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Cultural Competency and Diversity

If we are to educate our students to be culturally competent so that they are prepared to live and work in an increasingly diverse society, we must address the intellectual and experiential dimensions of diversity, the rich cultural traditions of our students and others, as well as the marginality of historically underrepresented groups. Research indicates that compositional diversity, while necessary, is not sufficient if we are to succeed in our goal of educating all students for the needs of a global society. We should strive to embed diversity in our campus culture which is in keeping with the efforts of the American Association of Colleges and Universities

The Center will be sponsoring workshops and seminars on integrating diversity into course curricula. Please check our schedule of activities to keep abreast of these activities.

Additional information about Cultural Competency and Diversity can be found on these Internet sites:

  • The Association of American Colleges and Universities “has provided national leadership on the issue of diversity in higher education since 1971.” In regard to diversity, this page lists AAC&U Initiatives, AAC&U Meetings and Institutes, AAC&U Publications, AAC&U Resources, and AAC&U Project Web Sites.

  • The LAB, a program of the Educational Alliance at Brown University, developed The Diversity Kit: An Introductory Resource for Social Change in Education. Section III of the Kit, “Language,” states that “language and culture are deeply intertwined….All language varieties…are equally complex systems of communication that are appropriate to meet the communicative needs of a particular speech community.” The section is divided into four chapters: “Language, Culture and Schooling”; “Learning a Second Language”; “Language and Literacy”; and “Language and Assessment.”

  • Instructional Consulting at the School of Education at the University of Indiana at Bloomington has published “Diversity/Inclusive Teaching Tips.” In all, there are 11 tips dealing with such issues as race, sexual orientation, age, regionalism, and special needs students.

  • Diversity Education Series at the University of California, Davis

  • University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Women's Studies Resources. The University of Maryland women's studies database, begun in September 1992, serves those people interested in the women's studies profession and in general women's issues, and is of particular interest to those particular involved with academic women's studies programs. This comprehensive resource includes approximately 700 annotated links to Women's Studies programs and research centers worldwide which provide extensive information about women's studies and women's issues.

  • In its Teaching Handbook, the Center for Teaching at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst includes a section titled “Student differences and their implications for teaching.” The section includes most of the recurrent themes relating to diversity and the college classroom: age, gender, disability, and cultural background. However, it includes an additional and often overlooked aspect of diversity: cognitive development.

  • This is an annotated bibliography from the University of Michigan on race, gender, and affirmative action intended for the use of faculty who are designing courses to address such issues, and for students and browsers interested in a guide to the literature. This bibliography cites three types of sources: (1) short, accessible articles suitable for undergraduate teaching; (2) longer and more technical works useful for graduate instruction or faculty reference; and (3) sources available on the Web.

  • Michigan State University offers a useful online Diversity and Pluralism database of ERIC articles on diversity matters. Organized alphabetically, navigators can search the site by subject or author. The database covers a considerable amount of ground, providing numerous citations for topics such as youth problems, racial attitudes, and gender and culture.

  • Compiled by the Committee on Diversity of the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota, this “Diversity Toolkit” is designed to assist both students and faculty in dealing with the issue of diversity on campus. It contains an annotated section, “Articles and Further Resources,” including a link to other colleges and universities with the same mission in regard to diversity.

  • Teaching for Inclusion, published by the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, addresses the diversity of today’s student population and provides teachers with advice, tips, and techniques for dealing with this diversity. Included are chapters pertaining to this disparate makeup, ranging from gender issues to international students. Chapter 1, “Your Diversity, Academic Culture and Teaching and Learning Styles,” is of particular interest because it points out the dissimilitude of not only students but also teachers.

  • A listing of other resources & nine other university websites on diversity from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University

ELECTRONIC BIBLIOGRAPHIES & OTHER RESOURCES

  • Diversity: A Selected and Annotated Bibliography, prepared by R. Neill Johnson
    with Diane M. Enerson and Kathryn M. Plank, The Pennsylvania State University.

  • The Diversity Institute.The Diversity Institute provides a list of Diversity Sites and Resources pertaining to African Americans, Asian Americans, Latino Americans, Native Americans, and Women's Studies.

  • Diversity Web. Sponsored by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU), Diversity Web is the most comprehensive online resource on diversity in higher education. Diversity Web features hyperlinked essays on topics such as curriculum transformation, faculty and staff development, and accommodating student diversity in classroom teaching. The site also provides links to college offices and centers that specialize in diversity issues as well as the online journal Diversity Digest.

  • The Multicultural Pavilion Teacher’s Corner. The Pavilion was created by Paul Gorski in 1995 in an effort to provide resources for educators, students and activists to explore and discuss multicultural education; facilitate opportunities for educators to work toward self-awareness and development; and provide forums for educators to interact and collaborate toward a critical, transformative approach to multicultural education.

  • Diversity Education Webpage. This site offers links to a variety of resources. For example, Latino, Native American, African / American and Gay and Lesbian.

  • Scholastic’s Diversity Page (K-12). Teachers can browse through this month's Teacher Feature lesson plans, activities, and professional resources to help you meet the challenges of the diverse classroom.

INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES

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