Sharon Washington

Fostering Women's Multicultural Alliances as an Academic Administrator
By Sharon J. Washington, interim director of faculty equity programs at the University of California Office of the President

Higher education prides itself on the creation of knowledge and openness to new ideas. Yet our institutions often struggle to embrace the diverse perspectives that foster intellectual growth. In order for colleges and universities in the United States to remain at the forefront of curricular and research excellence and advancement, we will need to draw on the strengths of our increasingly diverse nation and be more inclusive in admissions, faculty and staff hiring, and our institutional cultures. If we are to create inclusive and equitable institutions of higher education, we will need to learn how to effectively work with others in a manner that recognizes differences, questions the status quo, and is committed to increasing equity for everyone, including women of all backgrounds and cultures. Women’s multicultural alliances can provide a framework for interacting effectively across both similarities and differences toward a shared vision of inclusive excellence. 

Multicultural alliances include people with a variety of identities, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives who consciously understand that their differences are an asset. These alliances often coalesce for distinct short-term purposes. Examples of common alliances of this nature include the formation of a committee to plan for a special event; to conduct a day of remembrance; to respond to an incident of campus incivility; or to support a significant administrative search. Yet when the immediate purpose for the alliance has passed, the people involved may return to their predominately homogeneous microenvironments on campus. These short-term multicultural alliances serve an important role in providing interactions across difference. Imagine the progress universities could make toward greater inclusion if multicultural alliances became routine rather than occasional.

Sustained multicultural alliances require individual initiative and a desire to gain greater understanding of self and others over time. Members of an alliance must trust that others in the alliance desire greater social equity, are aware of how issues of identity and equity relate, and will act in accordance with these beliefs. These connections are not necessarily based on friendship, but are rooted in a mutual respect for the choices others have made and their conduct over time. These ongoing women’s multicultural alliances provide varied perspectives, support, and new approaches to address institutional challenges.

I cannot overstate the value of a positional leader who communicates the importance of excellence through diversity in all areas of the academy repeatedly and with substance. Administrative leaders have the dual authority to convene short-term multicultural alliances, by inviting individuals from a variety of departments and constituent groups to form a task force or committee, and to require those who report to them to do the same.  These same administrators can model the presence of sustained alliances with people from a wide range of social identities ¹ different from their own. Combined with policies, institutional mission, and resources, their example can help to foster a culture of inclusion and equity.

A successful transformational leader appreciates the value of having multiple perspectives at the table to address issues that affect the college or university. Moreover, this leader has a basic understanding of the contemporary complexity of dynamics between groups, as well as a grasp of how oppression and privilege operate between those who have been historically advantaged and historically disadvantaged. Given the complexity of these dynamics, successful leaders must understand the choices women make about whether to engage in alliances with other women. Women’s reasons for joining an alliance may vary greatly and include a desire for gender equity, to connect across racial/ethnic differences, to explore the intersections of gender and other identities, to combat isolation, to expand an aspect of the institution for inclusion of women, or to address access to higher education. These various reasons depend largely on the intersection of multiple social identities.

In a society embedded with systems of advantages and disadvantages, women hold multiple social identities simultaneously. White women share gender identity with women of color, but they also enjoy the privileges associated with being white. Yet people tend to be more aware of the aspects of their identities that are impacted by systems of disadvantage than those which incur advantage or privilege. White women may not always recognize their white skin privilege, and may therefore unconsciously perpetuate systems of racial bias. This can create conflict as women seek to build alliances across cultures, and the administrator must respond to this conflict with respect for the perspectives of all involved. Leaders who are prepared to guide change efforts for inclusive excellence must not tolerate exclusionary behavior and must have patience for those who struggle with the discomfort of change. Effective multicultural alliances for women welcome the full range of identities women bring to the group. They require a willingness to engage authentically with differences as well as similarities.

Authentic engagement requires flexibility and openness to new information. For the most part, we move through our lives in fairly homogeneous environments; we may enter the workplace poorly prepared to interact in an authentic manner with those different from ourselves. Frequently what we have learned about those different from ourselves is fraught with misinformation based on generalities and stereotypes, and often members of a minority group know more about the dominant or majority group than vice versa. Unless we pay conscious attention to the system of advantages in the U.S., higher education will continue to perpetuate misinformation that advantages some groups over others. This level of engagement asks individuals and groups to see some conflicts as a healthy part of group interactions.

In addition to understanding the needs and dynamics of an alliance, an effective administrator also understands the position of her constituents. As a junior faculty member, I actively engaged in issues of social justice in my teaching and scholarship, as well as in the campus and broader community. When I began to serve as an academic administrator, the shape of my activism expanded to incorporate a range of tools that I would have previously deemed too “middle of the road.” Over time I’ve come to understand the need for numerous perspectives and multiple approaches to advance change initiatives. As an administrator, I take into account the policies, practices, networks, and the history of my institution as I frame my statements about the need for inclusion and equity. 

Multicultural alliances provide opportunities for greater understanding of others and can generate support from varied constituents in the campus community by including a range of perspectives and experiences. I do believe we can change the world by holding the conviction that it is possible, and by working with others who understand differences as an asset. It takes effort to maintain relationships that are unfamiliar; but when that which was unfamiliar becomes familiar, organizations will become more inclusive and equitable.

1. Social identities are based on racial/ethnic, (dis)ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, socioeconomic class.

If you want to raise questions on your campus about how to increase engaged education using diversity as a key vehicle for expanding intellectual and practical choices, consider bringing Campus Women Lead’s workshop “Women’s Leadership for Inclusive Excellence” to your campus. Sharon J. Washington is a member of the Campus Women Lead Project on Inclusive Excellence. For more information, contact Kathryn Peltier Campbell at campbell@aacu.org.