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Diversity Programs in University Life

Diversity Programs in University Life. Board of Visitors Equal Opportunity and Student Life Committees November 2003. Topics. Student services/affairs goals Methods for achieving those goals Research on diversity initiatives Diversity at Mason

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Diversity Programs in University Life

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  1. Diversity Programs in University Life Board of Visitors Equal Opportunity and Student Life Committees November 2003

  2. Topics • Student services/affairs goals • Methods for achieving those goals • Research on diversity initiatives • Diversity at Mason • University Life’s diversity-related units: shared and unique features • Maximizing resources

  3. Goals Research consistently shows that persistence and retention rates for all students increase when students are • academically and socially integrated into the institution, • have positive regard for their academic performance, and • value the supportive relationships they have established at the institution. Engage, involve, integrate

  4. Methods Leverage each contact into broader/deeper educational involvement. • Maximize program/service use • Redundant communication; elaborate referral network • Provide venues for processing information and interaction • Dialogue opportunities, professional staff, peer mentors • Help students establish positive relationships • Student organizations

  5. Research (AAC&U, 1997) • Overall … diversity initiatives positively affect both minority and majority students on campus. Significantly, diversity initiatives have an impact not only on student attitudes and feelings toward inter-group relations on campus, but also on institutional satisfaction, involvement, and academic growth. • Opportunities for interaction between and among student groups are desired by virtually all students and produce clear increases in understanding, decreases in prejudicial attitudes, and …. also positively affect academic success.

  6. Research (cont’d) • The perception of a broad campus commitment to diversity is related to increased recruitment and retention of students from under-represented groups. • The perception of a broad campus commitment to diversity is also related to positive educational outcomes for all students ….

  7. Diversity at Mason African American 9% Asian American 13% Hispanic American 5% Native American .03% Non-Res. Alien 6% White American 66% Entering first-time full-time freshmen More diverse than freshmen nationally on ethnicity, language, and religion

  8. Diversity programs in University Life • Office of Diversity Programs and Services • Black Peer Counseling • Women’s Studies Research and Resource Center • Multicultural Research and Resource Center • Multicultural Internship Program

  9. Common features • Student organization support, leadership development • Opportunities to discuss academic/personal concerns • Programming, workshops, and class presentations • Resource library

  10. Unique missions • Office of Diversity Programs and Services (1974) • Origin: 1960’s, African American access/retention programs, “Minority Affairs” • Current: Virtually all institutions of higher education but with broader mandate, “Multicultural Affairs” “Campus Diversity Office,” academic intervention/retention programs, programs to promote student involvement/leadership • Example: Pow Wow; Vision Awards; Step Show • Black Peer Counseling (1983) • Origin: Counseling Center • Current: Supervised drop-in peer mentoring • Example: Conversation hour; movies; resource library

  11. Unique missions • Women’s Studies Research and Resource Center (1988) • Origin: 1970’s, now at virtually all institutions • Current: Curriculum development, programming, campus atmosphere; safety as campus/community issue • Example: “Becoming a Real Man,” advocacy on sexual harassment issues, working mom’s group • Multicultural Research and Resource Center (1993) • Origin: 1980’s, at many institutions • Current: human relations/diversity training; curriculum development; controversial topics, conflict response • Example: 9/11, Iraq war, speaker controversies

  12. Unique missions • Multicultural Internship Program (1996) • Origin: Career Services, Diversity Advisory Board, Diversity Programs and Services • Current: Assists students in finding career-related summer internships • Example: Increased use of career counseling

  13. Maximizing resources • University Life Programming Committee • Assessing the learning outcomes of our programs

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