Diversity, Leadership, and the Community College: A Case Study

In Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), the U.S. Supreme Court emphatically affirmed the value of diversity, and argued that the state has a compelling interest to promote diversity on college campuses. The nature of the Supreme Court's argument in the majority decision clearly acknowledged that there remains important work still left to do. The court also took the unusual step of establishing a timeline and “end point” for this work. Because community colleges traditionally serve a more culturally and ethnically diverse population than our 4-year sister institutions, we will no doubt need to play a vital role in this endeavor. There are many models in the literature related to diversity leadership that we may wish to consider as we move forward with this work. But we shouldn't discount the long-term value of optimism, determination, and perseverance as essential leadership tools. A case study of one community college's work related to diversity is offered as an example of how this important work might be accomplished.