Each NASPA Multicultural Institute Small Group was asked during their final session to answer the questions, "What kinds of adaptations (personally and professionally) do we need to make to reflect an understanding of cultural diversity? What are some concrete steps you can take to make these adaptations?"
· Self-preservation (at a job)
· Adapt to environment
· Create standards of conduct
· Acknowledge that people may not change
· Establish group consensus for conduct, speech and interaction
Friday, February 22, 2008
Institute Small Group 9 Responses
Each NASPA Multicultural Institute Small Group was asked during their final session to answer the questions, "What kinds of adaptations (personally and professionally) do we need to make to reflect an understanding of cultural diversity? What are some concrete steps you can take to make these adaptations?"
· Recommit to knowledge growth.
· Push yourself to get outside your comfort zone.
· Continue conversations about difficult subjects.
· Check in with your students on a continuous basis, not only at a retreat.
· More intercultural communication integrated in college courses.
· Review college culture and assist with resources and tools which students need. Starting seeking those students out.
· Understand statistics on students and staff of color.
· Continue hosting multicultural summits, leadership conferences.
· Adjust application forms to be inclusive.
· Create a group to really discuss the issues around diversity.
· Learn more about the efforts going on around campus about diversity and social justice.
· Adding quality to events.
· Finding other ways to reflect about experiences. Collaborate across campus with other departments.
· Recommit to knowledge growth.
· Push yourself to get outside your comfort zone.
· Continue conversations about difficult subjects.
· Check in with your students on a continuous basis, not only at a retreat.
· More intercultural communication integrated in college courses.
· Review college culture and assist with resources and tools which students need. Starting seeking those students out.
· Understand statistics on students and staff of color.
· Continue hosting multicultural summits, leadership conferences.
· Adjust application forms to be inclusive.
· Create a group to really discuss the issues around diversity.
· Learn more about the efforts going on around campus about diversity and social justice.
· Adding quality to events.
· Finding other ways to reflect about experiences. Collaborate across campus with other departments.
Institute Small Group 8 Responses
Each NASPA Multicultural Institute Small Group was asked during their final session to answer the questions, "What kinds of adaptations (personally and professionally) do we need to make to reflect an understanding of cultural diversity? What are some concrete steps you can take to make these adaptations?"
· Demonstrate an understanding of cultural diversity in our own personal and professional lives. Engage people when “teachable moments” arise due to improper comments and/or actions; continue trainings for multicultural communication; never stop learning and share what you know.
· Take more risks in one’s personal and professional lives. Travel more. Intentionally seek chances to place yourself in diverse and/or unfamiliar situations. Learning something new every day by speaking with new people (at your institution or via the web).
· Challenge our students and ourselves to expand comfort zones – find the best training tools, bring the best speakers to campus, send students and staff to conferences.
· Never stop learning and challenge your students as well as yourself to expand comfort zones on a daily basis.
· Demonstrate an understanding of cultural diversity in our own personal and professional lives. Engage people when “teachable moments” arise due to improper comments and/or actions; continue trainings for multicultural communication; never stop learning and share what you know.
· Take more risks in one’s personal and professional lives. Travel more. Intentionally seek chances to place yourself in diverse and/or unfamiliar situations. Learning something new every day by speaking with new people (at your institution or via the web).
· Challenge our students and ourselves to expand comfort zones – find the best training tools, bring the best speakers to campus, send students and staff to conferences.
· Never stop learning and challenge your students as well as yourself to expand comfort zones on a daily basis.
Institute Small Group 7 Responses
Each NASPA Multicultural Institute Small Group was asked during their final session to answer the questions, "What kinds of adaptations (personally and professionally) do we need to make to reflect an understanding of cultural diversity? What are some concrete steps you can take to make these adaptations?"
· Want to see more positive assessment. We always start with the negative. It puts us on the defensive.
· We need some basic education, definition, for terms. People are too afraid to ask especially when we are so far along in the conversation. This is necessary to move onto the deeper conversation. Within this, it is important to create an environment where people can more freely reveal their inadequacies without being judged or labeled.
· One of the challenges of getting your institution on board is engaging the upper levels. They have much influence.
· More distinction between “diversity” and “multiculturalism”.
· We need to do a better job of assessment in this area. What are the concrete tools to use to do that? That will help us as organizations to set our overall goals. This will help our effort to be more systematic rather than episodic.
· More dialogue. We first need to understand our environment then assess how we respond to those needs. How well do they align?
· We must create forums on our campuses for students, faculty, and staff.
· Try to affect those around us. Do little things, consistently, that work on one’s sphere of influence. Only operating within one’s sphere of influence can be very frustrating.
· How do we get people to talk the talk and walk the walk?
· It’s all in the mission statements but how do we hold each other accountable? Do we do a diversity “report card” for each unit?
· Waiting to go to a conference can be untimely. There are students out there right now who need us and a connection. We complicate the means of addressing diversity. We need to be having the one-on-one conversations with our students.
· We have to exercise patience with the process. Generally, we’re not patient. Before a pilot program or initiative as been assessed, we’re often off designing the next program or initiative.
· We have to impress it on ourselves that it’s everyone’s responsibility, not just specific offices or minority staff. It can be complicated when minority students tend to go to minority faculty and staff. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. Everybody has got to engage in this work, not just minority staff.
· We need to get the support for and develop a multicultural plan for our departments. It has to be more than just a statement. It must outline assessment, partners, development plan, initiatives, etc.
· Want to see more positive assessment. We always start with the negative. It puts us on the defensive.
· We need some basic education, definition, for terms. People are too afraid to ask especially when we are so far along in the conversation. This is necessary to move onto the deeper conversation. Within this, it is important to create an environment where people can more freely reveal their inadequacies without being judged or labeled.
· One of the challenges of getting your institution on board is engaging the upper levels. They have much influence.
· More distinction between “diversity” and “multiculturalism”.
· We need to do a better job of assessment in this area. What are the concrete tools to use to do that? That will help us as organizations to set our overall goals. This will help our effort to be more systematic rather than episodic.
· More dialogue. We first need to understand our environment then assess how we respond to those needs. How well do they align?
· We must create forums on our campuses for students, faculty, and staff.
· Try to affect those around us. Do little things, consistently, that work on one’s sphere of influence. Only operating within one’s sphere of influence can be very frustrating.
· How do we get people to talk the talk and walk the walk?
· It’s all in the mission statements but how do we hold each other accountable? Do we do a diversity “report card” for each unit?
· Waiting to go to a conference can be untimely. There are students out there right now who need us and a connection. We complicate the means of addressing diversity. We need to be having the one-on-one conversations with our students.
· We have to exercise patience with the process. Generally, we’re not patient. Before a pilot program or initiative as been assessed, we’re often off designing the next program or initiative.
· We have to impress it on ourselves that it’s everyone’s responsibility, not just specific offices or minority staff. It can be complicated when minority students tend to go to minority faculty and staff. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. Everybody has got to engage in this work, not just minority staff.
· We need to get the support for and develop a multicultural plan for our departments. It has to be more than just a statement. It must outline assessment, partners, development plan, initiatives, etc.
Additional Institute Small Group Responses
Each NASPA Multicultural Institute Small Group was asked during their final session to answer the questions, "What kinds of adaptations (personally and professionally) do we need to make to reflect an understanding of cultural diversity? What are some concrete steps you can take to make these adaptations?"
· Getting faculty involved including those in disciplines not generally engaged in social justice work.
· Infusing multiculturalism in work on campus. Give practical ways to consider how a policy will impact different groups. Instead of waiting for everyone to have experiences/realizations that impact their work, provide practical ways for them to apply it.
· Include in evaluations for tenure.
· Encouraging/informing students to educate, push, and talk with administrators.
· Talking with presidents of student groups about interacting with Deans and VPSAs around multiculturalism.
· Be tactical to bring alliances together and how you present to different audiences.
· Incorporate part of decision-making process to include equity.
· Include students on all campus committees.
· Continue and challenge family and colleagues one on one.People can change behaviors more easily and faster than they can change attitudes. Attitudes will follow behaviors, so work with people on the behavior they can modify.
· Getting faculty involved including those in disciplines not generally engaged in social justice work.
· Infusing multiculturalism in work on campus. Give practical ways to consider how a policy will impact different groups. Instead of waiting for everyone to have experiences/realizations that impact their work, provide practical ways for them to apply it.
· Include in evaluations for tenure.
· Encouraging/informing students to educate, push, and talk with administrators.
· Talking with presidents of student groups about interacting with Deans and VPSAs around multiculturalism.
· Be tactical to bring alliances together and how you present to different audiences.
· Incorporate part of decision-making process to include equity.
· Include students on all campus committees.
· Continue and challenge family and colleagues one on one.People can change behaviors more easily and faster than they can change attitudes. Attitudes will follow behaviors, so work with people on the behavior they can modify.
More Institute Small Group Responses
Each NASPA Multicultural Institute Small Group was asked during their final session to answer the questions, "What kinds of adaptations (personally and professionally) do we need to make to reflect an understanding of cultural diversity? What are some concrete steps you can take to make these adaptations?"
· Secure advice for instruments for measurements/outcomes.
· Clear goals and objective reviewed, with a path to get there (One year, Five year, Ten year plan).
· Clear qualifications which institutions need to back up. Master’s level practitioners and qualified support personnel with a general understanding of social justice issues. Good salaries for these positions. Consistent professional development with focus on one’s own developmental progress.
· Benchmarking – how do you measure success around social justice? What are the best practices published?
· Acquire faculty published on social justice at your institution.
· Sharing articles through NASPA.
· Secure advice for instruments for measurements/outcomes.
· Clear goals and objective reviewed, with a path to get there (One year, Five year, Ten year plan).
· Clear qualifications which institutions need to back up. Master’s level practitioners and qualified support personnel with a general understanding of social justice issues. Good salaries for these positions. Consistent professional development with focus on one’s own developmental progress.
· Benchmarking – how do you measure success around social justice? What are the best practices published?
· Acquire faculty published on social justice at your institution.
· Sharing articles through NASPA.
Institute Small Group 2 Responses
Each NASPA Multicultural Institute Small Group was asked during their final session to answer the questions, "What kinds of adaptations (personally and professionally) do we need to make to reflect an understanding of cultural diversity? What are some concrete steps you can take to make these adaptations?"
· Lifelong learner. Not an expert because of sessions/conferences.
· Awareness of skills.
· Adapting to campus and identifying your audience.
· Clear learning.
· Professional needs to be educated before educating students.
· Defining terms (social justice, diversity, multiculturalism)
· Knowing when to move from multiculturalism to social justice.
· When terms changes. Knowing how and why they changed. Moving from old to new.
· Having common vocabulary.
· What is the transition from term to term?
Training
· Make sure you are comfortable.
· Be a lifelong learner (always take in new information).
· Know your limitations.
· Familiarity with your audience.
· Name clear learning outcomes.
· Make sure you actually make learning outcomes and understand the topic.
· Know the needs of your intended audience.
Having Common Vocabulary
· We need to understand our institutions definitions of diversity, multiculturalism, and social justice. If not we can create a host environment for our students.
· The mission statement of the office is very important.
· Changing names of offices may need to happen when there is a shift in the institution’s culture.
· NASPA should clearly define these terms.
· Don’t get lazy with perceived progress.
· Collaboration is important (i.e. multicultural affairs with student activities)
· Lifelong learner. Not an expert because of sessions/conferences.
· Awareness of skills.
· Adapting to campus and identifying your audience.
· Clear learning.
· Professional needs to be educated before educating students.
· Defining terms (social justice, diversity, multiculturalism)
· Knowing when to move from multiculturalism to social justice.
· When terms changes. Knowing how and why they changed. Moving from old to new.
· Having common vocabulary.
· What is the transition from term to term?
Training
· Make sure you are comfortable.
· Be a lifelong learner (always take in new information).
· Know your limitations.
· Familiarity with your audience.
· Name clear learning outcomes.
· Make sure you actually make learning outcomes and understand the topic.
· Know the needs of your intended audience.
Having Common Vocabulary
· We need to understand our institutions definitions of diversity, multiculturalism, and social justice. If not we can create a host environment for our students.
· The mission statement of the office is very important.
· Changing names of offices may need to happen when there is a shift in the institution’s culture.
· NASPA should clearly define these terms.
· Don’t get lazy with perceived progress.
· Collaboration is important (i.e. multicultural affairs with student activities)
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