Is Gallaudet Diverse? Creating an R Package to Measure Institutional Diversity

Author

Emelia Beldon, Gallaudet University

Date of Award

Spring 5-14-2021

Document Type

Thesis

First Advisor

Todd Bonheyo

Second Advisor

Gaurav Arora

Third Advisor

Gerardo Chacón

Abstract

One of the biggest trends in social science is the study of racial and ethnic diversity measures. Numerous scholarly articles and journals detail how important it is to encourage a racially and ethnically diverse community in higher education. However, the question remains: how do we accurately measure racial and ethnic diversity? Furthermore, how do we present the diversity in terms of statistics for best use? With this project, I answer these questions. I created an R software package, diversityGV, to measure institutional racial and ethnic diversity using the Generalized Variance mathematical approach. I then used diversityGV with a dataset from Gallaudet University and other universities with similar characteristics to assess and present where Gallaudet University stands in comparison.

Recommended Citation

Beldon, Emelia, "Is Gallaudet Diverse? Creating an R Package to Measure Institutional Diversity" (2021). Undergraduate University Honors Capstones. 76.
https://ida.gallaudet.edu/honors_capstones/76