Diversity: More Than Race

• Diversity in the classroom is not always about race or ethnicity or gender. It encompasses a variety of social and cultural attributes that are not always visible, such as socioeconomic status, sexual identity, learning style preferences, religion, and the like.
• As many colleges and universities increase in size and demographics, no longer are we exclusively seeing the white, middle, and upper class students that have so dominated the classroom in the past.
• What do we know about the scholarship of our discipline? Are we really preparing students for world citizenship? Does the scholarship of our discipline give an honest portrayal of reality? Are we open to challenging assumptions and new ways of knowing?
• Students from a variety of racial and ethnic minority backgrounds are concerned about a lack of intellectual connection between their disciplines and their real-world, cultural experiences. Is it our professional responsibility as instructors to provide students with access to a more comprehensive knowledge of our discipline?
• Teaching for the diverse classroom is complex. As we strive to make an inclusive approach to teaching a reality, we should, first and foremost, recognize that this work takes time. It is best to read more about these issues, talk with colleagues who have experience in this area, avail ourselves of instructional resources, and acknowledge that this goal will require us to be even more flexible as instructors in the classrooms of the future.
• If as individuals and as a collective we value diversity and recognize that re-forming our teaching approaches does indeed take time, then we must, in turn, consider faculty efforts in this area in our reward and recognition processes. If a faculty member engages in significant course revision to incorporate diversity, this takes time from other areas of professional activity.
• It is also important to keep an historical perspective. The demands upon higher education have changed very quickly, and our traditional approaches and structures are challenged to keep up with these changing demands and expectations. Sometimes change is dramatic and sometimes evolutionary. Both are needed, and both can be effective. But we must change to accommodate the new realities of higher education, and these changes offer us the opportunity for positive individual and collective growth in accord with our ideals.

References

Chism, N.V.N. Taking Student Diversity Into Account. In Teaching Tips, 10th ed., edited by W.J.

Adams, M., L. Bell, and P. Griffin. Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice. New York: Routledge, 1997.

Anderson, J.A. and M. Adams. "Acknowledging the Learning Styles of Diverse Student Populations: Implications for Instructional Design." In Teaching for Diversity, edited by L. Border and N.V.N. Chism. New Directions for Teaching and Learning 49, 19-33. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1992.

Astin, A.W. What Matters in College? Four Critical Years Revisited. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993.

Banks, J.A. and C.M. Banks. Handbook of Research on Multicultural Education. New York: Macmillan, 1995.

Chism, N.V.N. Taking Student Diversity Into Account. In Teaching Tips, 10th ed., edited by W.J. McKeachie, 217-234. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998.

Marchesani, L. and M. Adams. "Dynamics of Diversity in the Teaching-Learning Process: A Faculty Development Model for Analysis and Action." In Promoting Diversity in College Classrooms: Innovative Responses for the Curriculum, Faculty, and Institutions, edited by M. Adams. 9-19. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1992.

Morey, A.I. and M. Kitano. Multicultural Course Transformation in Higher Education: A Broader Truth. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1997.

Ouellett, M.L.and M.D. Sorcinelli. "TA Training: Strategies for Responding to Diversity in the Classroom." In The Professional Development of Graduate Teaching Assistants, edited by M. Marincovich, J. Prostko, and F. Stout. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing, 1998.

Rudenstine, N.L. "Why a Diverse Student Body is So Important." Chronicle of Higher Education, (16 April 1996): B1-2.

Schoem, D., L. Frankel, X. Zuniga, and E.A. Lewis. Multicultural Teaching in the University. Westport, CT: Praeger, 1995.