Discrimination and inequity for disadvantaged groups in graduate programs

Higher education has sometimes been called an “ivory tower” (Sierra, Reference Sierra2021), and although there is an emphasis on open mindedness and the acquisition of knowledge, the institutions and cultures of some graduate schools may be so rooted in generational disproportionate power structures that various minority groups can face challenges to which their professors and administrators may be blind. Adjustment to higher education is weakened when prejudice and discrimination are experienced, potentially negating the benefits of cognitive ability on academic performance in higher education (Nora & Cabrera, Reference Nora and Cabrera1996). A more specific, current study on discrimination in graduate science programs, including social sciences, found that over 80% of women reported experiencing gender discrimination, over 90% of Black students reported experiencing racial discrimination, and over 70% of Hispanic/Latino students reported experiencing racial discrimination (Scheitle et al., Reference Scheitle, Remsburg and Platt2021). Clark et al. (Reference Clark, Mercer, Zeigler-Hill and Dufrene2012) found that ethnic minority students experienced higher levels of emotional distress and lower levels of belongingness, with the latter, in particular, being associated with lower academic engagement. International students may experience discrimination in higher education if their peers are more conservative or reported support for President Trump (Quinton, Reference Quinton2019). Transgender students report high incidents of discrimination and harassment in college settings, paired with a decreased sense of belongingness on campus (Dugan et al., Reference Dugan, Kusel and Simounet2012). Regardless of the disadvantaged group to which one belongs, higher education institutions seem to mimic society, and thus, life is easier for those who do not fall into any minority categories.

Benefits of online graduate programs for disadvantaged groups

Although online programs rooted in a traditional academic institution may not be completely immune to the drawbacks for disadvantaged groups, we argue that many of the necessary aspects of an online program help to alleviate some of these potential setbacks. First, the flexibility that online programs offer will inherently help nontraditional students, such as providing working students a chance to complete work at odd hours of the week and eliminating the sometimes costly process of commuting. An online program’s flexibility can potentially help students be more autonomous and self-regulate their pace of learning if faculty provide them with the correct resources (e.g., making materials available online that students can refer to when they need to revise). This flexibility fostered by online programs can potentially encourage individuals who have responsibilities (e.g., caregiving) and highly scheduled lives to return to schools to complete their education (Salvo et al., Reference Salvo, Shelton and Welch2017).

Second, because online programs have fewer face-to-face interactions with the instructors, there is less opportunity for students to fall victim to implicit biases faculty may possess. In traditional graduate programs, the students will often meet their professors before they are able to show the quality of their work. In online programs, it is more likely that a student will have submitted various samples to show their ability prior to the professor knowing what they look like, if this ever even occurs. Recent research found that Black workers experienced a higher sense of belongingness and fewer incidents of microaggression when working in a remote environment (Future Forum, 2021). Minority students may similarly avoid frequent microaggressions with an online education and, thus, reduce their overall stress levels.

On a similar note, incidents of sexual harassment are likely to be lower when individuals are not interacting in the same physical space. This is a potential gain for all, but women in graduate schools are still significantly more likely to be victims of sexual harassment from faculty, staff, and their peers, which in turn makes them more likely to experience other negative outcomes (Rosenthal et al., Reference Rosenthal, Smidt and Freyd2016). Disadvantaged groups of any kind can benefit from reduced implicit biases that come with face-to-face instruction.

Potential negatives to online graduate school for disadvantaged groups

Online graduate programs can offer many benefits for disadvantaged groups, but there are negatives that should be considered, as well. As Kraiger et al. (Reference Kraiger, Fisher, Grossman, Mills and Sitzmann2022) discuss, employers generally still prefer to hire applicants from traditional graduate programs over purely online programs, even though there is no significant difference in learning outcomes. For groups who may already experience hiring bias (e.g., ethnic minorities, people with disabilities), this may make it even harder for them to acquire jobs even if they have all the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities from a great graduate experience.

In addition, students are likely to experience many of the same circumstances in the workplace that they may encounter in graduate school. Thus, if they wish to work in a physical environment for employment upon graduation, it may be a disadvantage for them to avoid learning how to deal with uncomfortable situations, like racial microaggressions.

Recommendations for enhancing online graduate programs

We conclude our paper with practical recommendations for academics, stakeholders, and prospective students. First, we recommend pairing students with a mentor based on interests and/or based on similarities in their backgrounds. Kraiger et al. (Reference Kraiger, Fisher, Grossman, Mills and Sitzmann2022) highlight the importance of mentorship, especially for an online program, but for students from disadvantaged or marginalized groups, it is especially important that the students connect with their mentors and feel comfortable discussing their obstacles. This may help reduce or eliminate the harsh institutional power divide that may exist among faculty and students. As previously mentioned, microaggressions may result in increased psychological distress for minority group members, but Miller and Orsillo (Reference Miller and Orsillo2020) found that focusing on living in accordance with one’s values and accepting emotional experiences can overpower the negative effects of discrimination. Mentors may be able to guide newer students toward these beneficial mindsets and lead by example.

Second, universities should invest in resources to ensure that all students and faculty have access to the right technology at home and are able to use it effectively (e.g., provide IT support, software licenses). This will help foster an inclusive environment for all students including the ones who do not have substantial experiences with technology. Furthermore, it will help faculty leverage technology to ensure that all students are treated equally and have the right opportunities to interact with each other (e.g., assigning random breakout sessions on Zoom for class discussions to ensure students interact with different students every time and do not form a group that consistently excludes minority students).

Finally, because the autonomous and self-regulated nature of online work makes it more beneficial for minority students with respect to controlling the pace of their learning (Salvo et al., Reference Salvo, Shelton and Welch2017), we encourage faculty to provide as many resources (e.g., recorded videos) as possible to help students self-regulate their learning. This will help maximize the benefit of online programs and empower students.