Diversity: a Primer for Organizational Change and Excellence

Sinclair Community College

May 6, 2010

James A. Anderson, Ph.D.Chancellor

Professor of PsychologyFayetteville State University (UNC)

janderson@uncfsu.edu

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Institutional Vision and Practical Considerations

Transformative Leadership and Organizational ChangeStudent-Centered Learning EnvironmentDefining Diversity/Globalism/multiculturalismDiversity and Retention Considerations– Institutional Indicators– Research– Teaching for Retention

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Retention Scorecard

Indicators of Institutional EffectivenessIndicators of Program EffectivenessIndicators of Student Academic/Social IntegrationIndicators of Student Success/AchievementIndicators of Student LearningIndicators of Impact of/on Diversity

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LESSONS LEARNED: ROADBLOCKS TO ACCOMPLISHING

CRITICAL OUTCOMES AND OBJECTIVES1. NEED FOR A CONCEPTUAL MODEL

a) How does the diversity initiative influence the emphasis on the assessment of teaching and learning outcomes or the goal of becoming a learning-centered campus?

b) How is transformational leadership incorporated into the evaluation process for administrative leaders?

c) What priorities guide the direction and resource support for faculty development?

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2. ALIGNING TRANSACTIONAL AND TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP

a) What new modes of assessment or data collection can facilitate this alignment?

b) How prevalent is risk-aversive leadership in critical decision-making at your institution (giving inordinate consideration to potential negative consequences)?

c) Is the relationship between transformational leadership and benchmarking (internal and external) understood by the campus community?

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3. DIVERSITY AND INSTITUTIONAL EXCELLENCE SCOREBOARD

Identify four indicators that are utilized by your institution as evidence.

What are the Institutional Markers at Sinclair CC That Indicate That Progress Has Occurred in

terms of Diversity and Globalism?1. Substantive evaluation of the competencies of senior

administrators relative to agreed upon leadership outcomes.

2. Evidence-based review of the application of the diversity plan across appropriate areas.

3. Faculty utilize modes of scholarly and pedagogical inquiry that immerse students into the discipline while expanding their consciousness.

4. Employer feedback indicates presence of cultural competencies. 7

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4. (DIS)CONNECT BETWEEN FACULTY WORK AND ACADEMIC INITIATIVES/INCENTIVES?

a) Is effective teaching and less effective teaching rewarded equally?

b) Is there differential performance among diverse students in courses with consistently high failure/withdrawal rates? Why?

c) What happens to a curriculum and the pedagogy when the faculty do not claim ownership for diversity?

General comments about the Sinclair CC Diversity Plan

1. Is the diversity plan an authentic extension of the 2006-2007 diversity audit?

2. Where are the objectives and outcomes?3. Activities usually evolve from the objectives and

outcomes and not from general goals.4. Generally the performance measures are not

substantive and indicative of a mission-centered document.

5. Data sources are not indicative of authentic assessment (proven indirect and direct measures).

6. It is evident why little movement has occurred over the last year.

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GENERAL STUDENT/STAFF OUTCOMES

1. Behavioral outcome: increased comfort with ambiguity and conflict associated with volatile issues.

2. Affective outcome: students/staff examine dispositions, attitudes, anxieties, about differences.

3. Intellectual outcome: deeper understanding of different people, cultures, perspectives, etc.

4. Political outcomes: discuss and understand “isms”, social justice, etc.

5. Descriptive outcome: how is diversity at Sinclair CC portrayed in the media. 10

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Specific OutcomesReduction in first to second semester attrition among first generation and low income students (Institutional effectiveness and retention)

Increased participation in tutorial sessions reduces differential grade performance across diverse groups (Program effectiveness)

Campus leaders exhibit greater maturity in their decision-making skills after exposure to diversity training (Student learning and intellectual growth)

Students voluntarily increase their participation in discussion groups with students who hold bipolar political perspectives (Engagement and academic/ social integration)

Residence Life staff increase the implementation of learning communities as a core activity in the residential experience (Engagement and learning outcome)

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Outcomes (cont.)A consistent increase over three years in the number of Hispanic females who compete for national fellowships/ scholarships (Student success and achievement)

Young Ph. D.’s select an institution for employment and one of the incentives is the prior success of current female faculty (Reputational image)

A consistent increase in the number of students who enroll in service-learning courses that promote social changes (Climate and community impact)

Participation with members of other races in academic courses prepares students to function effectively in a global society (Impact of diversity on students)The impact of race-neutral admissions policies on the enrollment of diverse students (How a diversity outcome is impacted)

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Campus Activities and the Climate for Diversity

Question: To what degree do your campus activities impact racial tension on campus?

Considerations: How much of that tension is a result of characteristics that students bring to the campus?

How much tension is a result of the campus climate?

What are the specific areas of concern about diversity issues for different racial and ethnic groups?

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What Does it Mean to Discuss Diversity as a Scholarly Activity?

Must be intellectually compelling and conceptually soundIncorporate research as a frame of referenceDevelop an assessment planGenerate a culture of evidence (Direct and Indirect)Present results for public scrutinyPromote organizational change and innovation

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Diversity as an Intellectual or Educational Experience:

What Student Outcomes Do You Expect?Deeper understanding of:– Different cultures, people– Perspectives– Disciplines

Enhance analytical and decision-making skillsComfortable with ambiguity and conflictOpenness to growth through dialogue in pluralistic communities (offshoot: become global communicators)Ability to analyze and understand persuasive argumentsInclusion of voice of underrepresented students

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Value the Richness of Diversity

Demonstrate willingness to learn from and enter into divergent viewpoints including culture, gender, lifestyle, religion, ethnicity

– Restate issues from divergent points of view– Acknowledge the validity of others’ perspectives– Analyze events, issues or conflicts from different

cultural perspectives – Interpret media from the perspective of its cultural

context– Communicate from a perspective that

acknowledges others’ contexts and experiences

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Institutional Globalization/Internationalization

What questions should guide our thinking?

How is global learning articulated as a goal of undergraduate education? Are the academic and entrepreneurial aspects of globalization mutually reinforcing?Does the general-education/core curriculum include global perspectives that are intentional and updated?Do collaborative activities with institutions in other countries affect the overall undergraduate experience?

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Institutional Globalization/ Internationalization

cont.Do the international activities of faculty members have an impact on undergraduates?Are the distance-learning courses offered to students tailored to a diverse audience in terms of content and pedagogy?How does the institution review and assess the global dimension of undergraduate education? How is teaching/learning with a global focus rewarded?

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Curricular Transformation Instructions: For Each Question What Could/Should Be

the Assessment Focus At your institution what does it mean to diversify the curriculum?What are the benefits to students/faculty of an inclusive curriculum?Can you use your existing curricular strategies to transform the curriculum or do you need new ones?Are there structural or political barriers which will inhibit your ability to produce an inclusive/transformed curriculum?

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Curricular Transformation Instructions: For Each Question What Could/Should

Be the Assessment Focus Cont.

How do you describe the relationship between curricular transformation and the enhancement of instructional skills?

Are diversity and globalism considered as part of your curricular transformation efforts?

Will your commitment to curricular transformation impede your progress toward R/P/T?

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Religious LiteracyWhat do graduates need to know about religion in a diverse democracy and global society? (Competencies)

How well are we educating students for a religiously pluralistic democracy? (Assessment)

How can campus activities address religious insights without promoting or denigrating specific religious beliefs? (Structures)

What is the responsibility of your institution to enable students to search for purpose meaning, and a spiritual context or foundation? (Accountability)

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Raise the Level of Sophistication on Campus of the Discourse About

Moral/Religious IssuesCloningPhysician-assisted suicideSpousal rights and life supportRights of non-resident immigrant groupsSubstance abuse and individual responsibilityFree Speech vs. Incivility/ToleranceCampus Bookstores vs. Sweatshop Issues

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When/How Does the Formal Application of Diversity Serve as an Attractive

Recruiting/Retention Tool?When it is connected to strengthening the curriculum

(General Education, First Year Seminars, Diversity Requirements, etc.)

When it assumes a core identity among new/existing majors/minors/concentrations/graduate programs

When it strengthens the tradition of international education, globalism and study abroad

When it contributes to quality and uniformity across interdisciplinary areas

When it promotes an integrative and comparative analysis of the discipline and of scholarship

When it intellectually transforms how faculty think about themselves, their research and their teaching (a diverse faculty community

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Diversity Outcomes

Global Outcomes

Curriculum Transformation

Pedagogical Transformation

Classroom Climate

University/College Goals/ObjectivesOutcomes

Department/Program Goals/ObjectivesOutcomes

Target Population

Evidence of Achieved Outcome