ASSESSING CAMPUS CULTURE TO INCREASE CAMPUS DIVERSITY AND

ASSESSING CAMPUS CULTURE TO INCREASE CAMPUS DIVERSITY AND ENHANCE CROSSCULTURAL UNDERSTANDING Kelly Almousily CNS 610: Assessment in Student Affairs Spring 2012

Diversity: Defined di·ver·si·ty the inclusion of different types of people (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization (Source: www. merriam-webster. com) In Society Diversity forces us to look at ourselves in a different light In Higher Education preparing students to become global citizens

Cross-Cultural Understanding A developmental process Racial identity understanding ourselves as members of a society that assigns meaning to race influences how you experience the world, how you see others, and how you communicate Identity development helps explain individual differences (Sue, 1982)

Foster the People Diversity and intercultural relations understanding acceptance Enabling students to develop as: conscious learners critical thinkers (Gurin, 1997) www. vpcomm. umich. edu/admissions/legal/expert/theor. html

Research shows. . . “. . . the mere presence of diverse communities on college campuses is not sufficient in promoting positive educational outcomes related to diversity. ” (Museus, 2008)

Objectives Let us explore: Why it is important to create a campus of diversity How to assess your own institution’s culture How to begin implementing changes in your institution What implications campus diversity has for the future of our society

The Importance of Diversity in Higher Education

Institutional Buy-In Institutions have to be committed to creating structured opportunities to achieve success in student learning. These interactions matter in both the quality and quantity. (Harper, 2011)

Campus Culture in higher education operates on three levels: artifacts values basic assumptions and beliefs (Kuh & Whitt, 1998)

Artifacts Campus culture is found in: symbols of culture that carry numerous meanings and emotions Physical (written documents and buildings) Verbal (myths and stories that get passed down) Behavioral (rituals and traditions that carry cultural meaning) Minority students may encounter challenges in finding a space where they feel they belong. Take into consideration things like where cultural events are held on campus can help to facilitate cross cultural engagement. (Museus, 2008)

Values “widely held beliefs about the importance of certain goals, activities, relationships, and feelings. ” (Kuh& Whitt, 1998) These factors shape student perception of whether diversity is valued by their institution: Students' individual experiences their knowledge of other minority students' experiences their knowledge of a college or university's action or inaction to incidents of racism and discrimination (Museus, 2008)

Basic Assumptions & Beliefs Basic assumptions and beliefs The third level of culture, considered as the core of culture (Kuh & Whitt, 1998) Assumptions and beliefs are learned responses that guide behavior. Museus (2008) said there is some evidence to suggest that student perception of an existing stereotype is enough to create anxiety that negatively affects their academic performance.

Assessing Your Campus Culture and Institutional Diversity Values

Assessing Campus Culture § Assessing Culture is Difficult § § § Culture is taken for granted Belief that you cannot change culture Defensiveness among campus members Difficult to grasp, especially for those who live within it § Potential data sources might not understand the culture themselves Complexity of cultures and subcultures Assessing Culture is Possible § § § External and “objective” perspectives Representative groups within the institution Best as an empirical and longitudinal process (Museus, 2011)

Tips to ‘Assess for Success’ 1. Focus on student attitudes, feelings, thoughts, and experiences about cross-cultural engagement 2. To the extent possible, diversify data sources. 3. Be prepared to hear things that challenge existing institutional cultures. 4. Be aware of your own biases, assumptions, values, perceptions, and attitudes throughout the assessment. 5. Pay attention to cultural contexts. 6. Be prepared to invest resources to study culture. Recommendations to Consider When Assessing Campus Culture to Understand Cross-Cultural Engagement (Museus, 2008)

Tips to ‘Assess for Success’ 7. Expect and embrace ambiguity. 8. Understand that more time spent studying a culture leads to a better understanding of that culture. 9. Use external researchers and evaluators. 10. Consider the benefits of triangulation and integration. 11. Consider the overlap of institutional subcultures. 12. Be aware of the difficulty in studying cross-cultural engagement. Recommendations to Consider When Assessing Campus Culture to Understand Cross-Cultural Engagement (Museus, 2008)

Assessing Diversity Values q Individual interviews q q q Review of Institutional Documents q q with students of color (Asian American, Black, and Latina/o) with faculty, administrators, and staff including strategic planning documents, event flyers, newspaper articles Informal Observations of Campus Environment (Musues, 2011)

Assessing Diversity Values Assessing the institution for: Strategic diversity plans Chief Diversity Officer Diversity in advertisements and recruitment materials Designated welcoming spaces (e. g. , the multicultural center) Historical legacy of racism Absence of diversity in artwork across campus Segregation and lack of diversity programming Lack of response to critical incidents of discrimination (Museus, 2011)

Creating a Plan and Implementing Changes

Diversity in the Classroom Diversity: the incorporation of knowledge about diverse groups into the curriculum that institutions to develop a more cultural array of students Recruit more faculty who include content and research on different groups in college coursework. (Chang, 1996) Develop ethnic studies and women’s studies programs, cocurricular academic support programs, and multicultural programming. (Trevino, 1992; Munoz, 1989; Peterson et al, 1978)

Diversity in Co-Curricular Offerings Informal Interactional Diversity the opportunity to interact with students from diverse backgrounds in the campus environment. College often provides the first opportunity for students to get to know others from varied racial and ethnic backgrounds. It is interaction with a and ethnic backgrounds student's peer group that becomes one of the most influential aspects of the college experience. (Astin, 1993 in Gurin, 1997)

Diversity in Co-Curricular Offerings Ways to get students involved with diversity community engagement diversity in the residence service and experiential learning intercultural programming study abroad study away alternative spring break

Intercultural Outcomes and Future Implications

Intercultural Outcomes When students, staff, and faculty participate in intercultural activities: they feel more comfortable discussing ethnic issues with others in the campus community are more likely to have positive interactions with people from different ethnic backgrounds, believe race relations are good on campus and experience enhanced feelings of control over campus policies. In contrast, when members of the campus community do not participate in intercultural activities, they do not experience improvement in intercultural skills. Where there is high university commitment to cross-cultural understanding , faculty and staff indicate higher satisfaction with the environment for teaching and learning (Tanaka, 2003)

Societal Implications We are compelled to understand that students' hearts and minds may be impacted most by what they learn from peers. This is precisely why the diversity of the student body is essential not only to the intellectual well-being of individual students but also in fulfilling higher education's mission to enhance learning and encourage democratic outcomes and values. . . for the long-term health of our American democracy. (Gurin, 1997)

Resources Diversity Digest The Multicultural Super Site: teaching activities for integrating cultural diversity The Multicultural Super Site into the classroom http: //www. ala. org/acrl/ressept 00. html Association of American Colleges and Universities http: //curry. edschool. virginia. edu/go/multicultural/ Association of College Research Libraries: addresses institutional vision, increasing Association of College Research Libraries minority faculty, and related concepts http: //www. mhhe. com/socscience/education/multi Multicultural Pavilion: collects resources for multicultural education Multicultural Pavilion http: //www. diversityweb. org http: //www. aacu-edu. org National Association of Multicultural Education: supports efforts in educational National Association of Multicultural Education: equity and social justice and provides resources for students and educators and valuable links to other sites http: //www. nameorg. org

References Bauerlein, M. (2010). The Rise of Diversity in Campus Culture. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Gruin, M. (1997). Theoretical Foundations for the Effect of Diversity Gruin, M. (2004). The Benefits of Diversity in College and Beyond: An Empirical Analysis. http: //www. diversityweb. org/digest/sp 99/benefits. html Harper, S. R. (Ed. ). (2008). Creating inclusive campus environments for crosscultural learning and student engagement. Washington, DC: NASPA. http: //www. vpcomm. umich. edu/admissions/legal/expert/theor. html http: //works. bepress. com/sharper/11/ Kuh, G. D. , & Whitt, E. J. (1988). The invisible tapestry: Culture in American colleges and universities. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 1. Washington, D. C. : Association for the Study of Higher Education.