Abstract:

The Institution-to-Institution Mutual-Exchange higher education marketing model establishes a standardized certificate-based online course in diversity. The standards are based on the concept of Diversity Education Units (DEU) as a measurable method for higher education institutions to comply with legal requirements for diversity and emerging social obligations for diversity. The model identifies seventeen measurable aspects of diversity which include: Gender Expression, Gender Dysphoria and Gender Identity.

The marketing model addressed the problem of locating new funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Native American Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCU) in the United States for student retention and new student enrollment. The initial intent was to use the diversity of HBCU and TCU to create an online certificate-based course marketed to students in other higher education institutions within the United States. As the marketing model evolved, it became apparent the problem being addressed was global in nature and required a global solution.

The marketing model presented a method to transform education world-wide to where every higher education institution could participate in an expanding global network with an unintended consequence of generating a new form of revenue. As the marketing model is shown in the proposed poster presentation, in the image of an metallic icosahedron sphere with one blue stained-glass triangle, cyberspace connects higher education institutions: Institution-to-Institution, Country-to-Country, Continent-to-Continent.

The model is the result of a survey conducted prior to the 2019 COVID-19 pandemic physically closing higher education institutions worldwide. The participating students were enrolled in higher education institutions physically located in the countries of: India, Japan, Mexico, The Philippines and The United Kingdom. Music was selected as music is a form of diversity and the musical instrument used to create the music is a form of diversity. Music presents a method of multicultural education where the song and the artist can present teachable moments of history and personal determination; providing inspiration and contemplation with an awareness of cultural differences and cultural similarities. Music transcends culture, age, and generations providing inspiration and contemplation of people, things, and ideas (Elliott, 1990). One example of musical diversity is the country of Spain is associated with the flamenco, form of song, dance, and instrument.

The survey was not completed due to the pandemic but the student responses received from higher education institutions in the countries of Japan, India, and The Philippines were sufficient to conclude students were interested in a certificate-based online course in diversity through music.

Conclusion and Relevance:
Prior surveys and studies concentrated on gender, religious affiliation, and harassment. These studies indicate the higher education student population is becoming more diverse, either due to the larger number of people entering universities or the need for universities to reach out and attract new groups of people.

These studies did not approach a uniform method to measure courses on diversity. This study's student interest survey responses provided a framework for a method to measure certificate-based online courses in diversity.

Keywords:

Marketing, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Social Obligation.