Developing Workforce Diversity Programs, Curriculum, and Degrees in Higher Education

Workforce diversity refers to a strategy that promotes and supports the integration of human diversity at all levels and uses focused diversity and inclusion policies and practices to guide this approach in work environments. While this concept is not new, publications outlining the programming, curriculum, and degree demands that should exist in universities to promote workforce diversity skill development are missing. Developing Workforce Diversity Programs, Curriculum, and Degrees in Higher Education presents conceptual and research-based perspectives on course, program, and degree developments that emphasize workforce diversity skill development and prepare next-generation leaders for the modern and emerging workforce. Highlighting crucial topics relating to career development, human resources management, organizational leadership, and business education, this edited volume is a ground-breaking resource for business professionals, scholars, researchers, entrepreneurs, educators, and upper-level students working, studying, and seeking to advance workforce diversity learning across a variety of sectors.

Dr. Chaunda L. Scott earned an Ed.D. in adult education/organizational leadership with a focus in diversity education from Teachers College/Columbia University in New York City, New York and a Ed.M. in administration, planning and social policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She is currently a tenured associate professor and graduate coordinator of the master of training and development program in the department of organizational leadership housed in the School of Education and Human Services at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. She also serves as the diversity and inclusion specialist in the School. In the department of organizational leadership she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses focused in the areas of workforce diversity, human resource development, organizational leadership and training and development. She has also published several national and international scholarly articles, book chapters, co-edited books and a book review and is a recipient of an Academy of Human Resource Development’s prominent Cutting Edge Research Award. In 2013, Dr. Scott was named as one of the Top 25 Education Professors in Michigan by Online Schools Michigan. Most notable in 2015, she was granted a prestigious Fulbright Specialist Award that took her to Cape Town, South Africa to engage in scholarly diversity education activities in the area of academic staff development. She also received the Educator of the Year Award in 2015 from the Niagara Foundation – Michigan Chapter for her work in the area of diversity education.

Dr. Jeanetta D. Sims is an associate professor and transformative learning scholar in the Marketing Department of the College of Business at the University of Central Oklahoma where she teaches classes in communication and marketing. She is accredited in public relations. Her program of research includes strategic communication, workforce diversity, and persuasion and social influence. She has received university and national awards for her teaching (2014, 2012, and 2009) and for her scholarship through winning top paper awards at national and international conferences in 2013, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008, and 2006. Her collaborative philosophy and approach to teaching is featured in a university TeTalk, which was completed for the UCO Center for Excellence in Transformative Teaching and Learning. Since joining UCO in 2007, Dr. Sims has founded and cultivated a robust, primarily undergraduate research program called Diverse Student Scholars, where she has mentored more than 20 funded student grants, supervised more than 40 student research experiences, presented more than 65 conference presentations with students, and published more than 10 proceedings and journal publications with student co-authors. She is the Business Section Editor for the Oklahoma Journal of Undergraduate Research. She serves nationally in elected or appointed positions for the National Communication Association Black Caucus and African American Communication and Culture Division, the Marketing Management Association, and the North American Management Society. Her co-authored research appears in multiple book chapters along with the Journal of Communication , Journal of Public Relations Research , Communication Monographs , Communication Research , Human Communication Research , Corporate Reputation Review , Western Journal of Communication , Atlantic Marketing Journal , Florida Communication Journal , and Council on Undergraduate Research Quarterly .