University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Equity and access in practice: The effects of admissions professionals' conceptual diversity frames at small, private, liberal arts colleges in the Great Lakes region of the Midwest

Brock, Sarah R

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129516

Description

Title
Equity and access in practice: The effects of admissions professionals' conceptual diversity frames at small, private, liberal arts colleges in the Great Lakes region of the Midwest
Author(s)
Brock, Sarah R
Issue Date
2025-04-11
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Lee, Sharon S
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Lee, Sharon S
Committee Member(s)
  • Commodore, Felecia
  • Kang, Hyun-Sook
  • Bennett, Stacy
Department of Study
Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp
Discipline
Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ed.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
  • College admissions
  • admissions policy
  • admissions practice
  • professional development
  • liberal arts colleges
  • Midwest
Abstract
This dissertation presents a qualitative exploration of the experiences of admissions and enrollment management professionals in small, private liberal arts colleges in the Midwestern United States. Through in-depth interviews and document analysis, this research investigates how admissions and enrollment management professionals develop and maintain conceptual frameworks, and how these frameworks affect their actions in recruitment and enrollment efforts. The study focuses on how these professionals conceptualize diversity and equity and navigate their work in the context of institutional language, post-affirmative action. Utilizing an approach to cognitive and conceptual frameworks informed by Organizational Learning Theory, the research highlights how individuals’ perceptions about issues such as diversity, equity, and inclusion are influenced by the messages and normalized practices of the institutions with which they associate. Key findings underscore the complicated and often multifaceted nature of how admissions professionals conceptualize diversity and equity in their work. Four themes were identified in the document analysis, Institutional Language, Institutional Supports, Purpose of Education, Fostering Understanding and Addressing Inequities. An additional four themes, were identified in the participant interviews, Nature of Work (with subthemes expectations of their role, professional development, and institutional pressures), Addressing Inequities (with subthemes experiences with inequities, increasing access, and advocacy and direct support), Fostering Community (with subthemes of an inclusive campus, institutional language, and purpose and impact), and Navigating Structural Challenges and Systemic Barriers (with subthemes of limitations and resistance, and policies and legislation). This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how institutional messaging influences individual admissions and enrollment management professionals’ understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion, affects how they may approach their work, and offers opportunities to disrupt institutional practices that maintain inequities in admissions policy and practice.
Graduation Semester
2025-05
Type of Resource
Thesis
Handle URL
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129516
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2025 Sarah R. Brock

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