Equity
NASH TS3Equity Statement
NASH Statement on Equity and Anti-Racism
NASH recognizes that state systems of higher education have a particular responsibility to confront longstanding systemic inequity and visibly stand for the values of inclusive excellence. In addition to identifying and removing barriers to equity, systems and their constituent campuses should be anti-racist. By definition, systemic and institutionalized problems have to be tackled by systems and the institutions in them—explicitly and head-on. Equity is measurable and should be attended to along the student success continuum, ensuring access to and completion of quality education programs across student populations, disaggregated whenever possible by protected status including race/ethnicity, religion, income, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, first-generation, and veteran status.
Universities must allow their students and faculty the freedom to express contrary, even objectionable, views while also condemning racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and other hateful ideologies that marginalize people. These are complex matters but universities, above all other places, must be places that encourage open debate and the questioning of orthodoxies.
As an association of systems, we also view this work through the lens of “systemness”—recognizing that this vital agenda is more than the responsibility of any individual institution—it is, instead, the collective responsibility of all institutions.
NASH recognizes that equity and quality learning are intertwined foundational elements in all that we do. NASH embraces higher education as the most powerful force in society to create a more just and equitable future for all.
We advance the important elements of equity-mindedness by:
Providing relevant supports to ensure that students of all backgrounds are not only welcomed but achieve high success outcomes, with particular focus on those from underserved communities including Black, Latinx, Indigenous and low-income populations
Creating a culture of institutional and system responsibility for inclusive excellence among all faculty, staff, and students to identify, name and dismantle racism, discrimination and other systemic barriers to student success
Addressing root causes of inequities and racism, not just their manifestations
Eliminating policies, practices, attitudes and cultural messages that 1) reinforce or fail to eliminate differential experiences and outcomes by identity; and 2) perpetuate racism and oppression of minoritized populations
Ensuring students experience equitable treatment as they move among institutions
NASH Equity Framework
With the Equity Action Framework, NASH is working intentionally to expand the equity lens that is core to its mission. Recognizing that systems and their campuses are at different stages in this work, this tool will enable higher education systems to assess their progress toward, and act on the adoption and integration of essential equity practices.