From Multiculturalism to Intercultural Competency: Transitions, Trends, or Life Transformation?

1. From Multiculturalism to Intercultural Competency: Transitions, Trends, or Life Transformation? Conference on Christianity, Culture, and Diversity in America Tulsa, OK November 12, 2006

2. Session Objectives • To provide a brief overview of diversity in Christian higher education • To draw attention to a select number of best practices • To identify a number of challenges that remain for Christian colleges and universities

3. Where are we?

4. Hopefully, it’s not this bad!

5. Flashback to 1995 • LA is recovering from the 1992 riots • OJ Simpson is on trial • WASC requires the institution to address diversity more intentionally • The school is dealing with a racial controversy • “Multiculturalism” is the topic of heated debate and division

6. Flashback to 1995 • Where are the students of color? • Where are the faculty of color? • What is the Christian College Coalition? • Book: Ethnic-Minorities and Evangelical Christian Colleges (1991)

7. Flashback to 1995 • Definitions were fuzzy • Division was strong • Retention was low and speculation high • People of color were absent from the curriculum, student body, faculty, administration and board of trustees

8. A Decade of Progress

9. Scope of this review: • Definitions • Purposes • Campus Climate • Faculty • Students • Curriculum and Teaching • Assessment of Learning • Leadership

10. Definitions • Multiculturalism • Tolerance • Pluralism • Prejudice Attacking • Equality • Cultural Literacy • Diversity • Intercultural Competency

11. Definitions • The scope of diversity: • Ethnic, Cultural, Linguistic • Gender • Students with disabilities • Age

12. Definitions • Educating for Shalom • The kingdom reign of God • Transformation

13. Ultimate Purposes: Why Diversify? • Emerging communities • Regional accreditation • International and global awareness • To address past offences and neglect

14. Ultimate Purposes: Why Diversify? • To reflect the worldwide, multinational, multilingual body of Christ • It is Biblical • The Kingdom Reign of God

15. Ultimate Purposes: Why Diversify? The Seven Marks of the Kingdom: • God promises deliverance (Isaiah 9:4) • God promises peace (Isaiah 9:5; 60:17) • God promises justice (Isaiah 9:6, 7) • God promises healing (Isaiah 35:5, 6) • God promises the rebuilding of community (Isaiah 61:1, 2) • God promises his presence (Isaiah 9:2) • God promises joy (Isaiah 35:10)

16. Campus Climate: • The diversity audit • The Self-Study • A culture of evidence • Complexity and multidimensionality: • Physical (look) • Emotion (feel) • Behavioral (behaviors) • Spiritual

17. Faculty: Hiring • Casting wider nets • Working professional networks • “Grow your own” programs • Thinking outside the box • Diversifying the search committee • An overall plan and strategy • Accountability • Prayer

18. New Faculty Orientation Integration Seminars All Faculty Retreats Institutional Grants Regional Networking Reading groups Teaching evaluations Rewards and incentives Missions/cross-cultural experiences Urban Plunges Damascus Road Faculty: Development

19. Students: Recruitment • Casting wider nets • Short and long term strategies • Increased scholarships • Diverse and specialized admissions staff • Small grants: B.E.A.T. • Strategic Partnerships (UC Links) • Ethnic specific programming • Cohort models (Gordon’s NCSP)

20. Students: Retention • Multiethnic programming • Group specific programming • Freshmen/First Year Seminars • Disaggregate retention/satisfaction data • Student Mentoring

21. Curriculum and Teaching • Is there anything distinctively Christian about our classrooms? • Is the effort tied to your institutional diversity commitment? • How are you “preparing the ground”? • How do your students know you care? • Do our faculty understand and agree with our initiatives?

22. Curriculum and Teaching • What are the specific challenges you face in your effort to “transform” the curriculum? • Emerging models to consider: • JBU Grant to internationalize & FL Ins. • APU L.A. Term • Gordon in Boston • Biola G.E. Core Competencies for Intercultural Understanding

23. Curriculum and Teaching: The Biola G.E. Effort • Appointment of an interdisciplinary faculty task force: • Theology and Bible • Intercultural Studies • Education • Psychology • Humanities • Philosophy

24. Curriculum and Teaching: The Biola G.E. Effort • Thirty-three competencies were identified and recommended in the following 5 areas: • Biblical and theological foundations • Ethnic and cultural diversity • Global and societal awareness • Interpersonal communications and interactions • Intrapersonal development and character

25. Curriculum and Teaching: The Biola G.E. Effort • 4 G.E. courses were identified to pilot test the competencies: • World Civilizations 1 & 2 • Early Christian History: Acts (2 sections)

26. Curriculum and Teaching: The Biola G.E. Effort • Sample Assessment Question, Acts: • 4) What have you learned about yourself and your own attitudes toward people from other cultures? “I have learned that often times I am rather harsh and unaccepting [sic] of other cultures. This class has helped me to gain an understanding and patience for others to find a common goal. I am more open to them and believe it or not, accepting.”

27. Curriculum and Teaching: The Biola G.E. Effort • Goal is to expand the pilot to other G.E. courses in 2005-06 • Conduct a complete diversity audit of the curriculum • Refine our assessment • Continue developing faculty • Implement the core competencies for intercultural understanding in the G.E. in 2006-07

28. Assessment of Learning • “Learning outcomes” and “Educational effectiveness” • “Learning” versus “Engagement” • Goal: Education in “mind and character” • “Transformation” - Personal and Institutional • Holistic Character Ethics (Stassen & Gushee, 2003) • What do we want our students to know, feel, do, and become?

29. Assessment of Learning: Recent Efforts • The Spiritual Life Development Project (P. Hill & T. Hall, longitudinal, ongoing) • The Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) - Faithful Change Project (CCCU - Taking Values Seriously, annual) • College Students Beliefs and Values Survey (CSBV) (UCLA, HERI, 2003) • Dream for Africa: Case Study (A. Hamilton, P. Hill & P. Menjares, ongoing)

30. Diversity Leadership • Diversity leadership from the highest levels--Board, President and cabinet, academic leaders, senior directors • Board composition and development • New Senior level positions being established: Associate Provosts, Deans, Special Assistants, Faculty Appointments

31. Challenges

32. Challenges • Ever widening definitions of diversity • Withstanding the test of your commitment • Naysayers • The increasing cost of doing business • Increasing influence of regional and national accrediting bodies, and the federal government

33. Challenges • Global crisis's • The Next Christianity (P. Jenkins) • The increasing Hispanic population • Geographic region • Denominational history • Counting the cost to achieve diversity

34. Closing Comments • What does a diverse campus look like? • Each campus will look slightly different • The analogy of the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:16; I Corinthians 12) • The parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-46) 1 talent-, 2 talent-, 5 talent-schools • We can all do the work of the kingdom!