Diversity: What? So What? Now What?

Aaron Thompson & Joe Cuseo

36th Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience

Atlanta, GA February 14, 2017

9:15 - 10:15

Diversity:TheeKeyQues0ons

1.What?(Whatisdiversity?)2.SoWhat?(Whyisdiversityimportant?)3.NowWhat?(Howcanwepromotediversityapprecia<on?)

1.WhatisDiversity?

•  Refersprimarilytodifferencesamonggroupsofpeople,that,together,makeupthewholeofhumanity.

•  Involvescommitmenttorecognizingandapprecia<ngthevarietyofcharacteris<csthatmakegroupsofpeopleuniqueinacontextthatalsocelebratesindividualandcollec<veachievement.

“Every human is, at the same time, like all other humans, like some humans, and like no other human.”

— Clyde Kluckholn, American anthropologist

DiversitySpectrum

HUMANITY

SPECTRUM of DIVERSITY

Gender(male-female)Age(stageoflife)Race(e.g.White,Black,Asian)Ethnicity(culturalbackground)Socioeconomicstatus(educa0onallevel/incomelevel)Na7onalci7zenship(ci0zenofU.S.oranothercountry)Na7ve(first-learned)languageNa7onalorigin(na0onofbirth)Na7onalregion(e.g.raisedinnorth/south)Genera7on(historicalperiodwhenpeoplearebornorlive)Poli7calideology(e.g.liberal/conserva0ve)ReligiousandSpiritualbeliefs(e.g.Chris0an/Buddhist/Muslim)Familystatus(e.g.singleparent/two-parentfamily)Maritalstatus(single/married)Parentalstatus(with/withoutchildren)Sexualorienta7on(heterosexual/gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender)Physicalability/disability(e.g.abletohear/hearingimpaired)Mentalability/disability(e.g.mentallyable/challenged)Learningability/disability(e.g.absence/presenceofdyslexia)Learningstyles(e.g.visual,auditory,kinesthe7c)Mentalhealth/illness(e.g.absence/presenceofdepression)

Thislistrepresentssomeofthemajordimensionsofhumandiversity,itdoesnotrepresentacompletelistofallpossibleformsofhumandiversity.Also,disagreementexistsaboutcertaindimensionsofdiversity(e.g.whethercertaingroupsshouldbeconsideredracesorethnicgroups.)

Apprecia0ngDiversity* Acknowledging differences: being aware of them. * Accommodating differences: dealing with them in a

fair, non-prejudicial and non-discriminative manner. * Valuing differences: recognizing that all groups have

contributed to the American experience and strengthened the nation.

* Cultivating differences – capitalizing on diversity to

enrich learning and enhance personal development.

2.SoWhat?

WhyisDiversityimportant?

Numerous research studies point to an empirical link between student experiences with diversity and a variety of positive learning outcomes (Cuseo, Thompson, & Campagna, 2016).

à

DiversityDeepensLearningResearchconsistentlyshowsthatwelearnmorefrompeoplewhoaredifferentfromusthanwedofrompeoplesimilartous(Pascarella,2001;Pascarella&Terenzeni,2005).

DiversityDevelopsHigher-OrderThinkingSkills

Researchdemonstratesthatfirst-yearstudentswhoexperiencethehighestlevelofexposuretodifferentdimensionsofdiversity(e.g.par<cipa<nginmul<culturalcoursesandeventsoncampus;interac<ngandformingfriendshipswithpeersofdifferentraces)reportthegreatestgainsin:

*ComplexThinking–abilitytothinkaboutallpartsorsidesofanissue(Gurin,1999),*Reflec8vethinking–abilitytothinkdeeply(Kitcheneretal.,2000),*Cri8calthinking–abilitytothinklogically(Pascarellaetal.,2001),and*Crea8vethinking–abilitytothink“outofthebox”(Leungetal.,2008).

DiversityMagnifiesthePowerofLiberal(General)Educa0on

•  Developingglobalawarenessandaglobalperspec8verequireunderstandingofdiversity.

•  ThegrowingdiversityintheU.S.andincreasingglobalinterdependencemake“interculturalcompetence”–theabilitytovalueculturaldifferencesandtointeracteffec<velywithpeoplefromdifferentculturalbackgrounds–anessen<al21st-centuryliberallearningskill/outcome(Cuseo&Thompson,2015).

DiversityEnhancesCareerPrepara0on&Performance

•  Whatevercareerpathstudentschoosetopursuetoday,theywilllikelyfindthemselvesworkingwithemployers,employees,co-workers,customers,andclientsfromdiverseculturalbackgrounds(Thompson&Cuseo,2014).

•  Successfulcareerperformanceintoday's’diverseworkforcerequiressensi<vitytohumandifferencesandtheabilitytorelatetopeoplefromdifferentculturalbackgroundswithintheU.S.[domes<cdiversity]andacrossdifferentna<ons[interna<onaldiversity)](Na<onalAssocia<onofColleges&Employers,2014;Smith,etal.,1997).

3.NowWhat?

HowCanWePromoteDiversityApprecia0on?1.PersonalValida0on:acknowledging/affirmingeach

student’siden<tyandexperiences*Learningourstudents’names*Learningaboutourstudents(e.g.,“studentinforma<onsheet”)2.SocialIntegra0on:buildingrapportwithourstudents

andconnec<ngstudentstooneanother*Out-of-classcontactwithstudents*“Icebreakers”(Community-Building)Experiencesà

•  Nevertoleratedisrespectforoneanothernomalerwhatissueisbeingdiscussedorhowheatedadebatemayget.

3. Inclusive Pedagogy: educational practices that promote equal and simultaneous student engagement (i.e., all students participate at the same time)

4. Intentional Group Formation: deliberately designed

learning groups comprised of diverse students 5. Transforming Group Work into Teamwork: teammates assume interdependent roles and

collaborate to pursue a unified goal (common work product)

Culture: Key Perspectives * Linguistic * Nonverbal * Aesthetic * Science/Technology * Gender Roles * Philosophy * Spirituality/Religion

References

Cuseo,J.B.,&Thompson,A.(2015).Humanity,Diversity,&TheLiberalArts:TheFounda<onofaCollegeEduca<on.Dubuque,IA:

Gurin,P.(1999).Newresearchonthebenefitsofdiversityincollegeandbeyond:Anempiricalanalysis.DiversityDigest(spring).Retrievedfromhlp://www.diversityweb.org/Digest/Sp99/benefits.html

Kitchener,K.,Wood,P.,&Jensen,L.(2000,August).Curricular,co-curricular,andins8tu8onalinfluenceonreal-worldproblem-solving.Paperpresentedattheannualmee<ngoftheAmericanPsychologicalAssocia8on,Boston.

Leung,A.K.,Maddux,W.W.,Galinsky,A.D.,&Chie-yue,C.(2008).Mul<culturalexperienceenhancescrea<vity:Thewhenandhow.AmericanPsychologist,63(3),169-181.

Na<onalAssocia<onofColleges&Employers(2013).Joboutlook:Thecandidateskills/quali8esemployerswant.Retrievedfromhlp://www.naceweb.org/s10022013/job-outlook-skills-quality.aspx

Pascarella,E.,Palmer,B.,Moye,M.,&Pierson,C.(2001).Dodiversityexperiencesinfluencethedevelopmentofcri<calthinking?JournalofCollegeStudentDevelopment,42,257-291.

Pascarella,E.T.,&Terenzini,P.T.(2005).HowCollegeAffectsStudents:AThirdDecadeofResearch(Volume2).SanFrancisco:Jossey-Bass.

Smith,D.G.,Guy,L.,Gerbrick,G.L.,Figueroa,M.A.,Watkins,G.H.,Levitan,T.,Moore,L.C.,Merchant,P.A.,Beliak,H.D.,&Figueroa,B.(1997).Diversityworks:Theemergingpictureofhowstudentsbenefit.WashingtonDC:Associa<onofAmericanCollegesandUniversi<es.

Thompson,A.&Cuseo,J.B.(2014).Diversity&theCollegeExperience(2nded.)Dubuque,IA:KendallHunt.