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Description

As described in AAC&U’s overview of high impact practices: “Many colleges and universities now emphasize courses and programs that help students explore cultures, life experiences, and worldviews different from their own. These studies—which may address U.S. diversity, world cultures, or both—often explore “difficult differences” concerning racial, ethnic, and gender inequality, or continuing struggles around the globe for human rights, freedom, and power. Frequently, intercultural studies are augmented by experiential learning in the community and/or by study abroad” (Kuh, 2008).

Although campus efforts that provide students with a deeper understanding of diversity perspectives, and that include international or global perspectives are each necessary and useful – they usually have very different goals and are usually structured in very different ways. Some general observations:

1. At many institutions in the US, including MIT, the student body is demographically very diverse, and is often (although, not always) much more diverse than students’ high-school environment. This provides excellent opportunities for students to engage and form meaningful relationships with students from a wide variety of cultures, backgrounds, life experiences and demographic groups.
2. This demographic diversity may also cause anxiety and tension from ignorance and/or previously held stereotypes.
3. Both diversity and global learning efforts seek to support (1), while mitigating (2).
4. At most schools, the flagship program for global learning is usually a study or research abroad experience.
5. Efforts to promote an understanding of diversity perspectives and increase inclusiveness are most often supported by on campus curricular and co-curricular programming and opportunities.

Benefits for students

The AAC&U has identified the ability to take seriously the perspectives of others as central to the development of personal and social responsibility and as a core developmental goal for students in college. Character traits associated with this include: social & cultural awareness, empathy, respect for self and others, self-confidence, and self-efficacy (AAC&U, 2002).

Opportunities for students to engage in diversity and global learning programs and experiences during their first-year, can set the stage for more open and productive interactions with peers, faculty and the community throughout their college experience, and beyond. (AAC&U, 2002).

Critical components

The literature review did not find any experimental studies that examined the specific, critical components of diversity and global experiences that lead to social, emotional, and cognitive gains for students. However, well-planned and executed diversity and global experiences include several elements that have been tied to persistence, graduation rate, and common desired outcomes of college. These include:

• opportunities for formal and informal interactions with faculty and peers about “substantive” matters;
• intended learning outcomes that necessitate students to examine cultures, worldviews, and perspectives different from their own;
• structured opportunities for reflection;
• connections to the real-world (Kuh, 2008).

As mentioned above, efforts to promote an understanding of diversity perspectives and increase inclusiveness are most often supported by on campus curricular and co-curricular programming and opportunities.

• Curricular efforts: Many institutions have diversity perspectives course offerings and requirements. See the list of Programs of Note, below. Some institutions require students to take multiple courses so that they have opportunities to engage with diversity perspectives in the United States, as well as international and global perspectives and competencies.
• Co-curricular programming: Many institutions require 1^st year students to participate in programs that address diversity and inclusion during first-year orientation, and offer optional programming throughout the academic year. The Office of Multicultural Programs at MIT hosts a Diversity Orientation program as a part of the first-year orientation. This session for all students includes a program of national diversity speakers, MIT speakers, and opportunities for students to share about their identities. Following the program, students are broken into groups for facilitated breakout conversations with trained faculty and staff facilitators. These breakout conversations are a result of the BSU recommendations: http://recommendations.mit.edu/

Overview | Examples | References | Printable PDF