History of Attending to Diversity

College of Education, College of Education, Health, and

Human ServicesKent State University

Where We Began. . .

1987: A diversity initiative is begun in the University and a global initiative begun in the College of Education1989: College of Education faculty begins discussing ways in which our students are prepared to teach in diverse classrooms 1991: The first diversity course appears in the required curriculum

1994: Faculty begins planning redesign of teacher education program—certification to licensure

1998: New teacher education program begins; education for diversity is “mainstreamed” into the curriculum

2000: KSU representatives attend a conference at Emporia State in which their Multicultural Diversity Outcomes Assessment instruments are rolled out

2000: KSU becomes part of the Academic Quality Improvement Project (AQIP) and establishes a university-wide Diversity Committee under the Office of Diversity

2001: KSU develops a University Diversity Implementation Plan for 2001-2005

2001: The College of Education is invited to participate in the Emporia State Multicultural Diversity Assessment Dissemination Project

2001: College of Education representatives attend the first Conference on Multicultural Assessment of Diversity Outcomes

2002: A new Dean in the College of Education charges a planning team to create a college-wide diversity initiative

2003: The planning team proposes a College and Graduate School of Education Diversity Plan

2003: The College of Education proposal is approved by the College of Education College Advisory Council and the Dean

2003: The College of Education proposal is approved by the University Diversity Council.

2004: The Dean selects a 12-member permanent College Diversity Committee, representing all program areas on the main campus and on 7 regional campuses

2004: The Committee aligns its goals with the University “Strategic Diversity Indicators” and commissioned a substantive collection of baseline data.

2004: The Report is completed in the fall, and presented to the University Diversity Advisory Council in November.

2005: The Committee considers the details of the Report and suggests implementation steps in six areas:

Six Areas of Interest

Participation rates of students of color Persistence rates of all students Personal well-being in a culture that respects and affirms diversity Leadership commitment in the College Progressive Index of minority students who graduate Diversity competency level of faculty

2005-6: The new College of Education, Health, and Human Services is formed, necessitating a reconfiguration of the Diversity Committee to represent all departments and schools in the new College.

2006: The new Diversity Committee is in place, a web site is designed, and 23 sample lesson plans are adapted for diverse learners.

How, then, can we evaluate the past 19 years of activity on behalf of helping our students become more aware of and able and willing to act on issues of diversity?

In Terms of Partnerships and Programs

There is a Unit-wide commitment to accountability and a systematic linking of existing initiatives in the University.

Linking Existing Programs

UniversityCommitments

ToDiversity

College of EducationDiversity Initiative

Academic QualityImprovement Project

University Mission Statement

“Kent State University is committed to becoming a national model of institutional diversity at its best.”

University Office of Diversity

Is headed by a Vice Provost

Defines diversity as connoting “the encouragement, celebration and support of a diverse population on campus,” and

Pledges to provide “opportunities for open exchange of ideas and experiences among people different in race, gender, age, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, disability, religion, and veteran status”

Objectives of the University Diversity Advisory Council

Exposing students to a variety of cultures and international perspectivesCreating a positive balance between the democratic values of civility and the freedoms of inquiry, speech, and beliefsInfusing academic and extracurricular programs with the values of respect for others and social responsibility

Objectives of the University Diversity Implementation Plan

Develop a shared and inclusive understanding of diversity

Create a welcoming campus climate

Recruit, retain, and promote greater numbers of women and minorities

Provide incentives to academic and support units to develop diversity initiatives

Systematically collect data for assessment and alignment/realignment purposes

In Terms of Accreditation and On-going Assessment

NCATE (National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education)

AQIP (Academic Quality Improvement Project)

NCATE: Standard 4

Curriculum

Experiences working with diverse faculty

Experiences working with diverse candidates

Experiences working with diverse students in P-K/12 schools

KSU Conceptual Framework

In-Depth Content Knowledge

Learner-Centered Pedagogy

Informed Reflective Practice

Ethical and Culturally-Responsive Practices

Professional collaboration

AQIP

An alternative accreditation process with an annual data-gathering and assessment cycle, using faculty directly in all academic improvement processes

There are nine criteria that are a part of the annual assessments:

Nine AQIP CriteriaHelping undergraduate and graduate students learnAccomplishing scholarly, professional, public service, and citizenship objectivesUnderstanding students’ needsValuing facultyLeading and communicatingStudent and administrative support servicesMeasuring effectivenessPlanning continuous improvementBuilding collaborative relationships

All of these criteria should apply to the Diversity Initiative in EHHS;

since they come largely from the old College of Education,

integrating the new Schools remains to be done.

One Approach to Difference

In a pluralistic society such as the United States, everyone is to some degree multicultural

There is more difference within groups that between them

College Commitments

Initiating transformation that reflects a global and inclusive curriculumIncreasing recruitment efforts to bring more diverse faculty to our ranksIncreasing recruitment and retention of underrepresented students into teachingEncouraging each faculty to include diversity as an aspect of their researchImplementing professional development programs for faculty and staff that focus on the full scope of diversity issues

So, Where Are We Now?

We have both university and college structures in place

We have linkages to both university and college mechanisms for data collection

We have a permanent Diversity Council with status somewhere between the College Advisory Council and the Undergraduate/Graduate Councils

What Do We Need?

Integration of all faculty, students, and program areas in EHHS

Continued discussion around issues of really expanding understanding of diversity beyond race and ethnicity

Selection of action plans for 2006-2007

A Final Note on Assessing Progress

Alice: Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?

The Cat: That depends a good deal on where you want to get to.

-- Lewis Carroll