#power Expert Power comes from the perception that a person (like a professor), or group (like a department), has more knowledge than others. Reward Power/Coercive Power (also referred to as institutional power), comes from the ability to reward people for complying or punish them for not complying. This could include the administration, campus law enforcement, professors and instructors, or student groups, like fraternities and sororities. Normative Power comes from holding accepted group, community, or societal norms or values. What norms exist across the institution? Who decides what is "normal?" Referent Power comes from being associated with a desirable person or group. This could include being associated with a well-known professor, being a member of a respected sports team or group on campus, or having an identity that is historically associated with authority, like being white or upper class. POWER := in the context of diversity, equity, and inclusion, power is the ability (1) to direct or influence people’s behavior, (2) to shape the course of events, or (3) to define who and what is considered “normal.”