The Equity Index – An approach to evaluating the success of diversity initiatives

Abstract: Diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI) initiatives tend to be many-fold. However, while the approaches are rather diverse, the ultimate aim is to ensure a sustainable diverse population body. Evaluating the demographic success (or otherwise) of these programs is not obvious. Here, we consider a simple (distance) formula to evaluate the demographic progress of DEI programs. We apply the formula to higher education statistics in South Africa (where DEI has traditionally been called ‘transformation’) and show how such an approach could be useful for monitoring purposes. It is hoped that this talk generates discussions to improve upon this naïve method.