Disparities in Student Misconduct in Higher Education for Students From Underrepresented Racial Backgrounds or Non-Citizen Visa Status

Abstract

Disciplinary charges and sanctions at the K–12 level that previously demonstrated racial bias toward underrepresented racial groups (URGs) in both the severity of charge and sanction in the literature may continue to higher education; URGs received higher charges and sanctions in similar cases involving their White peers. We analyzed 4,761 disciplinary cases over seven years to determine if race, sex, or citizenships played a predictive role in severity of charge and sanction at a predominantly White institution. White students received higher charges than students from URGs. URGs received higher sanctions. URGs status predicted both higher charge and sanctions when less severe.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the William & Mary School of Education Diversity and Social Justice Fellowship

Notes on contributors

Nyx Robey

^a

Nyx Robey ([email protected]) recently graduated from William & Mary as a master’s student in psychological sciences and was a Social Justice & Diversity Research Fellow in 2019.

Rory Dunn

^b

Rory Dunn ([email protected]) recently graduated from William & Mary as a master’s student in education and was a Social Justice & Diversity Research Fellow in 2019.

Natoya Haskins

^c

Cheryl L. Dickter ([email protected]) is an associate professor and director of graduate studies in psychological sciences at William & Mary.

Cheryl Dickter

^d

Natoya Haskins ([email protected]) is an associate dean and director of diversity and inclusion and class of 1955 associate professor as well as a former leader of the Social Justice & Diversity Research Fellows.