The Power of DEI: Uniting Individuals, Transforming Organizations and Uplifting Communities
By: AJ Lemheney, Ed.D., Vice President and Executive Director, Graduate and Continuing Education, Muhlenberg College Monday, July 1, 2024 11:00 AM
From college campuses to corporate boardrooms, the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are under attack. More than 30 states—including Pennsylvania—have introduced or passed bills to restrict or regulate DEI in the past year, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education’s DEI Legislation Tracker.
This prevailing narrative mischaracterizes DEI initiatives as misguided political activism. I think this perspective fundamentally misunderstands DEI's true purpose and value.
DEI represents a fundamental commitment to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can succeed. Through effective DEI programs, organizations set a foundation for success that benefits employees, customers, and the communities they serve.
The essence of DEI is rooted in modern realities. Underrepresented groups face systemic inequalities and barriers both inside their workplaces and throughout their communities. When organizations commit to creating more equitable and inclusive environments, they contribute to a more fair and just society where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed and thrive. Plus, overwhelming evidence shows that DEI initiatives are improving business outcomes, enhancing employees’ lives, and enriching our communities.
An unwavering commitment
Despite recent headlines about DEI pushback, 80% of companies remain steadfast in moving their DEI initiatives forward, according to the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s 2024 Expanding Equity Report. Another 90% of companies report making measurable progress in advancing DEI. Organizational leaders understand that DEI delivers proven results.
As our communities grow more diverse, companies with a solid foundation in DEI can tap into a broader talent pool and gain a competitive edge. Diverse teams bring companies higher levels of creativity, innovation, and critical thinking skills, empowering organizations to navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and remain agile. What’s more, companies with firm DEI commitments are more likely to retain their top talent over the long term and attract increased attention from potential investors.
An employee expectation
Three-quarters of job seekers today say a diverse workforce is important when evaluating companies and jobs, according to a recent survey by Glassdoor. That’s because career-minded professionals understand that DEI initiatives promote a sense of belonging and empowerment. When employees feel valued, respected, and included, they’re more likely to be engaged, motivated, and committed to their work. They also feel a sense of psychological safety, which creates higher job satisfaction, reduced turnover, and increased productivity.
Diverse companies help employees reach their full potential by providing equal access to training, mentorship, and leadership development programs. They also emphasize fair and unbiased hiring, promotion, and compensation practices.
A stronger community
By building a workforce that reflects the communities they operate in, organizations unlock economic vitality for their companies and the regions they serve. We see evidence of this here in the Lehigh Valley. Major employers like Air Products, Nestle, and Olympus support diversity internally and contribute to the Lehigh Valley Chamber’s Diversity + Inclusion Collaborative. It’s a group that’s working toward establishing greater DEI among all our region’s companies.
On a grassroots level, the Lehigh Valley Inter-Regional Networking & Connecting Consortium (LINC) is also championing diversity efforts. A nonprofit, LINC offers workplace inclusion programming to facilitate knowledge-sharing about DEI among employers and executives in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas.
"At LINC, we believe that by fostering inclusive workplaces, companies in the greater Lehigh Valley can attract and retain a diverse workforce and strengthen community connections,” says Katelyn Mack, President of LINC. “Our DEI Roundtable meetings and CEO forums facilitate knowledge-sharing among leaders, providing tools to build inclusive cultures where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their best.”
A firm stand
"This success — this national dynamism — is supercharged by our diversity," writes Kathleen Harring, President of Muhlenberg College. "Research by McKinsey and others lays out the business case for diverse teams; they simply perform better financially, and their outperformance accelerates over time. Today, the best colleges prepare students to thrive in a competitive, global economy where the top organizations employ diverse teams to drive their success."
These trends underlie the multiple reasons why we’ve made DEI front and center at Muhlenberg College. Ours is the only college in the Lehigh Valley offering a graduate program and noncredit professional certificate in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB).
Our programs aim to create a shared understanding of DEIB principles, challenge unconscious biases, and equip participants with strategies to create more inclusive environments. Participants study topics such as understanding systemic inequalities, recognizing and addressing microaggressions, practicing inclusive communications, and developing allyship skills. Our goal is to give learners a deeper understanding of the complexities of diversity, giving them the cultural competence they’ll need to work effectively across differences and lead systematic changes within their organizations.
Our professional training programs reflect Muhlenberg College’s core values of DEIB. We’re committed to preparing our students to be engaged, ethical, and effective leaders, ready to serve in an increasingly diverse and interconnected world.
It takes everyone
Ultimately, supporting DEI initiatives boils down to a simple truth: it takes every single individual to help an organization—and, by extension, a community—thrive. By providing avenues for true connection and understanding, DEI initiatives create powerful organizational cultures that empower everyone to do their best work and thrive personally and professionally. We’re proud to do our part at Muhlenberg College to help current and future professionals embrace DEIB and move our region forward.
About the Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies
The Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies offers a variety of post-baccalaureate certificates and master’s degrees aimed at enhancing intellectual and career development through challenging coursework grounded in the liberal arts. With a mix of graduate certificate pathways and master’s degrees aligned with workforce and economic trends, the Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies enables students to prepare for professional work and career advancement, with a focus on leadership and innovation.