The challenge is to connect this information to actual decisions, at a time when
that knowledge can influence practice. This requires a practice of institutional mindfulness
necessary to spot and address these dynamics and to create conditions needed
for full advancement and flourishing (Sturm, 2006). This means enabling careful
attention to decisions that ultimately determine whether women and men of all races
will have the opportunity to thrive, succeed, and advance. Institutional analysis asks:
where are the barriers to participation? Why do they exist? Are they signals of broader
problems or issues? How can they be addressed? Where are the openings or pivot
points that could increase participation and improve academic quality? Research shows
that self-consciousness about the processes, criteria, and justifications for employment
decision making minimizes the expression of cognitive bias (Bielby, 2000; Kalev et al.,
2006). Institutional mindfulness also requires the capacity for ongoing learning—about
problems revealed by examining patterns of decision making over time, as well as
about creative ways of addressing those problems, advancing participation, and
improving academic quality. Finally, it entails introducing incentives for improving
inclusiveness and excellence into ongoing governance systems and into the culture of
the institution.