Angela M Locks

Dr. Locks' most recent project was a three-part study entitled, Institutional Commitment to Policies and Practices that Support Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Post-Affirmative Action Era. Using survey data from the Diverse Democracy Project, she examined student experiences and institutional praxis related to diversity of nine public universities in the U.S. These three discrete studies examined: (a) how public and private institutions vary in their commitment to diversity; (b) the connection between sense of belonging in college and interactions with diverse peers; and (c) participation in co-curricular diversity programs for African American, Latino, and White students. This three-part study has implications for three areas of significance for higher education professionals: (1) administrators engaged in setting race-conscious policies in a dynamic sociopolitical environment; (2) academic/student affairs professionals concerned with the transition to college; and (3) student affairs professionals dedicated to facilitating meaningful cross-racial interactions on college campuses because the study examined how institutions articulate their commitment to racial/ethnic diversity and specific effects on student behavior related to the frequency and nature of college student interactions with diverse others.