Diversity Discovered

Maryland Student Affairs Conference Case Study Competition 2013

Welcome, Colleagues!
MSPU is a mid-size, private university in the southeast, and we strive to be a place where all people feel welcomed and accepted.
In this presentation we will discuss: 1. Current issues with diversity at MPSU regarding the "Troubling Tweets at MSPU" 2. How to address these issues using the theoretical frameworks of Hoopes Intercultural Learning Process and Perry's Theory of Intellectual and Ethical Development 3. How to approach these issues in Orientation for our new students and continue these efforts beyond Orientation 4. How we will handle critiques from student activist groups and parents 5. Questions or concerns

The Issues at Hand

A "Troubling Tweets at MSPU website has emerged
on campus containing offensive language and statements. students of color.

Students feel that there is a lack of support for Students have expressed that the Orientation
program does not sufficiently address the subtleties of the systemic issues of diversity on campus. social media content.

Free speech concerns have been raised surrounding

Theoretical/ Developmental Framework

Theoretical/Developmental Frameworks

Hoopes Intercultural Learning

Process

Perrys Theory of Intellectual and

Ethical Development

Hoopes Intercultural Learning Process

Ethnocentrism: The belief that one's own culture is superior. Individuals at this stage may exhibit intolerance, hostility, or aggression towards other cultures. Awareness: This stage involves the acknowledgment that other cultures exist and the awareness that they have a culture. Understanding: This stage involves the acquiring of knowledge and information about other cultures on a rational cognitive level. The individual begins to understand aspects of values and customs of other cultures. Acceptance/Respect (tolerance): Individuals at this stage accept the validity of other cultures without comparing or judging them against one's own culture.

Komives, S. R., Lucas, N., & McMahon, T. R. (2007) pp. 162-163. Exploring leadership (Vol. 2). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Hoopes Intercultural Learning Process (con't)

Appreciating/Valuing: At this stage, one begins to understand that cultures have strengths and weaknesses; such as an understanding leads to appreciation and valuing of specific aspects of other cultures. Selective Adoption: The individual at this stage tries and adopts new attitudes and behaviors from other cultures which are believed to be useful and desirable to emulate. Multiculturalism: This is an ideal state and an ongoing process where a person is able to feel comfortable in and communicate effectively with people from many cultures in many situations. Identities, self-concepts, outlooks, and value formation transcends cultural considerations.

Komives, S. R., Lucas, N., & McMahon, T. R. (2007) pp. 162-163. Exploring leadership (Vol. 2). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Hoopes Intercultural Learning Process Applied

This theory will be used to:

Act as a framework for the diversity session in Orientation o The stages will be the foundation for the characters in our skits during the session to show students who are at a variety of intercultural development stages. Help our students to understand the stages of development and identify where they are developmentally within a stage o We hope to encourage students to transition to more advanced stages. Provide a theoretical framework for the development of our Diversity Discovered Campaign

Perry's Theory of Intellectual and Ethical Development

Duality: In this position, one views the world in dichotomies, i.e. good vs. bad, right vs. wrong, black vs. white. Multiplicity: The individual in this position accepts diverse views because the correct answer is unknown; as a result, all opinions have equal validity. Relativism: In this position, one recognizes the need to support one's own opinions; all opinions are no longer accepted as valid; one acknowledges that some opinions hold more value than others, and people can disagree. Commitment in Relativism: The individual in this position no longer experiences changes in cognitive structures; "[t]he commitment process involves choices, decisions, and affirmations that are made from the vantage point of relativism" (Evans et al., 2010, p. 87).

Evans, N.J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Perry's Theory (con't)

Perry's Theory Applied

This theory will be used to:

Identify how students currently make decisions, view the world, and how they make meaning of their experiences Create prompts for the break-out sessions at the end of the Diversity Discovered Campaign o The prompts will be created based on Perry's theory and will challenge how our students to think about how they make meaning of different situations. Inform our practice of how we approach students while keeping in mind where our students may be developmentally o We understand that our students come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences and that they may have preconceived notions and biases about others.

Our Campaign:

Diversity Discovered

What Is Diversity Discovered?

Diversity Discovered is a long-term initiative to encourage acceptance and inclusion throughout our campus. Diversity Discovered will acknowledge the racial diversity on campus as well as other characteristics that make people diverse and unique including gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, sexual identity, (dis)ability, nationality, socio-economic status, religion, and more. This campaign will be introduced at the 2013 Orientation Diversity Session and will continue throughout the 2013-2014 academic year, at which point the impact of the program will be assessed and the campaign will be modified as necessary. This campaign will also incorporate social media in order to acknowledge the often overlooked, subtle prejudices that can be conveyed through this medium.

Diversity Discovered (cont)

This campaign is designed to:
o Positively showcase the diversity, talents, and differences of our population o Challenge the negative statements on the "Troubling Tweets at MSPU website o Continue productive conversations surrounding diversity on campus and speech through social media o Increase our support for students of color and look for other ways to improve the morale of our campus

Diversity Discovered Initiatives

In addition to Orientation, programs within this initiative will include:

Select student Diversity Discovered Delegates o These will be students selected to help facilitate future Diversity Discovered sessions and programs Residence hall programs designed and implemented by the Diversity Discovered Delegates Monthly town hall style forums and conversations Faculty and guest speakers, who are experts in multicultural issues, to continue the conversation about diversity on campus

Diversity Discovered Initiatives (con't)

Programs within this initiative will also include:

A partnership with Greek Life organizations to garner participation from sorority and fraternity members A Social Media Campaign (#DiversityDiscoveredMSPU) o Our office will retweet positive interactions and observations that involve diversity and acceptance. A Diversity Showcase in collaboration with the Cultural Center o This will be a fine and performing arts display to highlight the diversity of talent on our campus. o Students will be encouraged to showcase their cultural heritage and diverse backgrounds.

Diversity Discovered Orientation Session

Diversity Discovered Orientation Session Logistics

There will be five, two-day mandatory sessions with about 500 students attending each. The Diversity Discovered Session will take place on the second day after lunch, once the students have experienced most of Orientation. The majority of this session will take place in Delmarva Hall, a large auditorium on campus, which can fit all 500 students. There will be break out sessions, which will be facilitated by Orientation Leaders who have received diversity training, and will take place in nearby classrooms for groups of about 25.

Orientation Design Overview

Introduction Video (10 minutes) Diversity Discovered Vision (10 minutes) Character monologues based on Hoopes' Intercultural
Learning Process Stages (10 minutes)

Discovery Theater Skits (70 minutes) Breakout Session with Orientation Leaders
(20 minutes) Total time: 2 hours

Introduction Video
Rationale: This ten minute video will directly address the issues at MSPU and the "Troubling Tweets at MSPU" website.

Tweets from "Troubling Tweets at MSPU" will flash on the screen, and current students will be recorded giving their reactions. The video will confront issues of inequality that manifests itself subtly on campus by allowing students to agree or disagree with the tweets and comments made by other students. The video will encourage current students to speak against prejudice speech in all of its form and share their views on the current issues of diversity.

Diversity Discovered Vision Explained

Tammy, the Assistant Director of Orientation, will introduce
the Diversity Discovered Campaign to the students in order to provide a framework for the session. issues that currently exist on campus with diversity and acceptance.

Her 10 minute explanation of the vision will address the Tammy will ask the audience what they think diversity Tammy will explain to students that diversity extends

means and take comments from the students in the audience. beyond race to gender, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, sexual identity, dis(ability), and more.

Character Monologues With Discovery Theater

Rationale: This session demonstrates the stages of Hoopes' Intercultural Learning Process in characters who embody the characteristics of each stage. This will allow the audience to see and understand what the stage "looks like."

Seven students who are part of the Discovery Theater group will come to the front of the room, having each been assigned one of the stages of the Hoopes Intercultural Learning Process. One by one, each actor will be step forward while a PowerPoint displays the name of the stage they are representing. Each student will speak in character for a minute about how they view the MSPU campus and diversity .

Character Monologues Example

Below is an example of how an actor from Discovery Theater would represent the Awareness stage of Hoopes Intercultural Learning Process through his or her monologue.

The Awareness stage is characterized by the "acknowledgment that other cultures exist and they have a culture. The individual at this stage becomes aware that differences are culturally based and that they are part of a given people's way of thinking and acting" (Komives, Lucas, & McMahon, 2007, p. 162). A student portraying this stage would discuss his/her culture as well as identify the culture of others. The student would also explain to the audience how culture affects him/her and how others' culture might impact them. S/he may say, "I have my culture and they have theirs."

Discovery Theater Scenarios

Rationale: Discovery Theater is an interactive approach to helping students understand where they are developmentally in terms of Hoopes Intercultural Learning Process.

This session will consist of four theatrical skits, each of which will be
based on the real Troubling Tweets at MSPU." with the student actors.

The content and message of the skits will be developed in collaboration The characters from the monologues who portrayed the different stages
of Hoopes Intercultural Learning Process will also act in these skits.

Each skit will end with one of the characters tweeting about the scene
that just took place, and their tweet will be projected behind them for the audience to see.
Clements, E. (2000). Creating a Campus Climate in Which Diversity Is Truly Valued. New Directions For Community Colleges, (112), 63.

Discovery Theater Scenarios (con't)

Student audience members will be encouraged to reflect on which character(s) they associate with most and which character(s) they would like to be more like. The actors will be asked to stay in character, and the audience will have a chance to ask the characters question. They may want to ask: o "Did you care if she (the other character in the skit) heard you say something so hurtful? o "How do you think you are perceived by others when you express those ideas?" Then the actors will be asked to come out of character and the audience will be able to ask them more questions, such as: o "Is what you said consistent with how you actually feel?" o "What would you say if someone said that to you?"

Discovery Theater Scenarios (con't)

We will also have a Poll-Everywhere (http://www.polleverywhere.com) set up on a screen.

The Poll-Everywhere initiative will: Help more introverted or shy people express themselves Demonstrate that Twitter/social media can be a positive force

Discovery Theater Scenarios (con't)

Students will be encouraged to tweet during the
presentation using the hashtag #DiversityDiscoveredMSPU.

As students tweet their reflections, our staff will monitor

them and pick out some to share with the audience at the end of the session.

Breakout sessions
Rationale: Perry's Theory of Intellectual and Ethical Development serves as the theoretical framework for this session because it will show students that people have different ways of making meaning, as well as different backgrounds that serve as a foundation for their beliefs.

Breakout sessions: o There will be groups of 25 students led by MSPU Orientation Leaders. o Orientation leaders will designate one side of the room as "Yes/I agree" and "No/I disagree. o Orientation Leaders will read statements, and students will have a chance to choose which side of the room best fits their beliefs. o Students can volunteer to explain with which side of room they most identify.

Breakout sessions (con't)

Breakout session prompts may include:

"This is my home state. "I believe there is a clear right and a wrong. "I have traveled outside of the United States." "I think everyone should practice a religion." "People of similar backgrounds tend to hang out together." "People of similar backgrounds should hang out together." "There are many possible solutions to a problem.

We chose statements that both unite and displays the differences of our student population. While some are easier to answers, some are more controversial and require more thought. This activity helps students to get to know one another and find similarities within the group.

Discussion

What's missing?
Extremely Divisive Issues and Heavy Subjects

We decided not to incorporate such issues like political opinions or MSPU's history of slavery and racism because it is likely that many first-year students are not developmentally ready to address these issues and accept other people's points of view. o For example, a student in the Dualistic position of Perry's Theory of Intellectual and Ethical Development might not believe that there are many correct answers to a controversial topic. o If a student is in the Understanding stage of Hoopes Intercultural Learning Process, they may be able to acknowledge other cultures, but not accept and respect the other culture's beliefs and customs.

Not all students are ready to hear information regarding how their development is seen in terms of theory and stages.

What's missing? (con't)

The Original Video

The original video proposed by Tammy was described as a "superficial treatment to a complicated issue" and it focused on extreme and overt instances of bias and discrimination so we decided to go in a different direction. We did not want to make light of a difficult situation or turn people off from our message because of the overt nature of the content.

Developmental Theories

While we subtly incorporated Hoopes' Intercultural Learning Process into this session, we do not directly teach our students about developmental theory. We feel that directly teaching the students theories is not as valuable as demonstrating the theories in practice and how the various stages/positions are manifested in others.

Diversity Discovered Parent Session

Rationale: We want our students to be educated in diversity. In order to do this, we need parental support and understanding of our mission.

This session will last approximately 30 minutes. This session will be led by the Director of Student Activities at MSPU. We will provide a letter correspondence with parents. o Parents will receive a letter before Orientation introducing Diversity Discovered in order to prepare them for the session and the information that will be presented.

Diversity Discovered Parent Session (cont)

This session will explain the Diversity Discovered session and campaign that their students will experience. This parents session will include: o An overview of the objectives of the campaign o A viewing of the introduction video from Diversity Discovered o An overview of the components of the Diversity Discovered session o A discussion of how they can help their students by engaging in conversations about diversity o Questions and answers (examples are given in the next slide)

Critiques/Concerns: Parents
Potential Concern: Students aren't ready for this.

How we will address the issue: We will explain to parents that we understand that students may be at different developmental stages, which is why we intend to ask students to examine their own beliefs and the beliefs of their peers.

Potential Concern: "I want to be the ones to talk to students about diversity.

How we will address the issue: We will explain that by attending college, students will be inevitably be exposed to many types of people from various backgrounds and with vastly different life experiences. Therefore, we believe it is important that students start having conversations surrounding diversity issues early.

Potential Concern: "Your ideas are too liberal or do not align with our beliefs.

How we will address the issue: We will explain that the institution is not presenting a specific idea or mandating that their student complies. Instead, we are providing a venue for our students to engage in academic and philosophical discussions that allow for growth and new understandings if the student chooses to share in the ideas expressed.

Critiques/Concerns: Student Activists

Potential Concern: "I'm concerned that with this diversity campaign I may not be able to express my opinions anymore.

How we will address the issue: We will tell students that they will not be censored and they can say whatever they wish. We just want to start a dialogue and highlight positive interactions among diverse groups. How we will address the issue: We will explain that there is never a quick fix to issues as complex as those regarding diversity, but we have designed the Diversity Discovered campaign that will continue throughout the year and attempt to create a campus community that is more willing to embrace difference. Our campaign is only the beginning stages, and it will take time to combat issues of diversity.

Potential Concern: "This problem won't be solved with just a session at Orientation.

Potential Concern: "Why did you leave out significant historical facts such as the use of slavery in the building of our institution?

How we will address the issue: We will explain that the discussion of slavery has not been forgotten or ignored; however, for the purpose of Orientation we have other foundational groundwork we would like to put in place before addressing these serious issues in more depth.

Questions or Concerns?

References
Clements, E. (2000). Creating a Campus Climate in Which Diversity Is Truly Valued.New

Directions For Community Colleges, (112), 63.

Evans, N.J., Forney, D. S., Guido, F. M., Patton, L. D., & Renn, K. A. (2010). Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: JosseyBass. Komives, S. R., Lucas, N., & McMahon, T. R. (2007). Exploring leadership (Vol. 2). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Stages of intellectual development. Student staff learning outcomes: Connecting Theory to

Practice. Retrieved from http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/assessment/SELO

%20Theories.pdf