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DISCUSSION AND REVIEW PAPER
Toward the Development of Antiracist and Multicultural Graduate
Training Programs in Behavior Analysis
Adel C. Najdowski
1
&Lusineh Gharapetian
1
&Victorya Jewett
1
Accepted: 11 September 2020
#Association for Behavior Analysis International 2021
Abstract
Racist policies and inequity are prevalent in society; this includes higher education institutions. Many behavior-analytic training
programs have been complicit in omitting cultural humility and antiracist ideas from their curricula and institutional practices. As
societal demands for allyship and transformational change increase, programs must rise to the challenge and act as agents of
change in our clinical, professional, and personal communities. The current article offers a multitude of strategies for institutions
to develop an antiracist and multicultural approach. These recommendations encompass policies that may be promoted at the
following levels: (a) in organizational infrastructure and leadership, (b) within curricula and pedagogy, (c) in research, and (d)
with faculty, students, and staff.
Keywords antiracism .antiracist .behavior analysis .cultural competency .diversity .faculty development .graduate training .
inclusion .multiculturalism
For centuries, racist policies have governed our institutions,
and the ivory tower is not exempt from this (Mosley &
Bellamy, 2020). The rise of the Black Lives Matter movement
since its inception in 2013 and the demand for transformation-
al change have made these policies and their outcomes impos-
sible to ignore. In order to actualize equity for Black,
Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), it is not enough to
say we are “not racist.”Statements such as this are to be
complicit with racist policy rather than to ensure policies cre-
ate equity, and to claim one is not racist allows one to do
nothing, reinforcing the status quo’s continuation (Kendi,
2019). Instead, we must focus our efforts on reimagining in-
stitutional policies in ways that are antiracist. Among other
things, antiracism involves developing policies that reduce
racial inequity and produce equal opportunity among racial
groups (Kendi, 2019).
An important step in developing antiracist programs is to
become educated and teach others on topics of diversity, mul-
ticultural competence, and antiracism as a foundation to ac-
tively practicing cultural humility. Our field has historically
ignored these critical skills, and many practitioners lack train-
ing and expertise in working with diverse populations.
Accordingly, there are limited structures and very little con-
tent on antiracism and multiculturalism within most behavior-
analytic training programs (Conners, Johnson, Duarte,
Murriky, & Marks, 2019).
The purpose of the current article is to provide potential
recommendations for reimagining graduate training pro-
grams in behavior analysis. In doing so, we hope to pro-
mote antiracist and multicultural approaches to education
in our field. In a university setting, antiracist policies can
be promoted at all levels, including (a) in the organization-
al infrastructure and leadership, (b) within curricula and
pedagogy, (c) in research, and (d) with faculty, students,
and staff. Table 1presents an overview of antiracism strat-
egies for graduate training programs in behavior analysis
across all of these levels.
Editor’sNote This manuscript is being published on an expedited basis,
as part of a series of emergency publications designed to help
practitioners of applied behavior analysis take immediate action to
address police brutality and systemic racism. The journal would like to
especially thank Dr. Temple Lovelace and Dr. Shahla Ala’i for their
insightful and expeditious reviews of this manuscript. The views and
strategies suggested by the articles in this series do not represent the
positions of the Association for Behavior Analysis International or
Springer Nature.
Denisha Gingles, Guest Editor
*Adel C. Najdowski
adel.najdowski@pepperdine.edu
1
Psychology Division of the Graduate School of Education and
Psychology, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA, USA
Behavior Analysis in Practice
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-020-00504-0
Table 1 Antiracism Strategies for Graduate Training Programs in Behavior Analysis
Category Strategies
Organizational infrastructure & overall process Create a mission and vision with antiracism as a core value.
Recruit a director of diversity.
Delegate the steering committee to enact policy changes.
Create initiatives in the strategic plan with systems of accountability.
Create campus-wide diversity/antiracism initiative campaigns.
Come to a consensus about core values among leadership inspiration.
Divest funds from the police and reinvest them in other social programs.
Curricula & pedagogy:
Instructor approach & self-awareness
Self-reflect on attitudes and reactions to diversity-related content.
Acknowledge systems of privilege and oppression in education.
Bring the experiences of diverse individuals to the forefront.
Create space for students to feel comfortable sharing experiences.
Evaluate course material to prevent potential alienation.
Guide students in navigating the university’s cultural landscape.
Counter stereotypes and call out personal privilege.
Address barriers to resource accessibility by providing referrals (e.g., writing center, career center).
Provide reasonable ancillary support (e.g., meetings, feedback).
Be flexible with submission/presentation style.
Curricula & pedagogy:
Coursework on antiracism,
multiculturalism, & diversity
Embed antiracism/diversity within all courses in the curriculum.
Teach cultural competence, always striving for humility.
Use a behavioral approach for addressing bias and racism (e.g., behavior
assessment, intervention, monitoring).
Emphasize process over content.
Establish pedagogical goals at the outset of the course.
Be skilled in resolving conflicts and managing emotions/tensions triggered.
Ensure participation from all students (e.g., anonymous).
Incorporate student goals and desired experiences into the course.
Listen, without interruption, to BIPOC experiences.
Accept accountability when you make mistakes.
Curricula & pedagogy:
Course design & curricular modifications
Embed diversity content throughout the course (e.g., objectives, lectures, readings,
assignments, self-reflection exercises) and ensure the promotion of inclusion.
Use class time creatively (e.g., applied activities, role-play, critical thinking, interteaching).
Require interaction with different students.
Create a syllabus diversity statement.
Address the role of social norms in the sustainability of treatment outcomes.
Curricula & pedagogy: Practicum Teach and practice cultural competence.
Have students gain experience with diverse populations.
Use reflective exercises about their and others’experiences.
Teach construction of culturally relevant intervention goals.
Translate content into the client’s native language.
Monitor students’behavior toward different backgrounds.
Shape students’verbal/nonverbal behavior to improve their therapeutic relationships with clients.
Require fieldwork sites and supervisors to sign an acknowledgment of the
university’s diversity policy and to agree to offer opportunities for
students to practice cultural humility.
Ask students to evaluate their training site’s commitment to multiculturalism.
Require discussions of cultural variables during case conceptualization presentations.
Research Report the races/languages of participants and researchers.
Conduct research on cultural diversity and/or with more culturally diverse individuals.
Overcome mistrust and address concerns of BIPOC.
Recognize the role that oppression, privilege, and power may play in the
relationship between the researcher and the participants.
View culturally diverse research participants as a source of information.
Support BIPOC involvement in conducting research.
Faculty, staff, & students Require continuous trainings in antiracism and diversity.
Have BIPOC and White individuals do separate breakout groups
(e.g., to discuss relevant and personal issues of marginalization).
Create an antiracist culture (e.g., value learning about cultures, listen
nonjudgmentally to others’experiences, provide supportive spaces
and platforms for BIPOC to express their feelings).
Instill a culture where it is safe to speak up with a system for submitting
concerns, and investigate inequitable policies when they are exposed.
Behav Analysis Practice
Table 1 (continued)
Category Strategies
Involve marginalized individuals in the development and use of assessments
to identify areas of marginalization and oppression.
Ensure counseling centers have sufficient BIPOC counselors on staff.
Have separate diversity committees for faculty, staff, and students.
Have faculty and student committees cosponsor some events.
Faculty & staff:
Recruitment & hiring
Recruit and hire more BIPOC faculty and staff.
Check the university’s resources/funding related to diversity.
Increase community outreach efforts by linking the university with more community organizations.
Reach out to and direct job advertisements to diverse groups.
Ask faculty to identify individuals from underrepresented groups that they
could personally encourage to apply.
Include a strong diversity statement, using inclusive language in hiring
announcements, and mention inclusive benefits.
Provide candidates from underrepresented groups with resources and guidance such as
sessions that review employment opportunities, help for the online job application completion process,
and connection to local services such as résumé workshops.
Train human resources staff to provide welcoming, friendly, and personable services.
Create a dual-career program that the human resources department provides by
giving job search assistance to applicants’spouses.
Ensure the hiring committee is trained about implicit bias prior to the candidate
interviews and evaluation process.
Have the hiring committee attend to the demographics of applicants who are suggested
for progression from one phase of the hiring process to the next and require a
rationale for applicants who are not progressed.
Ask applicants to provide their personal diversity statement in application materials,
and ask questions related to diversity during candidate interviews.
Faculty & staff:
Retention
Provide equitable salaries related to the position.
Outline expectations and the tenure/promotion process during interviews.
Provide clear verbal and written feedback on performance evaluations on
whether faculty are on track for retention, tenure, and promotion.
Pair new faculty with a seasoned faculty mentor.
Recognize that teaching evaluations can be biased, especially for faculty teaching antiracist topics.
Have opportunities for BIPOC to provide mutual support, share experiences, and
engage in social networking with diverse individuals.
Recognize and compensate the extra activities of BIPOC or give them more weight
during promotion/tenure evaluations.
Avoid placing the burden of educating others on diversity on BIPOC.
Faculty & staff:
Advancement
Ensure an unbiased faculty advancement process by training reviewers on implicit bias.
Ensure that the faculty reviewing materials are aware of services that may have
affected a faculty’s scholarly activity (e.g., mentoring underrepresented
students, serving on diversity committees).
Ensure accountability for the university’s mission of inclusive excellence for all faculty.
Faculty & staff:
White allyship
Build supportive relationships with BIPOC, as well as White individuals doing antiracist work.
Accept critical feedback when mistakes (e.g., microaggressions) are made or about
whether White individuals’behaviors are aligned with those of an antiracist ally.
Ensure BIPOC authors’work is not overshadowed by one’s own in collaborations.
Acknowledge/cite the contributions of BIPOC to a subject matter.
Forgo scholarly activity for service related to diversity.
Voice concerns regarding policies that create inequality.
Commit to understanding how intersectionality plays a role in racism.
Students:
Recruitment & admissions
Increase the recruitment of BIPOC in graduate programs.
Implement policies that ensure equity during the admissions process.
Use alternatives to the GRE.
Offer workshops to BIPOC for completing applications and securing financial aid.
Students:
Retention
Offer mentorship opportunities.
Provide tools for academic and professional success.
Offer scholarships for BIPOC who demonstrate excellence.
Alumni Provide continued mentorship of alumni for professional development.
Provide opportunities for alumni to mentor current students.
Offer social networking opportunities specific to BIPOC.
Note. BIPOC = Black, Indigenous, and people of color; GRE = Graduate Record Examination.
Behav Analysis Practice
Organizational Infrastructure and Overall
Process
Practical steps can be taken in a university during the process
of building multiculturalism, diversity, inclusion, and antirac-
ism (see Figure 1). One step is to have leadership that is sup-
portive of the systemic evaluation of policies and the advance-
ment of new policies (Harper & Hurtado, 2007;Milem,
Chang, & Antonio, 2005). For example, some universities
have a diversity director who has formed a cabinet with the
goal of developing university-wide antiracism policies
(Russell, 2019). At the level of individual schools/colleges
within the university, the dean, departments, and department
chairs must embrace equity among racial groups (Nkansah,
Youmans, Agness, & Assemi, 2009). With leadership sup-
port, a steering committee could act in the role of policy
change agents (Nkansah et al., 2009) at the level of the uni-
versity, school/college, or both.
The antiracist university’s and department’s mission and
vision could demonstrate and communicate that diversity
and antiracism are core values by including them, for exam-
ple, in written materials such as handbooks, marketing mate-
rials, and websites (Nkansah et al., 2009). These statements
provide direction for diversity initiatives (Nkansah et al.,
2009). It is helpful for the steering committee to create a stra-
tegic plan for addressing racial equity within the organiza-
tion’s systems and policies (Nkansah et al., 2009). The
steering committee must anticipate resistance from others in
the university (Kezar, 2007). In addition to giving voice to all
members of the academic community, baseline assessment
data can help gain support and rationalize the need for a stra-
tegic plan (Kezar, 2007), as well as identify what initiatives
should be included (Nkansah et al., 2009).
There are multiple goals of a strategic plan, such as (a)
developing an understanding of the issues, (b) bringing atten-
tion to what differences there are with respect to race in the
institution, and (c) creating racial equity (Kezar, 2007). The
strategic plan could include the allocation and protection of
monetary resources budgeted for initiatives (Pope, Reynolds,
& Mueller, 2019). Having clearly defined and measurable
goals allows progress to be monitored and provides the feed-
back and accountability necessary for refining university pol-
icies (Nkansah et al., 2009). Likewise, future funding may be
made contingent on achieving desired outcomes (Pope et al.,
2019). Additionally, campaigns for initiatives and showcasing
successes may be helpful for building momentum (Kezar,
2007). Finally, giving entrepreneurial opportunities to faculty,
staff, and students may motivate them to come up with new
ideas (Williams & Clowney, 2007). For example, some uni-
versities have grants individuals can apply for and use toward
innovative projects.
For antiracism to be a part of the culture, the leadership will
need to inspire administration, faculty, and staff by helping
them to come to a consensus about their core values, sort out
values conflicts, and ensure that the desired cultural climate is
embedded into the way the university’s systems operate
(Kezar, 2007). In order to transform the university culture,
the entire campus community needs to be engaged
(Williams & Clowney, 2007). However, when a university
claims to value diversity, the majority of the responsibility
should be on the university to be acculturated to the students,
rather than the other way around (Lundberg, 2007). This is
more likely to increase student engagement (Hinton & Seo,
2013). For these reasons, leadership should attempt to culti-
vate appreciation, knowledge, and skills related to diversity
and inclusion with existing administration, faculty, and staff
Practical Steps to Designing a Diversity Program
Ensure academic
leadership (e.g., dean,
department chairs)
embrace and support the
development of a
diversity program
Create committees,
groups, and/or
departments within the
college to act as
developers and monitors
of diversity intiatives
Perform a baseline needs
assessment
Begin strategic planning
and designing of
diversity program to
focus on building and
maintaining a diverse
academic environment
Systematically
implement diversity
initiatives and activities
according to allocated
budget and resources
Ensure accountability by
continuously responding
to and defining metrics
to measure program (and
its individual activities)
success and development
of communication
vehicles
Figure 1 Practical Steps to
Designing a Diversity Program.
Note. These steps were adapted
from Nkansah et al. (2009), who
initially designed these steps for
colleges/schools of pharmacy.
Behav Analysis Practice
(Williams & Clowney, 2007). Universities that are serious
about this remove individuals from their positions who refuse
or fail to meet expectations (Williams & Clowney, 2007).
Likewise, universities may choose to divest funds from the
police and reinvest them in other programs, such as commu-
nity safety programs, crisis response teams, mental health
counselors, materials that students need, and an equitable jus-
tice system (Abdullah, 2020). Overall, accountability is key to
driving change (Williams & Clowney, 2007).
Cultural Humility
The field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) has reached an
inflection point toward the development of new professionals.
The increasing number of diverse clientele necessitates that
clinicians demonstrate cultural competence (Fong, Ficklin,
&Lee,2017). It is imperative for graduate schools to have a
curriculum that is decolonized and focuses on developing cul-
turally humble students.
Cultural humility involves an individual humbling them-
selves and submitting to the ideals and practices of another’s
culture by actively reminding themselves that they do not
know everything (Conners, 2020). As it is used for training
professionals in other disciplines such as social work, nursing,
and education, Fisher-Borne, Cain, and Martin (2015) ex-
plained the framework of cultural humility as a lifelong pro-
cess that demands accountability for learning and self-
reflection at both the individual and institutional levels as it
relates to systemic oppression. Culturally humble individuals
accept that being culturally competent is a never-ending self-
reflective process during which they will make many mistakes
(Hook & Watkins Jr., 2015) and that it requires ongoing per-
sonal accountability (Fisher-Borne et al., 2015).
A culturally competent individual is one who can consume
knowledge about policies, attitudes, traditions, and histories of
diverse cultures, and then adequately apply that knowledge in a
way that promotes the highest level of equity for corresponding
cultures (Betancourt, Green, & Carrillo, 2002). Campinha-
Bacote(2002) proposed a model indicating that becoming cul-
turally competent is a continuous process, rather than an out-
come, and it requires achieving an equal and intersectional us-
age of the five constructs of cultural awareness, cultural knowl-
edge, cultural skill, cultural encounters, and cultural desire.
Campinha-Bacote(2019) introduced a newer term in the re-
search literature to indicate the integration of cultural compe-
tence with cultural humility, called “cultural competemility,”
which refers to the concurrent infusion of the five constructs
of cultural competence into cultural humility.
Standards created by the Multicultural Alliance for
Behavior Analysis in 2013 laid out proposed areas of devel-
opment for culturally competent behavior analysts (Fong &
Tanaka, 2013). In general, these standards center on self-
awareness, ethics and values, cross-cultural application, di-
verse work environments, and language diversity (Conners,
2020). Additional suggestions include confronting cultural bi-
as, understanding cultural identity, and developing both an
interpersonal and personal awareness of the intersection of
culture and treatment methods (Fong, Catagnus, Brodhead,
Quigley, & Field, 2016).
Clinicians must first evaluate their own cultural influence,
the historical impact of that influence, and how their cultural
upbringing evokes their overt and covert behavioral patterns,
especially as it relates to others (Dennison et al., 2019)to
practice cultural humility. They must become aware of faulty
information about their and others’cultures (Funchess, 2014)
and create self-management programs to establish culturally
humble repertoires (Wright, 2019). Once clinicians develop
the skills to tact their own and others’cultural contingencies,
they may be better equipped to rise to the challenge of pro-
viding appropriate services to individuals of another culture,
given the cultural overlap. With awareness and acceptance of
their own level of competence, clinicians should seek out an-
tiracist information independently, without placing the burden
of training on BIPOC (Fong & Tanaka, 2013).
Curricula and Pedagogy
Instructor Approach and Self-Awareness
Faculty within the institution must adopt pedagogical ap-
proaches that promote cultural humility and antiracist ideas.
Foremost, gaining insight into their personal attitudes toward
diversity-related content inside and beyond the classroom
(Hinton & Seo, 2013) will identify areas in which faculty need
continued training, and serve as a catalyst to initiate efforts to
recognize systems of privilege and oppression and develop
pedagogy that brings the experiences of diverse individuals
to the forefront of the educational experience. Instructors must
recognize the diverse cultural backgrounds of their students
and consider the potential contribution of incorporating the
viewpoints of BIPOC to the overall educational quality of
the class (Benuto, Casas, & O’Donohue, 2018). They must
take great care to reflect on their own teaching methods to
prevent potential alienation in the communication of course
material and create a classroom environment where all stu-
dents feel comfortable (Hinton & Seo, 2013). For example,
when students share their experiences with racial and ethnic
tensions, they must be made to feel comfortable to disclose
their perspectives. As another example, when international
students share experiences from their home countries that
might be different from what the behavior-analytic ethics code
finds acceptable (e.g., accepting gifts, dual relationships), in-
structors should use it as an opportunity to draw attention to
the code’s shortcomings with respect to cultural
Behav Analysis Practice
understanding and ensure that students are made to feel com-
fortable in sharing these stories. These efforts to decolonize
curricula and pedagogy are necessary and may be achieved by
directly countering stereotypes, calling out personal privileges
or experiences with marginalization, and inviting students to
do the same, thereby directly challenging Western educational
pedagogy (Kishimoto & Mwangi, 2009;St.Clair&
Kishimoto, 2010).
To improve their relationships and establish trust with stu-
dents, faculty may provide guidance to students for navigating
the cultural landscape of the university (Hinton & Seo, 2013).
For first-generation college students, a university education is
highly valued, but as a result of structural barriers and stu-
dents’limited exposure to their availability, the resources nec-
essary for success might be sparse (Hinton & Seo, 2013). The
department chair or program director should ensure that indi-
vidual faculty are aware of these barriers to accessibility (e.g.,
through quarterly or annual training), and communicate the
availability of resources and support systems in multiple ways
(e.g., emails, class announcements, faculty referrals) to ensure
that all students are set up for success. This may include
connecting students with university resources such as the ca-
reer center or writing center or providing mentorship. It is
possible that BIPOC students’awareness that they are sup-
ported may facilitate their persistence and help-seeking behav-
iors. While upholding equitable standards of academic excel-
lence and driving all students toward the same level of
achievement (Hinton & Seo, 2013), faculty must focus on
the safety and humanization of BIPOC individuals.
Programs often make the mistake of focusing on the growth
and enlightenment of White students; that is White suprema-
cy, not antiracism (Oluo, 2019).
By investing in various levels of support for students, fac-
ulty will be able to identify cultural connections between the
course material and the student body, and this will demon-
strate to students that their presence in the classroom is of
value to the program and to the field of behavior analysis
(Hinton & Seo, 2013). BIPOC students may also require ad-
ditional support on assignments (Fuentes, Zelaya, & Madsen,
in press) due to systemic barriers (e.g., lack of resources, tra-
ditional syllabi favoring content that allows White students to
interact with the content more easily than BIPOC) that have
been placed on them throughout their educational history.
Thus, instructors are encouraged to provide resources, reason-
able ancillary support (e.g., review of additional drafts, one-
on-one meetings, detailed feedback on both style and content),
and flexibility in style (e.g., presentation formats, oral or writ-
ten communication) to ensure equity and that gaps in students’
learning styles and communication repertoires do not interfere
with their ability to demonstrate their understanding of the
course’s content. Maintaining flexibility is a critical step in
the decolonization of classrooms, as it indicates that the in-
structor accepts students’individual styles, wherein submitted
assignments and presentations look different from standard
templates while nonetheless demonstrating competency and
meeting all content requirements.
Coursework on Antiracism, Multiculturalism, and
Diversity
Behavior-analytic graduate training programs may consider
adding one or more introductory courses on antiracism, mul-
ticulturalism, diversity, and inclusion (Russell, 2019; St. Clair
&Kishimoto,2010; Williams & Clowney, 2007; Wright,
2019) and having this content be continuously embedded
within every course in the curriculum. These courses build
an understanding of critical concepts such as race, ethnicity,
culture, and identity, while highlighting the realities of dis-
crimination, privilege, and prejudice institutionally, and
throughout everyday encounters (St. Clair & Kishimoto,
2010). Such courses can also acknowledge BIPOC who con-
tributed to foundational theoretical perspectives but were nev-
er appropriately credited, as well as incorporate material into
the coursework that centers the voices of marginalized and
oppressed individuals. Intentionally focusing study on such
topics advances the strength of the program by necessitating
considerations for addressing emerging challenges and dy-
namics in socially relevant environments (Williams &
Clowney, 2007). Additionally, these courses should consider
approaches utilized in related fields that have additional ex-
pertise in addressing these topics. For example, the Council
for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational
Programs (CACREP) requires that their accredited programs
have an objective to “reflect current knowledge and projected
needs concerning counseling practice in a multicultural and
pluralistic society”(CACREP, 2015,p.9).
St. Clair and Kishimoto (2010) explained that teaching
antiracism falls along a continuum, and the topic cannot ef-
fectively be covered in one semester because students need
time to process what they have learned. They described a
three-level system composed of (a) delivering information,
concepts, and vocabulary on current racial issues; (b) teaching
students the skills and tools needed to analyze racism; and (c)
creating opportunities for students to apply this analysis and
commit to change while recognizing that dismantling and
interrupting racism is a lifelong endeavor (St. Clair &
Kishimoto, 2010). Self-reflection, as described by Wright
(2019), may also be an important component to include in
coursework on cultural humility. Specifically, Wright de-
scribed the self-reflection component of cultural humility as
a three-step self-management process, composed of develop-
ing a clear definition of a goal related to a practice, collecting
and analyzing data on whether the goal is being met, and
establishing consequences to create accountability. For exam-
ple, to ensure institutional accountability, one would first cre-
ate an operational definition for a goal, such as providing
Behav Analysis Practice
equitable and nondiscriminatory access to services to individ-
uals of all socioeconomic statuses, races, and ethnicities. Then
data would be collected to identify whether the goal is being
met. Finally, consequences would be in place to ensure ac-
countability, and data related to the goal could be publicly
provided in staff meetings and organizational reports,
resulting in positive reinforcement for meeting the goal or
punishment (i.e., being perceived as discriminatory) for not
meeting the goal (Wright, 2019).
One step that instructors can take to ensure a positive edu-
cational environment is establishing pedagogical goals at the
outset of the course (Wagner, 2005). This includes emphasiz-
ing that the course will deconstruct normative notions and
focus on diverse viewpoints of the same issue, unsettle what
is “known”in order to challenge individuals’understanding of
their traditional frames of reference, and disrupt “us versus
them”dichotomous thinking. It also includes recognizing that
the process will be difficult for everyone, including the in-
structor. To ensure the participation of BIPOC who might
otherwise remain silent, instructors may establish an expecta-
tion for participation (Wagner, 2005), and to ensure that stu-
dents do not feel singled out in the process, instructors should
consider requiring anonymized participation (e.g., online
polls, sharing perspectives on flash cards that are redistributed
to other students for a response). Additionally, the instructor
may share power with the class by soliciting feedback from
students about what they would like to gain from the course
and incorporating these topics throughout the content
(Wagner, 2005). This will allow the instructor to better under-
stand the starting point for each student and elucidate students’
expectations for the course (Wagner, 2005).
Courses on antiracism and cultural humility must also em-
phasize process over content (Wagner, 2005), in that the pro-
cess through which the content is analyzed stays consistent,
whereas the instructional material (i.e., content) is tailored to
the unique experiences of the students. The process for teaching
such a course involves resolving conflict and managing emo-
tional responses and tensions triggered by difficult conversa-
tions, as well as teaching basic conflict-resolution skills
(Wagner, 2005). Presumably, to be good at this, the instructor
would need to pay close attention to students’nonverbal behav-
iors (e.g., body language, facial expressions, engagement in
conversation, tone of voice) during difficult discussions in order
to appropriately facilitate self-reflection, humility, and positive
regard for one another’s experiences and perspectives.
Another point of consideration is the approach that White
educators use when teaching antiracism and diversity-based
courses. It is essential for White instructors to listen to BIPOC
experiences without interruption and with acceptance, as well
as hold themselves accountable in their communication (Utt &
Tochluk, 2020). It is inevitable that instructors will make mis-
takes that may reduce trust and harm the student–teacher re-
lationship, and so it is imperative that instructors maintain
accountability in such situations by apologizing, learning from
their mistakes, and committing to doing better (Utt &
Tochluk, 2020).
Course Design and Curricular Modifications
When designing behavior-analytic curricula, instructors are
encouraged to embed multiculturalism and diversity content
into multiple aspects of their courses, including course objec-
tives, lectures, readings, and assignments (Fuentes et al., in
press; Pope et al., 2019). Instructors are encouraged to rethink
how they teach and to use class time creatively (Hinton & Seo,
2013). For example, instructors could consider forgoing the
traditional classroom lecture by carefully selecting course
readings and assignments to be completed prior to class so
that class time may be fully utilized for experiential and ap-
plied activities that incorporate students’perspectives.
Instructors may encourage students to interact with different
students (Hinton & Seo, 2013)inanefforttoincreaseoppor-
tunities for collaboration. This should be done with full con-
sideration for individual students’needs (e.g., planning for
factors related to neurodiversity, mental health, social anxiety,
or microaggressions experienced by BIPOC) and only after
having created a classroom space where all students feel safe
and comfortable interacting with one another. Instructors are
further encouraged to use critical-thinking activities,
interteaching, role-play scenarios, or other active-responding
instructional techniques. Specifically, instructors might in-
clude prompts that allow students to share their diverse expe-
riences or use vignettes that incorporate the need for a cultur-
ally competent approach. Instructors could also use instruc-
tional tools and strategies such as self-reflection exercises and
cultural immersion activities throughout academic and clinical
coursework to increase students’awareness of their own
biases, as well as those implicit in the field of ABA
(Beaulieu, Addington, & Almeida, 2019;Connersetal.,
2019). For example, instructors may incorporate assessments
such as the Diversity Self-Assessment Tool (Montgomery,
2001) or the Multicultural Sensitivity Scale (Jibaja-Rusth,
Kingery, Holcomb, Buckner, & Pruitt, 1994)asself-
evaluation tools for themselves, staff, and students to better
examine their understanding of diversity and multicultural
sensitivity. The Georgetown University National Center for
Cultural Competence (n.d.) provides a more comprehensive
list of diversity assessment tools.
Another strategy for improving diversity and equity within
courses is to include a diversity statement in all syllabi to
indicate equity and diversity as guiding philosophies for
coursework, the academic program, and the institution. Such
a statement is important because it promotes accountability by
requiring instructors to take action to ensure diverse and eq-
uitable approaches are incorporated into coursework and ped-
agogy (Gershfeld Litvak & Rue, 2020). Moreover, syllabi
Behav Analysis Practice
should be evaluated regarding whether content, such as read-
ings, promotes inclusion and is accessible for all students
(Fuentes et al., in press). For example, traditional syllabi
may implicitly favor content that enables White students to
have an easier experience with the content compared to
BIPOC. Effective instructors use carefully selected course
readings that are relevant to all students in the class and that
demonstrate the utility of cultural sensitivity in behavior-
analytic service provision. The use of such content facilitates
relevant dialogue to increase students’self-awareness and ver-
bal repertoires for engaging with such content (Benuto et al.,
2018). Creating these learning experiences may allow stu-
dents to engage in difficult dialogue that may produce
paradigm-shifting experiences (Pope et al., 2019). These
course activities enhance a student’s professional and interper-
sonal skills and are more likely to help them produce mean-
ingful therapeutic relationships once they enter the clinical
realm. Specifically, instructors could ensure that real-life ap-
plications of conceptual and academic content use experiences
with culturally diverse populations (Hinton & Seo, 2013).
To further promote cultural humility, clinical courses on
behavioral assessment and intervention must be intentionally
designed to recognize and address the role of differing social
norms in the sustainability of treatment outcomes. For exam-
ple, these courses could use a multitude of examples from
various cultures to ensure that students learn to make cultur-
ally attuned clinical decisions (Wang, Kang, Ramirez, &
Tarbox, 2019). Common areas of skill acquisition programs
in which cultural competency is relevant include teaching
nonverbal social behaviors (e.g., eye contact, facial expres-
sions, greetings, touching others, personal space), teaching
verbal behavior (e.g., form of greetings, sentence structure,
conversations with elders vs. peers), and self-care skills
(e.g., showering, toileting, dressing). However, clinicians
should also avoid assuming that families from a given cultural
background abide by specific cultural rules. An example of
this would be pairing a Spanish-speaking clinician with a
Spanish-speaking client and starting intervention without de-
termining if their dialects are the same (Gershfeld Litvak &
Rue, 2020). Instead, clinicians should provide a platform for
families to state the cultural considerations they would like to
be addressed (Gershfeld Litvak & Rue, 2020).
Practicum
The role of the practicum is to teach students to apply what is
taught in the classroom to their work with clients. Thus, one
goal of the practicum is to teach students to be good clinicians,
and presumably, good clinicians are culturally competent and
demonstrate cultural humility. Teaching and practicing cultur-
al humility during practicum courses are crucial for ensuring
effective clinical service delivery. For example, culture may
influence stigmatization of diagnoses, whether services are
sought out, the type of services requested, the presence or
absence of support systems, and family dynamics during the
provision of services (Fong et al., 2017).
One strategy for practicum courses is to require students to
gain supervised clinical experience with diverse populations
(Conners et al., 2019). Specifically, activities that require stu-
dents to reflect on clients’and their own cultural background
and characteristics, to select culturally sensitive assessments,
and to subsequently share their cultural encounters in group
supervision settings could be required (Conners et al., 2019).
One assessment that has already been adjusted for culture
includes the Culturally Informed Functional Assessment
Interview, which is used to bridge the gap between clients
and their clinicians who have different cultural backgrounds
(Tanaka-Matsumi, Seiden, & Lam, 1996). Effective supervi-
sors create spaces where trainees are comfortable discussing
cultural experiences (Conners et al., 2019).
Practicum courses can teach students to reflect on how
culture plays a role in individualized interventions. For exam-
ple, clinicians should be knowledgeable of cultural contingen-
cies within their clients’community (Tanaka-Matsumi et al.,
1996) so that they can use this information to make interven-
tion goals that are culturally relevant. Culture should also be
considered in the development of individualized caregiver
training (Conners et al., 2019). When possible, behavior-
analytic content can be translated into the family’snativelan-
guage to support treatment implementation (Conners et al.,
2019), and the intervention should conform to the language
of the client, as the inability to communicate often leads to
problem behaviors. Actively seeking bilingual translators or
supervisors early in the intake process can increase rapport
between the clinician and the caregivers and ensures needs
are being accurately communicated and met (Dennison
et al., 2019). This also includes Black clinicians using
African American Vernacular English to communicate with
families who use this language (Lyiscott, 2018).
Additionally, a skilled clinician takes the extra time to lis-
ten and acknowledge the disparities a family may express and
seeks to overcome the sociocultural differences between them
and the family (Dennison et al., 2019). Oftentimes, this can
include asking specifically whether their training programs
interfere with anything in regard to their client’s culture. In
doing so, a clinician recognizes that some behaviors perceived
as inappropriate by them may be appropriate behaviors intheir
client’s environment (Beaulieu et al., 2019). For example,
toileting, eating, and sleeping routines tend to vary by culture
(Parry-Cruwys, 2020).
Supervisors could monitor students’behavior toward indi-
viduals of different backgrounds and provide guidance to help
shape students’verbal and nonverbal behavior to improve
therapeutic relationships (Conners et al., 2019). Because su-
pervisors will need to train their staff in cross-cultural practice
and given that most behavior analysts have received very little
Behav Analysis Practice
training in working with populations from diverse back-
grounds (Beaulieu et al., 2019), they must identify and engage
in opportunities to learn about multiculturalism to become
better equipped to carry out their responsibilities.
Supervisors should seek out training in order to be in compli-
ance with Codes 5.01 and 5.04 of the ethical code of the
Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). This includes
supervisory competence and designing effective supervision
and training (BACB, 2018).
Practicum courses could require that off-site supervisors
sign an agreement to acknowledge the university’sdiversity
policy and engage in exercises that highlight the role of mul-
ticultural variables in clinical service provision within their
supervision of the student. In addition, students could be
asked to evaluate their training site’s commitment and imple-
mentation of culturally responsive interventions, clinical train-
ing, and supervisory practices; these data could be used by the
university’s clinical training program to determine the contin-
uation of a relationship with each external practicum site or a
need for remediation. These measures would promote ac-
countability within the behavior-analytic service delivery
community. To complement on-site experiences, faculty
who are teaching practicum courses could proactively pro-
mote the value of cultural humility by requiring that students
incorporate discussions of diversity and culture-specific vari-
ables throughout all case conceptualization presentations
within their clinical training coursework.
Research
Diversity in research is not simply understudied; its necessity
for consideration is generally up for debate (Li, Wallace,
Ehrhardt, & Poling, 2017). In fact, cultural information such
as race/ethnicity and linguistic information has been found to
be reported in only 3%–10.7% of studies published in behav-
ioral journals (Beaulieu et al., 2019; Brodhead, Durán, &
Bloom, 2014;Lietal.,2017). These low percentages indicate
a general consensus to a colorblind-like approach to
conducting research. Leaving these studies colorblind can
not only interfere with external validity but also uphold and
promote racist tactics, leading to an overall medical apartheid
on BIPOC (Washington, 2006). The medical apartheid on
BIPOC individuals describes the stark difference in the way
medical treatment is given to BIPOC and White individuals. It
demonstrates racism’s two-faced effect on medical experi-
mentation and treatment, which leads to BIPOC receiving less
or inconsistent treatment based on faulty experimental conclu-
sions and the belief that BIPOC are inferior (Washington,
2006). With this in mind, researchers should report the races
of and languages used by participants. Likewise, the races of
the researchers may also be reported. Reporting the races of
the researchers and participants recognizes the power and
privilege researchers may hold over the study’s participants
(Pope et al., 2019).
Graduate programs can strive for some research to be fo-
cused on issues of cultural diversity and/or be conducted with
more culturally diverse individuals (Pope et al., 2019).
Although programs may have greater access to more affluent
communities, researchers need to consciously choose to create
equity within a study over opportunities of pragmatism (Li
et al., 2017). This includes venturing outside of their immedi-
ate environment to include a wider range of participants in
their research studies. This is increasingly difficult due to the
rightful mistrust BIPOC have of the research community. For
example, some Black individuals are aware that Black chil-
dren are more likely to be used in more harmful studies than
therapeutic ones or ones with less invasive methods
(Washington, 2006). One way for researchers to overcome
this mistrust is to be open to hearing the concerns of BIPOC
and willing to acknowledge past mistakes of research
(Washington, 2006). Another way is to abide by the
BACB’s ethical code with increased sensitivity, communica-
tion, and openness, especially in regard to appropriate in-
formed consent (Code 9.03), by providing constant reminders
of the right to drop out of the study (BACB, 2018).
Once BIPOC consent to participate, researchers should
consider their learning histories (Li et al., 2017), as they may
have a history of oppression that could interfere with indepen-
dent variables or contribute to results. For example, if the
purpose of a research study is to explore different methods
to teach participants to ask for help from authoritative figures,
the history of oppression between certain authoritative figures
(i.e., police officers) and BIPOC may contribute to results.
Additionally, researchers should recognize the role that op-
pression, privilege, and power may play in the relationship
between the researcher and the participants (Pope et al.,
2019). Students should be taught to consider research partic-
ipants as a source of information (Pope et al., 2019), not a
“colorless”element or data point. Open-ended indirect assess-
ments can be used to gather information from participants
about aspects that could create limitations to a study so that
the researcher may be better informed and work to actively
adjust research methods (Beaulieu et al., 2019). Finally, grad-
uate schools need to support BIPOC students’involvement in
research, as the benefits of doing so can potentially open the
doors to student retention and increased admissions of
BIPOC.
Faculty, Staff, and Students
In the movement toward an antiracist program, campus-wide
training efforts on social justice can be implemented (Pope
et al., 2019). For instance, all faculty, staff, and students can
complete a training on antiracism. For one example, see the 6-
Behav Analysis Practice
hr online training by the Diversity and Resiliency Institute of
El Paso (2020). An online training of this sort could be re-
quired to be completed by all students in one of their first
semester courses or during an orientation, as well as by all
newly hired faculty and staff. However, training in diversity-
related competencies should be ongoing (Nkansah et al.,
2009). Thus, to continue training for faculty and staff, there
could be an ongoing monthly training series on the topics of
antiracism and diversity during faculty/staff meetings or a
standalone workshop series. Faculty will need continued train-
ing on how to improve culturally competent pedagogy
(Hinton & Seo, 2013). Both faculty and staff can receive con-
tinued training in multicultural competence (Pope et al., 2019)
and bias training (Russell, Brock, & Rudisill, 2019). During
portions of the training, it can be helpful for BIPOC and White
individuals to have separate breakout groups so that they can
discuss the issues relevant to how they have personally been
racialized and socialized (St. Clair & Kishimoto, 2010). For
students to receive continued training, it will be helpful to
incorporate some of the ideas mentioned earlier in the
Curricula and Pedagogy sections of the current article within
their day-to-day coursework.
In addition to faculty, staff, and students learning about
antiracism, the institution's culture can instill a sense of em-
bracing others’differences. In American society, the White
experience is dominantly viewed as the “normal”experience
(Melaku & Beeman, 2020), and faculty, staff, and students are
often expected to put their unique and diverse experiences
aside in order to “fit in”with the White culture (Moore,
2007). An antiracist culture desires to learn about the cultures
and experiences of others and listens nonjudgmentally with
curiosity and openness. When BIPOC express feelings of be-
ing marginalized or oppressed, they are given a platform to be
heard. This is counter to what happens in a White hegemonic
environment, where BIPOC often feel that when they voice
their concerns, they are silenced (Melaku & Beeman, 2020).
For example, in some cases when a faculty member voices a
concern about policies, they are thought by other colleagues
and administration to be noncollegial or conflict ridden. In
such cases, rather than the policies in question being investi-
gated, the victims are blamed. This is problematic, as it often
pushes BIPOC faculty out of academia (Stockdill & Danico,
2012), and it may presumably cause BIPOC to feel as though
they must remain silent until promoted or tenured.
One way to create a culture where it is safe to speak up is to
model and practice voicing concerns while also allowing there
to be spaces and methods for doing so. For example, in faculty
meetings, all faculty need to feel that it is appropriate for them
to voice their concerns about potential inequalities in order to
contribute to the meaningful dismantling of racist policies
(Stockdill & Danico, 2012). Likewise, in a classroom setting,
the faculty can ask students to also speak up. For those faculty,
staff, and students who do not feel comfortable voicing their
concerns publicly, there can be private ways to express con-
cerns. For example, the program could have a system in place
for students, faculty, and staff to submit their concerns to the
diversity chair or committee, which includes the option of an
anonymous submission. There should be accountability for
the administration to follow up on such submissions in a
way that creates fairness and equity. Another way to convey
that voices want to be heard is for the university leadership to
administer campus assessments that identify areas in which
individuals feel there is marginalization and oppression
(Pope et al., 2019). Furthermore, marginalized individuals
could even be involved in the development of such campus
assessments (Pope et al., 2019). Assessments of this sort could
be conducted via anonymous surveys and focus being able to
have a voice is necessary for the overall wellness of BIPOC,
access to wellness in other capacities can occur as well. One
example is to ensure the campus counseling center and/or
other spaces that are supposed to provide care will not cause
harm to students, staff, or faculty of marginalized identities
who need those services. For example, the counseling center
should have sufficient counselors of color on staff who are
mindful of culture and intersectionality (Mosley & Bellamy,
2020). Additionally, there are benefits to having spaces such
as regular meetings to share experiences with one another in
order for individuals to provide support and mentorship. For
example, faculty who have such spaces are more likely to be
retained and promoted (Rockquemore & Laszloffy, 2008).
BIPOC faculty, staff, and students might like to have these
opportunities to connect with others experiencing similar ra-
cial issues.
One way for regular meetings to occur among one another
is through the establishment of department diversity commit-
tees. Diversity committees that have clearly defined goals and
objectives can help institutionalize diversity practices (Leon &
Williams, 2016). It may be appropriate to have separate diver-
sity committees for each group: faculty, staff, and students. A
faculty diversity committee could address topics related to
curriculum and pedagogical issues, whereas a student diversi-
ty committee (with a faculty advisor selected by the students)
might address students’concerns related to diversity issues
within the graduate training program. Various activities that
a diversity committee might conduct include providing con-
tinued education about topics of diversity, leading a book/
journal club, establishing support groups for BIPOC, estab-
lishing a mentorship program for faculty/students, creating
networking opportunities for underrepresented individuals,
troubleshooting racial incidents, creating strategies to evaluate
the effectiveness of antiracism actions, and arranging activi-
ties centered on activism such as protesting, writing letters,
mass petitions, and calling elected officials. Faculty and stu-
dent committees may even cosponsor some events, and staff
could also be called upon to be involved in some efforts,
depending on what is relevant to each population.
Behav Analysis Practice
Faculty and Staff
Recruitment and Hiring
Policies can be established to improve the experience of fac-
ulty and staff in university settings. This can begin with
recruiting and hiring more BIPOC to fill faculty and staff
positions. In 2017, BIPOC made up only 17% of full-time
professors and 28% of full-time assistant professors in higher
education (National Center for Education Statistics, 2019).
Diversification of faculty and staff in ABA programs is need-
ed and should be done at a level that is visible and provides a
meaningful representation (Pope et al., 2019). Hiring only one
BIPOC faculty member is considered tokenism and should be
avoided (McKinley & Brayboy, 2003).
Before beginning the recruitment process, it may be helpful
to know the university’s initiatives for diversity. For example,
funds or other resources may be available from the provost’s
office or the diversity office that can be used for recruitment
(Russell et al., 2019). One way to reach BIPOC during
recruiting efforts is to increase community outreach efforts
by linking the university with more community organizations
(Jackson, O’Callaghan, & Leon, 2014). In the field of ABA,
universities can reach out to the Black Applied Behavior
Analysts, the Latino Association for Behavior Analysis, the
Association for Behavior Analysis International’s (ABAI)
special interest group (SIG) on culture and diversity, and di-
versity SIGs that are a part of state and local chapters of ABAI
to let them know about available faculty and staff positions.
Job advertisements can also be placed through the BACB’s
email service, posted in ABAI’s career center, posted through
the Association for Professional Behavior Analysts’website,
posted on the websites of state chapters of ABAI, posted on
social media, and sent via Listservs. Another way to diversify
the applicant pool includes asking faculty to identify individ-
uals from underrepresented groups that they could personally
encourage to apply (Russell et al., 2019). Additionally, as-
pects of the hiring announcement may encourage individuals
from diverse backgrounds to apply, such as including a strong
diversity statement, using inclusive language in the announce-
ment, and mentioning inclusive benefits (e.g., related to
childcare and parental leave; Russell et al., 2019).
Some universities’human resources departments make ef-
forts to diversify faculty and staff by providing candidates from
underrepresented groups with resources and guidance, such as
employment sessions that review employment opportunities,
help with the online job application process, and information
about local services such as career workshops that provide tips
for writing an effective résumé (Jackson et al., 2014)andcover
letter, as well as sharpening job interviewing skills. Human
resources departments also train staff who provide such services
to be welcoming, friendly, and personable to all applicants
(Jackson et al., 2014). There may even be a dual-career program
provided by the human resources department to assist appli-
cants’spouses with their job search (Jackson et al., 2014).
When hiring faculty and staff, it is paramount that the hiring
committee avoid bias. This can be done in various ways such as
ensuring the hiring committee is trained about implicit bias
prior to the candidate interview and evaluation process. Some
universities’human resources departments offer such training
to hiring committees (Russell et al., 2019). Perhaps objective
screening tools that do not use biased language could be devel-
oped for hiring committees to use for evaluating applicants.
Furthermore, it may be helpful for the hiring committee to
attend to the demographics of applicants who are suggested
for progression from one phase of the hiring process to the next
and to require a rationale for applicants who are not progressing
(Russell et al., 2019). In order to identify whether applicants
will support the program’s commitment to diversity, applicants
can be asked to provide their own diversity statement in their
application materials, and questions related to diversity can be
included during interviews of candidates.
Retention
After faculty and staff are hired, many variables can be con-
sidered in their retention. For example, salaries for BIPOC are
lower than for White individuals (Jackson et al., 2014;
Jackson & O’Callaghan, 2009). Instead, salaries could be re-
lated to the position and the same for every person in that
position regardless of race. In addition, new faculty should
be provided with the faculty handbook and any other policies
that exist in the department (Russell et al., 2019). The expec-
tations with respect to teaching, scholarship, and service
should be outlined during the candidate’s interview process
and again at each annual evaluation (Russell et al., 2019).
Pairing new faculty with a seasoned faculty mentor with sim-
ilar academic or personal interests can help improve retention
(Kosoko-Lasaki, Sonnino, & Voytko, 2006), and mentors can
help orient new faculty to the university’s expectations and
process for retention, tenure, and promotion (Vasquez et al.,
2006). Recognition that student teaching evaluations can be
influenced by biases, such as those relevant to the faculty’s
attributes of diversity, the student’s perception of the impor-
tance of the course topic to their career plans, and comparison
of the current course with previously taken courses, should
also be ensured (Falkoff, 2018; Lilienfeld, 2016).
Furthermore, faculty who choose to teach about antiracist
topics, such as White privilege and White supremacy, will
need to be supported by the administration if their teaching
evaluation scores are lower due to tackling these challenging
topics. Allowing faculty the opportunity to provide a narrative
of their accomplishments and goals related to teaching, schol-
arship, and service with their annual evaluations may help
negate implicit bias (Russell et al.,2019). It is also informative
for faculty to be given clear written feedback about whether
Behav Analysis Practice
their performance is on track to receive future tenure and/or
promotion (Russell et al., 2019).
It can be helpful for the retention of BIPOC to provide
opportunities for obtaining mutual support, sharing experi-
ences with one another, and engaging in social networking
with diverse individuals (Turner, González, & Wood, 2008).
In order to retain faculty who are committed to social justice, it
is essential that manifestations of inequality are decoded in the
university program (Stockdill & Danico, 2012). Furthermore,
it should be noted that BIPOC faculty have a lot more stressors
and responsibilities than White faculty, which can take a phys-
ical and emotional toll (McKinley & Brayboy, 2003). For
example, in addition to having the same responsibilities as
White faculty, such as teaching courses, publishing manu-
scripts, and providing service, BIPOC faculty are often addi-
tionally burdened with being expected to be the barometer for
the guilt of White individuals, mentor BIPOC and White an-
tiracist students, serve on a diversity committee, teach diver-
sity courses, and train faculty on diversity. Unfortunately,
these additional tasks and the costs associated with them tend
to go unnoticed (McKinley & Brayboy, 2003).
BIPOC faculty should not be expected to take on this level
of emotional labor. Yet BIPOC faculty who choose not to
perform such expected activities may create a false image that
they are not team players and are instead troublemakers
(McKinley & Brayboy, 2003), and they may be viewed as
“race traitors”by other BIPOC faculty and students
(McKinley & Brayboy, 2003). In order to retain BIPOC fac-
ulty, it is important that these duties not be the burden of
BIPOC faculty only (Mosley & Bellamy, 2020). These duties
should be recognized in categories of service, and BIPOC
should be able to avoid being involved in other committees
or types of service if they are performing in these roles of
advancing diversity in the university. If these duties cannot
be recognized as activities that can count under service, then
faculty who do these extra tasks should be compensated for
them. Such duties can adversely impact the tenure and promo-
tion of BIPOC faculty by taking up time they could be using to
publish and engage in other types of service (Fogg, 2003),
thus these activities should also potentially be given more
weight during promotion and tenure evaluations.
Advancement
An unbiased faculty advancement process that occurs through
the tenure and promotion review is important for the retention
of BIPOC faculty. There are various strategies related to ten-
ure and promotion that can help exemplify inclusive excel-
lence. For one, the tenure and promotion process should be
clearly outlined and communicated to faculty upon being
hired. This mayinclude providing information regarding time-
lines for submission, materials to include in the dossier, and
the process of the review (Russell et al., 2019). BIPOC faculty
up for review can be provided with support as they prepare
their materials (Russell et al., 2019). Faculty who will be
reviewing materials should be trained in advance on implicit
bias and how it may affect their evaluation of their peers
(Russell et al., 2019). They can also be reminded to be aware
of service that may have affected a faculty’s scholarly activity,
such as mentoring underrepresented students, serving on di-
versity committees, and so forth (Russell et al., 2019).
Perhaps, more value can be placed on service that is in the
area of diversity and antiracism (Mosley & Bellamy, 2020).
Faculty and staff can be held accountable for the university’s
mission of inclusive excellence by including within their eval-
uations ongoing measurement and goals outlining their in-
volvement with institutional diversity (Nkansah et al., 2009).
White Allyship
During the development of an antiracist identity, it is crucial for
faculty and staff to build relationships both to provide support
and to receive critical feedback when mistakes, such as
microaggressions, are made. BIPOC are most equipped to pro-
vide feedback about whether individuals’behaviors are in line
with those of an antiracist ally (Matias, 2013). White individ-
uals should also seek the support of other White individuals
when doing the work of antiracism, as they serve a significant
role in one another’s development (Utt & Tochluk, 2020).
White scholars who collaborate with BIPOC should ensure that
their work is not overshadowing that of BIPOC authors and that
they are acknowledging the contributions of BIPOC to the sub-
ject matter by citing them (Wagner, 2005). White faculty can
also forgo some activities (e.g., manuscript preparation) for
service related to diversity, such as starting an antiracism coa-
lition in the university (Mosley & Bellamy, 2020).
White faculty can voice to administration and at faculty
meetings their concerns about policies that create inequality
(Stockdill & Danico, 2012). It can be easy for White individ-
uals to choose to be complicit with policies that disproportion-
ately impact BIPOC negatively whenever they want; howev-
er, BIPOC do not have this luxury. Therefore, it is crucial that
White individuals continue their work on antiracism beyond
the academy and remain grounded in the current issues that
BIPOC face (Wagner, 2005). Likewise, White individuals
will need to commit themselves to understanding how
intersectionality (how one’s various identities of race, gender,
and sexual orientation interact) plays a role in racism (see
Crenshaw, 1990, for more on intersectionality).
Students
Negative experiences in higher education can have dire con-
sequences for BIPOC students, which is reflected in the poor
graduation rates of this population (Hinton & Seo, 2013).
Factors that contribute to negative experiences include the
Behav Analysis Practice
university showing little support for BIPOC students, a mis-
match between the learning-style preferences of African
American students and teaching styles, the use of cultural
codes to communicate information, racial stereotyping, and a
tenuous racial climate (Rovai, Gallien Jr., & Wighting, 2005).
Various policies that can be put into place in an attempt to
elevate the experiences of BIPOC in university settings are
outlined in the sections that follow.
Recruitment and Admissions
This can begin with recruitment efforts. Graduate pro-
grams in ABA need to increase the recruitment of
BIPOC. Specifically, recruitment efforts can be put toward
attracting international students, reaching out to ABA-
based agencies (Wang et al., 2019),marketinginspaces
that BIPOC occupy, creating scholarships for BIPOC, and
so on. A graduate program that has a greater number of
BIPOC students can lead to those students recruiting other
BIPOC students, which also feeds into the development of
more future BIPOC faculty (Maton, Kohout, Wicherski,
Leary, & Vinokurov, 2006). Thus, this strategy can ulti-
mately increase the recruitment and retention of both future
BIPOC students and faculty (Maton et al., 2006).
Once students have been recruited and are in the application
process, various policies can be put into place to ensure equity
during the admissions process. For example, because the
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) has been found to have
little predictive validity (Morrison & Morrison, 1995), the re-
quirement of applicants to have taken the GRE could be elim-
inated. Given that individuals who pay for a GRE test prepara-
tion course are promised by test preparation sites to score 200
points higher on the GRE than those who do not take a test
preparation course, it seems plausible that the GRE does not
identify intellectual strength, but instead identifies those who
have the awareness and resources to take a test preparation
course (Kendi, 2019). An alternative method for assessment
during admissions could be to ask candidates to submit a port-
folio or written assignment. Candidates could also be asked to
write an essay during an in-person interview when given a
writing prompt. Other strategies could also be put into place
to help applicants, such as the university offering workshops to
BIPOC to assist them with completing their applications. Such
workshops could address details related to admission criteria
(e.g., what types of letters of recommendation would be better
to get, what the program is looking for in the statement of
purpose, what to do if the applicant’s grades are not ideal),
and help with securing financial aid (Russell, 2019).
Retention
After students are admitted, the concern becomes reten-
tion and graduation. In order to help retain BIPOC
students, recommendations made earlier in this article,
such as ensuring their voices are heard and giving them
spaces and resources for wellness, are relevant.
Additional ideas include having a Center for BIPOC
Student Success (Abdullah, 2020) or a mentorship pro-
gram (Stockdill & Danico, 2012)forBIPOCthatgives
them the tools they will need to be successful in the
program (e.g., priming, tips for writing, study groups,
access to senior students in the program, BIPOC student
support groups). Such a center or program could also
provide scholarships for BIPOC who demonstrate excel-
lence in the areas of academics and social service
(Abdullah, 2020).
Alumni
Even after students have graduated, a university program that
truly values its BIPOC students will make efforts to cultivatea
culture of togetherness by providing support for alumni
through continued mentorship for professional development,
social networking opportunities, and the sharing of informa-
tion (Russell, 2019). Additionally, alumni may be interested in
serving as mentors to some of the program’s current graduate
students.
Conclusion
Racist policies continue to dominate in the academy, yet there
are systemic transformations that can occur within this setting
to dismantle racism and move toward equity for BIPOC. The
current article sought to bring to light how behavior-analytic
graduate training programs could be reimagined to accom-
plish these goals. There are many viable strategies that grad-
uate training programs in behavior analysis can use to (a)
organize the structure of the program and leadership; (b) in-
fuse antiracist and multicultural ideals into curricula, pedago-
gy, and research; (c) recruit and retain more BIPOC faculty,
staff, and students; and (d) train all faculty, staff, and students
in cultural competence and humility.
Compliance with Ethical Standards
Conflicts of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of
interest regarding the information reported in this article.
Ethical approval This article does not contain any studies with human or
animal participants performed by any of the authors.
Funding No funding has been provided for this research.
Informed consent No informed consent was needed in this study.
Behav Analysis Practice
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