These days American universities find themselves at a peculiar crossroads. With the stroke of a pen, federal actions have swept away diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at institutions dependent on government funding. Yet in this moment of apparent retreat, one might discern not an ending but a beginning, creating the potential for a more profound transformation in how we understand the art of teaching itself.
The moment demands reinvention, not retreat. For decades now, inclusive teaching has been quietly revolutionizing classrooms, operating not by privileging some students over others, but by ensuring all students can thrive. The principle, though deceptively simple, borders on the radical: every learner deserves access to tools that support their academic growth. This principle can guide institutions toward a universal model of excellence, grounded in research, focused on outcomes, and aligned with the values of higher education.
Never has the need been greater. Today’s college student defies easy categorization. The stereotypical image of young adults attending full-time classes on residential campuses has given way to something far more complex, with students juggling work commitments, family responsibilities, and extended degree timelines to manage costs.[1] This demographic shift demands nothing less than a pedagogical evolution, one that acknowledges students’ multifaceted lives while maintaining academic rigor.
Enter Universal Design for Learning (UDL), an evidence-based framework offering a compelling vision for the future. UDL is defined as “a framework developed to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn.”[2] Grounded in cognitive neuroscience and educational research, UDL principles encourage educators to present information in multiple ways, offer students various methods for demonstrating understanding, and foster engagement through real-world relevance and autonomy.
These strategies represent enhancements rather than mere accommodations. Consider a biology professor who uses diagrams, podcasts, and brief readings to explain cell mitosis. This approach amplifies access while preserving content rigor. Similarly, when writing instructors permit final projects like essays, podcasts, or video narratives, they maintain academic standards while enabling students to engage authentically with material. These flexible methods serve diverse learners: working students access recorded lectures, caregivers utilize adaptive deadlines, and alternative learners benefit from varied assessment approaches.
Learning science bears this out. UDL’s foundation is built upon knowledge that our brains are composed of three different networks –– affective, recognition, and strategic –– alligning with UDL’s framework of engagement, representation, and action/expression.[3] Implementing UDL in university courses shows potential for enhancing student success across diverse learner groups. Synthesized research findings indicate that UDL practices are generally associated with positive educational outcomes, suggesting benefits for overall student achievement and engagement in higher education.[4] In an era when the word “diversity” has become politicized, universities can reframe their inclusion work in terms that highlight its universal benefits. As recent analyses have noted, reframing equity efforts as commitments to educational excellence, student success, and workforce readiness can defuse ideological opposition while preserving impact.
Cultural competency, which Gloria Ladson-Billings defined as “culturally relevant pedagogy,” enhances Universal Design for Learning (UDL) by treating students’ diverse backgrounds as valuable learning resources. Rather than focusing on specific groups, this approach responds to the needs of learners, regardless of their backgrounds.[5] By incorporating diverse perspectives into coursework, such as multicultural case studies in business courses or international narratives in literature classes, educators help all students develop new connections with course material. When faculty integrate global innovations into curricula or examine historical events through multiple cultural perspectives, they enrich students’ intellectual capabilities rather than introduce political agendas. These pedagogical strategies develop essential competencies in critical thinking, problem-solving, and cultural literacy: skills crucial for both democratic participation and success in the global economy.
A comprehensive review by the American Educational Research Association demonstrated that culturally responsive teaching strengthens academic engagement, reinforces identity development, and improves achievement across all academic disciplines.[6] Additional research confirms that curricula incorporating diverse cultural experiences enhance motivation and performance for all students, not exclusively those whose cultures are represented.
One of the most dangerous misunderstandings embedded in current critiques of DEI is the conflation of illegal forms of discrimination with egalitarian inclusive practices. The University of California system, operating under Proposition 209 since 1996, has already navigated these waters. UC leaders have emphasized that their equity work has long focused on expanding opportunity through race-neutral means such as outreach, academic support, and inclusive pedagogy. These approaches are lawful, research-supported, and profoundly effective. Opponents of DEI also often invoke meritocracy as a guiding ideal. But real meritocracy requires equitable opportunity to demonstrate merit. A student with dyslexia who receives extended testing time isn’t receiving an advantage. Instead they’re being given a fair chance to show what they know. A First Gen student benefiting from early mentorship isn’t getting special treatment, but instead a form of support that many peers implicitly receive.
Already some institutions are embracing this pivot. At the UC Irvine, faculty are integrating UDL principles and cultural awareness into their courses, ensuring students with varying learning styles can engage with material more effectively. At Cal State LA, a campus-wide initiative has expanded access to academic support systems tailored to diverse student needs.[7] These models work not because they target specific groups, but because they improve the learning environment for everyone. Critics of DEI often miss this point in imagining a university torn between excellence and equity. But the best research and the best classrooms tell us the opposite: equity enhances excellence. It sharpens minds, deepens engagement, and broadens the intellectual horizons of entire learning communities.
What might the next chapter of inclusive teaching look like? It can be data-driven, relying on research about how students learn best. It can be design-conscious, rooted in frameworks like UDL that anticipate student needs rather than reacting to them. And it can be mission-aligned, reaffirming the university’s role in expanding knowledge, opportunity, and human flourishing. Critically, it can adopt a language of universal excellence. This language does not erase race, gender, or other identities; it affirms that effective teaching must account for the full range of human experience. But it also speaks to a broader vision in which inclusive practices are not seen as concessions to fairness, but as pathways to greatness. By adopting universal design and cultural competency, higher ed can chart a course that remains legally sound, ethically grounded, and academically rigorous.[8]
[1] Demographic Shifts in Higher Education: The Impact on Teaching and Learning,” The Tambellini Group (Dec. 20, 2021) https://www.thetambellinigroup.com/demographic-shifts-in-higher-education-the-impact-on-teaching-and-learning/
[2] “About Universal Design for Learning,” CAST (Dec. 13, 2024). https://www.cast.org/resources/about-universal-design-for-learning/
[3] “Research Evidence – The UDL Guidelines,” CAST (2024) https://udlguidelines.cast.org/more/research-evidence/
[4] M.J. Capp, ” The effectiveness of universal design for learning: a meta-analysis of literature between 2013 and 2016,” International Journal of Inclusive Education, 21, no. 8 (2017): 791-807.
[5] Gloria Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). “Toward a Theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy.” American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 465-491..
[6] Brittney Aronson and Judson Laughter, “The Theory and Practice of Culturally Relevant Education: A Synthesis of Research Across Content Areas.” Review of Educational Research, 86, no.1 (2016) 163–206.
[7] “Universal Design for Learning,” ICE Faculty Zone (June 14, 2024). https://faculty2.icelearningcenter.com/resources/universal-design-for-learning
[8] “The UDL Guidelines,” CAST (2024) https://udlguidelines.cast.org/