as the Journal of Diversity in Higher
Education.
Part III: Feasibility
Feasibility Statement:
Methodology:
This project is rooted in philosophical thinking and methodologies, and more particularly in
creative, utopian philosophical theory. Dr. Weston’s work with imaginative philosophy and the
philosophy of education makes him an ideal mentor for this project, as does his willingness to
explore developing fields and work closely with students. He has already prompted me toward
developing a very provisional first attempt at reconceptualizing diversity as part of a two-credit
independent study this semester.
Although my project is centered on philosophy, part of its methodology entails interviewing
diversity practitioners at various universities, a practice usually associated with the social
sciences. These interviews will be used as exploratory research so that I can accurately assess
current diversity policy and practices as well as unique and suggestive emerging alternatives.
Visiting in person will ensure that I capture the true atmosphere of the university in a way that
phone conferences or online research would not. I might also make new discoveries or find new
ideas by speaking to practitioners in person. I plan to model my methodology after philosopher
Sara Ahmed’s work in “Doing Diversity in Higher Education in Australia,” seeking
philosophical insights from the conversations I have (Ahmed 2006, 747). For this part of the
methodology, I will also consulting with the Anthropology/Sociology department in order to
ensure that I ask generative but appropriately open-ended questions. I have met with Dr. Tom
Mould to discuss my proposed interviews and I expect to continue working with his department
as I prepare. He has explained to me the basics of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval
process and the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) training. Dr. Amy Allocco,
whose central methodology is the anthropology of religion, has also offered to assist me in
developing interview questions and gaining IRB approval.
Positionality:
I believe I am uniquely positioned to make a contribution to the field of higher education,
and particularly philosophy in higher education as it relates to diversity issues. As an
undergraduate student, I am part of the population towards which most diversity initiatives are
directed, and thus I have a vested interest in the results. I have seen my own university
implement new policies and practices in an attempt to change campus climate for the better. As a
self-identified queer student, I am positioned to see the value in such programs for traditionally
marginalized populations. On the other hand, as a member of many privileged groups, I am also
positioned to see the value that diversity initiatives hold for those who may not have previously
recognized the profound effects and ramifications of differences of race, class, gender, sexuality,
ability, and additional areas where injustice exists. Finally, as a philosophy major, and with the
help of my mentor and other philosophical scholars, I am learning to look at the issue of diversity
in higher education through a wider, more visionary lens – to explore alternatives beyond those
currently offered us – which will allow me to generate creative ideas and solutions that might not
otherwise come up.
Collaboration:
Lastly, in order to make sure that my final recommendations are feasible for diversity
practitioners, I plan to consult closely with Elon University staff, faculty, and administrators
working on various diversity initiatives, seeking their input and feedback as I develop a proposed
new set of best practices. I have already consulted with Matthew Antonio Bosch (Director of
Elon’s Gender and LGBTQIA Center), Leigh Anne Royster (Director of Inclusive Community
Well-Being), and Brooke Barnett (Interim Associate Provost for Inclusive Community), as I
wrote this proposal in order to gain new insights, and I intend to include still others as my project
develops. The theoretical and imaginative work I do will be always in interaction with the
policy-making occurring in universities. By mobilizing the change community here at Elon, I
hope to ensure that wider audiences will be receptive to my ideas and that my recommendations
can feasibly be put into practice.
Budget:

Summer 2015 Stipend- $500

University Tours- $900
o Travel by plane- $400
o Lodging- $300
o Meals- $200

Conferences- $3,320
o National Conference for Undergraduate Research (UNC Asheville)- $785

Conference registration- $185

Travel by car- $200

Lodging ($100 per night for 3 nights)- $300

Meals (not included in conference registration fee)- $100
o National Association of Diversity Officers Conference (No location for 2016)-$1325

Travel by plane-$400

Conference registration fees-$425

Lodging-$300

Meals-$200
o Philosophy of Education Society Conference (No location set 2016)-$1110

Travel by plane-$400

Conference registration fees-$210

Lodging-$300

Meals-$200

Winter Term Study Abroad in India (India’s Identities: Religion, Caste, and Gender in
Contemporary South India)-$4,300

Books-$311.90
o Teaching to Transgress by bell hooks ($22.34)
o Challenging Diversity: Rethinking Equality and the Value of Difference by Davina
Cooper ($38.93)
o Everyday Utopias: The Conceptual Life of Promising Spaces by Davina Cooper
($22.46)
o Utopia as Method: The Imaginary Reconstitution of Society by Ruth Levitas ($29.55)
o Qualitative Interviewing: The Art of Hearing Data by Herbert J. Rubin ($60.92)
o Inclusion and Democracy by Iris Marion Young ($37.70)
o Other books ($100)

Other research supplies or unexpected costs-$100

Tuition (2014-2015)- $2,784.05

Tuition (2015-2016)- $2,784.05
Expenses: $9,431.90
Tuition: 5,568.10
Total: $15,000
Timeline:
Proposed Experiences
Summer 2014
Fall 2014
Winter 2015
Spring 2015

Proposed Product(s)
Continue exploring the
literature on diversity
work in higher education,
utopian philosophy, and
cutting-edge diversity
initiatives

2 semester hours of research
 Enroll in Methods of
Philosophical Inquiry
course
 Propose Honors Thesis
 Seek IRB approval for
university tours
 Research specific,
innovative diversity
initiatives at various
colleges and universities
 Establish contacts at these
universities
 Embark on tours
 Study abroad in India
(India's Identities:
Religion Caste and
Gender in Contemporary
South India)


2 semester hours of research
 Write partial draft of
research paper
 Detailed analysis of






Annotated bibliography that
includes sources from
journals of both higher
education and philosophy
Draft of a literature review
of relevant scholarship
Honors Thesis proposal
Complete literature review
of scholarship on diversity
in higher education
Paper outlining
methodology for further
research
Complete SURF application
Final paper analyzing how
diversity of religion, caste,
and gender are handled in
contemporary Indian
government and educational
policy
First full outline of new
framework for diversity
Partial draft of research
paper
information gathered on
tour synthesized with my
own ideas
Summer 2015
Fall 2015
Winter 2016
Participate in SURE
 Work closely with mentor
to revise proposed policies
 Conduct a proactive
assessment of the
project’s progress thus far
2 semester hours of research
 Complete draft of research
paper
 Begin developing subgoals for universities
seeking this innovative
diversity
 Submit abstract to NCUR,
PES, other conferences
 Enroll in Dr. Weston’s
Philosophy of Education
course


Spring 2016
Distribute draft to
professors, students, and
diversity practitioners at
Elon for feedback
Revise draft based on
comments received
2 semester hours of research
 Continue revisions of
research paper and
proposal
 Present at NCUR, SURF,
and other conferences
 Thesis defense





Initial list of concrete
practices or policies
compatible with this new
framework
Fuller list of concrete
practices or policies
compatible with this new
framework
First full draft of research
paper
Second full draft of research
paper, including sections
reimagining diversity
framework, analyzing
practices of various
institutions, and suggesting
new practices.
Outline of a diversity
model/action plan proposal
for Elon (and other
universities)

Revised draft of thesis

Final draft of Honors
Thesis/ research paper
Final executive summary of
diversity model for
universities to consider

List of Sources:
Ahmed, Sara. “Doing Diversity Work in Higher Education in Australia.” Educational
Philosophy and Theory 38, no. 6 (2006): 746-68.
Anderson, Elizabeth. “Social Movements, Experiments in Living, and Moral Progress: Case
Studies from Britain’s Abolition of Slavery.” Paper presented at the Arthur Allen Leff
Fellowship Lecture, Yale Law School, September 2013.
Björnberg, Karin Edvardsson. “Utopian Goals: Four Objections and a Cautious Defense.”
Philosophy in the Contemporary World 15, no. 1 (2008): 140-154.
Cooper, Davina. Challenging Diversity: Rethinking Equality and the Value of Difference.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
Cooper, Davina. Everyday Utopias: The Conceptual Life of Promising Spaces. Durham: Duke
University Press, 2014.
Deem, Rosemary and Ozga, Jenny. “Women Managing for Diversity in a Postmodern World.” In
Feminist Critical Policy Studies, edited by Catherine Marshall, 25-40. London: Falmer
Press, 1997.
Hoag, Anne, “Enhancing Diversity: It’s the People, the System, and the Infrastructure.” Paper
presented at the Conference on Successful Programs in Higher Education Diversity,
Louisiana State University, May 29-30, 2008.
Goodman, Paul. “Utopian Thinking.” In Utopian Essays and Practical Proposals, 4-22. New
York: Vintage, 1973.
Levitas, Ruth. Utopia as Method: The Imaginary Reconstitution of Society. New York: Palgrave
Macmillian, 2013.
Robertson, Emily. “The Epistemic Value of Diversity.” Journal of Philosophy of Education 47,
no. 2 (2013): 299-310.
Shaiko, Ronald G. “Admissions is Just Part of the Diversity Puzzle.” The Chronicle of Higher
Education, June 9, 2013. http://chronicle.com/article/Admissions-Is-Just-Part-of-the/139637/
Wallace, David Foster. “This is Water." Speech, Kenyon College, 2005. From More Intelligent
Life, http://moreintelligentlife.com/story/david-foster-wallace-in-his-own-words
Young, Iris Marion. Inclusion and Democracy. New York: Oxford University Press. 2000.