The AAG Diversity Clearinghouse was created as part of our commitment to enhancing diversity within the discipline of geography. With the support of the AAG Council, the AAG Diversity Task Force, and our membership, the AAG will continue to develop the Clearinghouse to assist initiatives aimed at expanding opportunities for underrepresented groups to participate in geography education, research, and careers. 


Individuals and departments can use the Clearinghouse to search for information on diversity in geography at all levels of education. Users can also find practical resources, case studies, and model programs that can support local efforts to diversify educational and research programs in geography.

The Clearinghouse includes examples from geography departments and projects, but also includes links to programs from outside of geography that provide promising methods for enhancing diversity within departments and institutions. 



The Clearinghouse is a searchable database that organizes content by grade level, audience, and program objectives. Contributions to the database are also welcome.

• Search for resources
• Add a resource
• Download a copy of the 2006 Diversity Task Force Report
• Browse disciplinary data sources
• See the AAG's 32 Ideas to Enhance Diversity in Your Geography Department or Program

Featured resources

Attrition and Retention

Minority Student Retention: Resources for Practitioners (Seidman, 2005) 

Promoting Diversity: Recommendations for Recruitment and Retention of Minorities in Higher Education (Dumas-Hines, Cochran, Williams, 2001). 

University of Washington Study of Attrition and Retention 2006 (Pitre, Beyer, Lemire, Snyder, 2006). 

Departmental Climate

Differing Perceptions: How Students of Color and White Students Perceive Campus Climate for Underrepresented Groups (Rankin, Reason, 2005)

Nine Themes in Campus Racial Climates and Implications for Institutional Transformation (Harper, Hurtado, 2007)

Making a Real Difference with Diversity: A Guide to Institutional Change(Clayton-Pederson, Parker, Smith, Moreno, Teraguch, 2007)

Key Issues and Best Practices

Outcomes of High Impact Practices for Underserved Students: A Review of the Literature (American Association of Colleges and Universities)

Diversity Recruitment Marketing Best Practices Checklist: A Compilation of the Most Effective Marketing Strategies for Diversity Recruitment (De Morsella, 2007) (free checklist at this link)

Enhancing Diversity in Science: A Retreat on the Role of Professional Associations and Scientific Societies (Consortium of Social Science Associations)

Key Issues in the Persistence of Underrepresented Minority Students: New Directions for Institutional Research (Carter, 2006)

Mentoring

Effective Mentoring in Geography (Hardwick, Shelley, 2007)

Expectations and Perceptions of Undergraduate Research Mentoring: Comparing First Generation, Low Income White/Caucasion and African American Students (Ishiyama, 2007)

Mentoring: A New Approach to Geography Teacher Preparation(Bednarz, Bockenhauer, Walk, 2005)

Underrepresented Groups

Applications of a GIS Program to Tribal Research: It's Benefits, Challenges, and Extensions to the Community (Mannel, Winkelman, Phelps, Road, Fredenberd, 2007)

Learning Better Together: The Impact of Learning Communities on the Persistence of Low-Income Students (Engstrom, Tinto, 2008)

To Recruit and Advance: Women Students and Faculty in Science and Engineering (National Research Council, 2006) (summary here)

Workforce and Careers

From Scarcity to Visibility: Gender Differences in the Careers of Doctoral Scientists and Engineers (Committee on Women in Science and Engineering, 2001)

Understanding Interventions that Encourage Minorities to Pursue Research Careers: Summary Major Questions and Appropriate Methods(Fagen, Labov, 2007)

More resources like these can be found in our Diversity Bibliography