Do equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) requirements change student political attitudes?

Abstract

Over the past few years, equity-diversity-inclusion (EDI) requirements have proliferated in higher learning institutions. What impact have they had on students? This paper leverages a unique opportunity to evaluate the effect of an EDI requirement at a large public university: taught by the same instructor over the course of four quarters in three years, the course administered short anonymous surveys to students at the beginning and at the end of each term. These surveys measured student political attitudes such as preferences toward refugee admissions and affirmative action. Repeated surveys and repeated quarters allow us to evaluate changes in student attitudes during each quarter and averaged over three years. Results indicate an increase in inclusionary attitudes driven largely by students at the lowest baseline levels. Further analyses allow us to rule out social desirability bias, and suggest one possible mechanism: participation in small-group peer discussions.