By Steve Desir
USC Rossier Assistant Research Professor

I’m pleased to share information about a new initiative that the Pullias Center is helping lead in conjunction with colleagues at the American Association for the Advancement of Science and EducationCounsel. The Broadening Access through Law-Attentive Design, or BALAD project, grew from ongoing conversations with higher education leaders who are navigating today’s shifting legal and policy landscape. 

On campuses around the country, members of the project team heard a common desire from institutional leaders to continue programs and initiatives that broaden access and opportunity to higher education for groups that have been marginalized and excluded.

In the past year, new state laws, federal actions and institutional responses have left many leaders with questions about how to design diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that are both compliant and meaningful. Even as the external environment shifts, institutions remain committed to their missions to broaden access and foster environments where all students, faculty and staff can succeed. The challenge many leaders have faced is finding approaches that honor institutional commitments to equity while acknowledging the realities of the moment.

BALAD hopes to help by offering clarity, connection and practical tools. The project provides provosts, deans, general counsels, faculty and enrollment officers with curated resources, targeted learning opportunities, and a community of practice focused on law-attentive, mission-aligned program and policy design. Our goal is not simply to translate legal guidance but to help leaders make thoughtful, informed decisions grounded in research, policy expertise and institutional purpose.

Our partnership-driven approach is central to the project’s design. By bringing together researchers, legal experts, faculty, and academic leaders, BALAD creates a space where leaders can ask questions, learn from one another, and test ideas in ways that strengthen capacity across their institutions. The project recognizes that navigating this moment in history will require shared learning, collaboration, and community.

Over the fall, our early conversations with campus leaders reinforced just how helpful it is to have a shared place to make sense of the landscape. Many people are working through similar challenges—revising outreach programs, rethinking faculty development efforts, reconsidering admissions processes—but doing so in relative isolation. BALAD is intended to provide steady support, reliable information, and an opportunity to learn alongside peers who are grappling with similar questions.

In the new year, BALAD will release resources and host a series of virtual webinars designed to help leaders think through both the constraints and possibilities of this moment. The materials and learning opportunities being developed by the project team are designed to help leaders stay informed while offering actionable insights to guide program and policy design on your campus. Whether you are adjusting enrollment strategies, redesigning diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, or interpreting new directives, we hope you will explore our resources and join us for our upcoming events.