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A team of University of the Rockies faculty were awarded a research grant from Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research. It is among the first small grant awards to be issued by the Journal.

With the grant, Drs. Keri Heitner, Amy Kahn, and Kenneth Sherman will pursue a clear and consistent way to define diversity work within organizations. 

“In the field of diversity, we are without a clear and consistent definition of success for diversity work that encompasses both tangible and intangible benefits,” said Kahn, who also serves as University of the Rockies’ director of diversity. “With a standard definition in place, we can create a metric to measure the extent to which an organization’s diversity efforts are successful.”

To develop the definition, the group will conduct three rounds of web-based data collection. A range of diversity experts will be polled to generate consensus. The definition will be further tested through the creation and validation of a new metric to measure success.

“This research should provide clarity to the array of beliefs held by diversity experts, and will help psychology consultants to differentiate between diversity work and efforts that are merely diversity related,” said Kahn.  

About University of the Rockies

University of the Rockies is an advanced graduate institution for tomorrow’s thought leaders. The University provides an intimate and dynamic learning environment, offering highly specialized master’s and doctoral degree programs in the social and behavioral sciences, access to industry experts, campus clinical programs for practical experience, and research and publishing opportunities. University of the Rockies is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association (www.ncahlc.org). Small by design, University of the Rockies classes are presented in a progressive online format and at its Colorado Springs, Colorado, campus. For more information, please visit www.rockies.edu or call Shari Rodriguez, associate vice president of Public Relations, at 866.621.0124 x2513.