Equity and access in practice: The effects of admissions professionals' conceptual diversity frames at small, private, liberal arts colleges in the Great Lakes region of the Midwest

This dissertation presents a qualitative exploration of the experiences of admissions and enrollment management professionals in small, private liberal arts colleges in the Midwestern United States. Through in-depth interviews and document analysis, this research investigates how admissions and enrollment management professionals develop and maintain conceptual frameworks, and how these frameworks affect their actions in recruitment and enrollment efforts. The study focuses on how these professionals conceptualize diversity and equity and navigate their work in the context of institutional language, post-affirmative action. Utilizing an approach to cognitive and conceptual frameworks informed by Organizational Learning Theory, the research highlights how individuals’ perceptions about issues such as diversity, equity, and inclusion are influenced by the messages and normalized practices of the institutions with which they associate. Key findings underscore the complicated and often multifaceted nature of how admissions professionals conceptualize diversity and equity in their work. Four themes were identified in the document analysis, Institutional Language, Institutional Supports, Purpose of Education, Fostering Understanding and Addressing Inequities. An additional four themes, were identified in the participant interviews, Nature of Work (with subthemes expectations of their role, professional development, and institutional pressures), Addressing Inequities (with subthemes experiences with inequities, increasing access, and advocacy and direct support), Fostering Community (with subthemes of an inclusive campus, institutional language, and purpose and impact), and Navigating Structural Challenges and Systemic Barriers (with subthemes of limitations and resistance, and policies and legislation). This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how institutional messaging influences individual admissions and enrollment management professionals’ understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion, affects how they may approach their work, and offers opportunities to disrupt institutional practices that maintain inequities in admissions policy and practice.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Brock, Sarah R

Contributors dc:contributor

• Lee, Sharon S
• Commodore, Felecia
• Kang, Hyun-Sook
• Bennett, Stacy

• College admissions
• admissions policy
• admissions practice
• professional development
• liberal arts colleges
• Midwest

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Sarah R. Brock

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129516

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F129516