Diversity at Uni, November 2009

DIVERSITY AT UNI, NOVEMBER 2009

After the first Diversity Dimension Meeting on November 17, 2009, Diversity Dimension co-chairs Susan Hill and Melissa Payne discussed the issues surrounding definitions of diversity that arose at our meeting with the members of the Steering Committee. April Chatham-Carter suggested that we ask the policy center our questions. Below are the questions and their responses. In addition, Bev Kopper sent us the HLC’s definition of diversity, which is being used for reaccreditation purposes. I have also included other definitions and statements relevant to diversity that I found on the campus website, etc. for our consideration.

IN THIS DOCUMENT:

·  E-mail exchange between Policy Center advisors and Diversity Co-Chairs

·  Higher Learning Commission Statement on Diversity (relevant for reaccreditation, etc.)

·  UNI’s Diversity by the Numbers

·  Center for Multicultural Education Mission Statement

·  Diversity Matters Website Information

·  Campus Resources on Diversity

·  Relevant parts of the UNI Strategic Plan 2005-9

The following e-mail was sent by Susan Hill to Betsy Barfoot, Betsy Griffin and John Gardner of the Policy Center:

The Diversity Dimension is having a few difficulties that perhaps you could
clarify.
1) What counts as "high" or "low" as we judge our PIs? For instance, what
counts as curricular diversity? For instance, is 10 courses high? Or is 10
courses low? Or are we thinking about this in a way that is unhelpful? Do
you have any advice on how to judge this, or how to think about it more
productively?
2) We are also struggling for ways to think about the Policy Center's
definition of diversity, which is very broad, with our institutional
definition of diversity, which seems to have much to do with numbers. We
appreciate the broadness of the Policy Center's definition, but are
wondering if others have had such challenges and how they might have dealt
with it.

Response #1 from Betsy Griffin

Dear Susan and April,
I will address your questions about diversity and you may also hear from
John and Betsy B. on their perspectives.
First, I want to address what counts as high or low on a PI. This really
is a judgment that has to be made by the Dimension Committee for each PI
(the Steering Committee may have a similar discussion when they review
the Dimension Report). I have several suggestions about how to think
about this. These questions are discussion prompts to get your committee
thinking about what would be a good experience for UNI's students. The
discussion itself is very valuable.
It really isn't so easy as having 10 courses; that is just a start. You
might want to ask how many students take those courses in their first
year or are the course goals covering all the aspects of diversity that
you believe should be covered in the first year.
Both the FoE faculty/staff and student surveys have questions that will
give your committee some additional food for thought here. NSSE data
also will give you some food for thought on the Diversity Dimension. In
essence, I am saying look both at the experiences UNI provides and how
they actually impact the students.
Second, I'll give my perspective on the breath of the Diversity
Dimension. It seems to me that early on accreditations (both
institutional and discipline) seemed to focus attention on the numbers
of faculty/staff and students who are of different racial/ethnic
backgrounds. The Diversity Dimension intentionally focuses more broadly
on diversity in intellectual experience, the extent to which students
are exposed to different cultural ideas and perspectives. Most
accreditation bodies have also broadened their definition as well. For
regional institutions in many parts of the country, the institution has
better control on how it prepares students to understand different
cultural ideas and values than it does the composition of its
population.
Betsy Griffin
Associate Director
Policy Center on the first Year of College

Response #2 from Betsy Barefoot

Hello Susan,
Let me also weigh in on your questions. As Betsy Griffin has indicated,
we really don't define what is a "high" or "low" rating on any of the
performance indicators. We leave that decision up to each individual
committee and/or the larger Foundations of Excellence task force. We
hope your committee will have a good discussion about the kind of focus
on diversity (in- and out-of-class) that is appropriate for first-year
students and then make a judgment that focuses on the quality of what
you do, rather than the quantity of what you do. Does that make sense?
In other words, you could be focusing on diversity in one or two courses
(or out-of-class activities) and be doing an excellent job.
You're right - our definition of diversity is much broader than simply
numbers of underrepresented students (or faculty). These questions are
really about the way your institution educates students about diversity.
We know that some campuses are located in parts of the country where
there isn't a lot of existing diversity, any way you measure it. But we
do think that no matter where they live or attend college, students need
to be introduced to different people and different ways of thinking
about major issues. So I guess we're asking you to depart from the way
your institution has officially thought about diversity and think of it
more in terms of how you introduce students to broader concepts related
to diversity.
We hope this helps! But we'd be glad to talk directly with your
committee members also. Best wishes, and thanks for all your good work
on this issue.

Betsy Barefoot, EdD
Co-Director & Senior Scholar
Policy Center on the First Year of College

Response #3 from John Gardner

Colleagues:
The only thing I would like to add regarding the Diversity Dimension is
that I think it also can raise the question of how different is the
University experience in terms of intellectual diversity than that which
your students may have encountered in high school. To me, the whole
concept of "university" raises the expectation of greater intellectual
diversity, for all sorts of reasons. The question is: to what extent are
we delivering on that expectation?
I’ve been working with campuses using this Dimension for over five years now I
have seen some of the most lively discussion and some of the very best
writing around this Dimension. This is not to put you under any pressure
now! But seriously, we hope this will be a useful, productive, and
professionally stimulating discussion on your part. We will look forward
to seeing what you find.
John N. Gardner
Executive Director
Policy Center on the First Year of College

HLC Statement on Diversity

The Commission recognizes that much of the vitality that characterizes the higher education system in the United States is derived from the diversity found within the universe of organizations that comprise it. The Commission further recognizes that the diversity inherent among the people of the
United States enriches American higher education and contributes to the capacity that students develop for living in a culturally pluralistic and interdependent world.
Diversity is represented in many forms, ranging from differences in organizational mission and educational levels to differences in the ideas, viewpoints, perspectives, values, religious
beliefs, backgrounds, race, gender, age, sexual orientation, human capacity, and ethnicity of those who attend and work in the organizations. Individual and group differences add richness to teaching and learning, and also challenge them. People become more aware of their differences and similarities in a variety of ways, including through the processes of discovery and exploration, interaction, collaboration, and partnering. In this context, the Commission champions diversity as a value to be upheld, and it looks to its member organizations to promote diversity in both concept and practice as they realize
their respective missions.
Recognizing diversity is one of the values embraced by the Commission in its overall statement of mission and its new Criteria for Accreditation. Therefore, member organizations are encouraged to evaluate their respective missions, visions, values, and character to determine how well they address issues of diversity when providing enriching educational experiences and services for their constituencies. Organizations teach by example; they model approaches to diversity by conducting their operations in an equitable and just manner.
An organization that provides diverse experiences for its constituencies establishes an environment in which greater intellectual development can occur, and from which its constituencies can learn that focusing on commonalities, while understanding differences, binds peoples and cultures. Valuing
diversity relates to experiencing it; thus, people in an environment that encourages inclusiveness and
discourages acts of insensitivity and disrespect can become more enlightened. The Commission urges its member organizations to create and maintain teaching and learning environments that provide educational opportunities for diverse individuals and groups. In addition, the Commission urges its member organizations to provide learning environments, larger than its classroom settings, in which students can contribute to and learn from the diversity that broad life exposure offers.
The Commission recognizes the value that member organizations place on their histories, traditions, and missions and the effect of such factors on their policies and practices. Therefore, the Commission does not prescribe a set of actions to address issues of diversity. However, through its Criteria, the Commission does expect its member organizations to evidence positive responses to issues of diversity and to show the relationship of those responses to the integrity of their operations.

UNI Diversity Facts: The Numbers

From the UNI Fact Book 2007-2008
Enrollment by Gender:
57.8% of total enrolled students are female
42.2% of total faculty/staff are female
Enrollment by Age:
73.4% of students are under 23 years of age
17.2% of students are 23-29 years of age
9.4% of students are over 29 years of age
Undergraduate Enrollment by Age:
82.8% of undergraduate students are under 23 years of age
13.2% of undergraduate students are 23-29 years of age
4.0% of undergraduate students are over 29 years of age
Graduate Enrollment by Age:
8.75% of graduate students are under 23 years of age
44.65% of graduate students are 23-29 years of age
46.60% of graduate students are over 29 years of age
Enrollment by Ethnicity:
0.3% are American Indain/ Alaskan Native
1.2% are Asian/Pacific Islander
2.8% are Black/African American
1.6% are Hispanic/Latino
86.5% are White/Caucasian
3.7% are International
3.9% Did Not Respond
Workforce by Ethnicity:
0.4% are American Indain/ Alaskan Native
2.9% are Asian/Pacific Islander
4.3% are Black/African American
1.5% are Hispanic/Latino
91.0% are White/Caucasian
0.0% are Unknown
Nationality:
90.8% of students are Iowa Residents
5.5% of students are U.S., Non-Iowa Residents
3.7% of students are international students
International s tudents come from 71 countries.
The top five countries international students come from are:
15.3% from Saudi Arabia (72 Students)
10.6% Russia (50 Students)
9.1% China (43 Students)
8.1% India (38 Students)
5.1% Hong Kong (24 Students)
Black Hawk County
From Greater Cedar Valley Alliance, compiled from 2000 Census
128,012 people reside in Black Hawk County
Gender:
52.0% of the population is female
48.0% of the population is male
Age:
27.6% are under the age of 19.
23.1% are ages 20-34.
26.9% are ages 35-54.
15.2% are ages 55-74.
7.2% are age 75 or older.
Ethnicity:
0.2% of the population is Native American/Alaskan Native
1.0% of the population is Asian/Pacific Islander
1.8% of the population is Hispanic or Latino
8.0% of the population is Black/African American
Maintained by Office of Compliance and Equity Management
Last Modified: October 22, 2008
The Center for Multicultural Education’s Mission Statement
To promote cross-cultural awareness and multicultural understanding by:
--Providing an opportunity for representatives from the academic community to share their ideas and incorporate the practice of diversity campus-wide.
--Providing multicultural programming to students as a tool for them to understand the value of diversity as it pertains to life in or out of college.
--Assisting with the retention of minority students through multicultural programming in an effort to provide a positive campus environment that addresses their social needs.
--Promoting diversity in the classroom and workplace which creates an environment for the university at large to examine philosophies, strategies, and initiatives as it relates to development.
From the “Diversity Matters” page of the UNI Website, 11/20/08

New Diversity Council formed

I am pleased to announce the formation of the University of Northern Iowa Diversity Council. The Diversity Council will report to me and is responsible for providing the leadership and coordination necessary to achieve the diversity-related goals of the university. Terry Hogan, Vice President for Student Affairs, has agreed to serve as chair of this council for fiscal year 2009.
Council members will be Interim Executive Vice President and Provost James Lubker; Vice President for Administration and Finance Tom Schellhardt; Vice President for Student Affairs Terry Hogan; Vice President for University Advancement Bill Calhoun; NISG Vice President Clarence Lobdell III; Director of Student Support Services Inez Murtha; and Assistant to the President for Compliance and Equity Management Leah Gutknecht.
Responsibility for chairing the Council will rest initially with Terry Hogan, but will rotate in the future among the vice presidents. The council will meet monthly and will provide quarterly updates to my office. It will report annually to myself and the university community.
To ensure broad participation and support for planned initiatives, the council will form and charge a Diversity Advisory Committee, and will appoint a chair who will also serve on the council.
I'd like to thank the council members for their willingness to serve in this capacity. It is important that this council provide leadership to coordinate campus diversity efforts.

President Benjamin Allen

October 2008

Dedication to Diversity

When I came to the University of Northern Iowa in 2006, I was vocal about my belief that this university should play a leadership role in the state of Iowa. Having lived in Iowa for more than two decades I have become keenly aware of the role that UNI must play in advancing a commitment to diversity statewide.
We educate many of Iowa’s business, education and government leaders – those who will influence our society in the future. Our graduates take with them the knowledge and values they learn or refine while with us. Because we believe that appreciation of diversity is an essential component of an excellent education, we must make it an institutional priority to value, promote and teach about diversity.