Advising Students Toward a Greater Appreciation for Diversity Ty M. Cruce Julie M. Williams John V. Moore Indiana University NACADA Conference, October

Advising Students Toward a Greater Appreciation for Diversity

Ty M. CruceJulie M. Williams

John V. MooreIndiana University

NACADA Conference, October 20th 2006, Indianapolis

Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement

Overview

Warrant for Study

Questions of Interest

Data Sources and Sample

Findings

Implications for Practice

Warrant for Study

University of Michigan Affirmative Action Cases (Gratz, et al. v. Bollinger, et al. & Grutter, et al. v. Bollinger, et al.)

The Compelling Need for Diversity (Include Individual & Societal Benefits)

“A racially and ethnically diverse university student body has far-ranging and significant benefits for all students, non-minorities and minorities alike. Students learn better in a diverse educational environment, and they are better prepared to become active participants in our pluralistic, democratic society once they leave such a setting.”

(Expert report – Patricia Gurin)

“…the business world has not failed to recognize and appreciate the importance of diversity. Corporations are making significant efforts in recruiting and retaining a workforce that values diversity and that can effectively conduct business worldwide. “

(Expert report – William Bowen)

Warrant for Study

Commission on the Future of Higher Education “Too few Americans prepare for, participate in, and

complete higher education – especially those underserved and nontraditional groups who make up an ever-greater proportion of the population.” (approx. 1/3 of whites obtain bachelor’s degrees by age 25–29, just 18% of blacks and 10% of Latinos )

“… it is imperative that we maintain a system of higher education that meets the needs of our diverse population, and in particular needs of traditionally underserved communities; provides enhanced opportunities for lifelong learning; and addresses the economic and workforce needs of the country. “

Warrant for Study

Pascarella & Terenzini: How College Affects Students

Findings Related to Diversity Having friends across racial-ethnic groups and being part

of an interracial friendship group: Increases positive racial-ethnic attitudes and values. Increases student knowledge and understanding of

others. Increases academic skill development and knowledge

acquisition. Increases self-reported gains in various areas of learning. Has a positive impact on ethically oriented behaviors.

(Ex: Increased community service involvement)

Warrant for Study

Academic Advising Programs – CAS Standards An AAP must incorporate student learning and student

development in its mission.

An AAP should enhance overall educational experiences

An AAP will identify relevant and desirable student learning and development outcomes and provide programs and services that encourage achievement of those outcomes [including] …appreciation of diversity.

An AAP must promote educational experiences that are characterized by open and continuous communication that deepen understanding of one’s own identity, culture and heritage, and that of others.

National Survey of Student Engagement

Data Sources and Sample

Data Sources

Beginning College Survey of Student

Engagement


Annual survey of first-year students at baccalaureate degree-granting institutions

2005-2006 pilot administration at 70 institutions

Administered prior to start of classes, usually at orientation or welcome week

Annual survey of first-year and senior students

2006 administration at 571 institutions

Administered during the spring semester

Study Sample

Student Sample BCSSE 26,986 entering first-year students

NSSE 10,425 first-year students in spring (39%) 59% Female, 41% Male 77% White, 23% of color 64% have at least one parent with a bachelor’s degree

Institutional Sample 60 Baccalaureate degree-granting institutions

60% Private, 40% Public

Undergraduate student body ranges from <400 to >35,000

Barron’s selectivity index ranges from non- to most-competitive


Research Questions

Questions of Interest

How do entering college students’ openness to diverse perspectives differ by their backgrounds (e.g., gender, race, parents’ education)?

How strong is the relationship between entering college students’ openness to diverse perspectives and their engagement with diverse perspective during the first year of college?

Holding constant their entering openness to diverse perspectives, how do students’ engagement with diverse perspectives during the first year of college differ by their backgrounds (e.g., gender, race, parents’ education)?

Openness to Diverse Perspectives

How important is it to you to do the following: Have serious conversations with students of a different

race or ethnicity than your own

Have serious conversations with students who are very different from you in terms of their religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values

Examine the strengths and weaknesses of your own views on a topic or issue

Try to better understand someone else's views by imagining how an issue looks from his or her perspective

Learn something that changed the way you understand an issue or concept

Responses range from ‘Not Important’ to ‘Very Important’

Question of Interest #1

How do entering college students’ openness to diverse perspectives differ by their characteristics?

Examples:

Are males more open to diverse perspectives than females?

Are private high school students more open to diverse perspectives than public high school students?

Have some ideas? Its time to test your knowledge…


Imagine two hypothetical college-bound students…

Who are similar in all of the following ways but one:Gender High School Grades

Race High School Leadership

Parents’ Education High School Type

Degree Aspirations College Selectivity

Test Your Knowledge #1

Males express greater openness to diverse perspectives than females.

True

False


By Gender

4.44

4.23

3

4

5

6

Female * Male ®

Moderately Important

Highly Important


African Americans are more open to diverse perspectives than White students.

True

False


By Race

4.66

4.394.48

4.32

3

4

5

6

AfricanAmerican *

AsianAmerican

Hispanic/Latino *

White ®


Highly Important


Having highly educated parents has a negative effect on openness to diverse perspectives.

True

False


By Parents’ Education

4.37 4.32

3

4

5

6

WithBachelor's Degree *

WithoutBachelor's Degree ®


Highly Important


Openness to diverse perspectives differs by degree aspirations.

True

False


By Students’ Degree Aspirations

4.284.38 4.45

3

4

5

6

Bachelor's ® Master's * Doctoral *


Highly Important


Students with better high school GPAs are more open to diverse perspectives.

True

False


By High School GPA

4.54 4.48 4.42 4.35 4.29

3

4

5

6

2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 4.00


Highly Important


Involvement in high school leadership activities increases openness to diverse perspectives.

True

False


By High School Leadership

4.124.24

4.364.48

4.604.71

3

4

5

6

Not Involved 2 3 4 5 HighlyInvolved


Highly Important


Students who attend public high schools are more open to diverse perspectives than students who attend private high schools.

True

False


By High School Type

4.354.44 4.38

3

4

5

6

Public ® PrivateNon-Sectarian *

PrivateReligious


Highly Important


Students who attend selective colleges are more open to diverse perspectives.

True

False


By Selectivity of College Attended

4.19 4.26 4.32 4.38 4.45 4.51

3

4

5

6

Non-Competitive

2 3 4 5 Most Competitive


Highly Important


“Test Your Knowledge” Scores 7-8 Good Job!

5-6 Not Bad!

1-4 This has been educational, No?

Summary of Findings

Differences in students’ openness to diverse perspectives seem most pronounced by:

Gender

Race

Degree Aspirations

High School GPA

High School Leadership Involvement


A Hypothetical: Imagine Two Students Case 1

White male attending non-competitive college; average student at a public high school; does not expect to go on beyond the bachelor’s degree.

Case 2

Hispanic female attending moderately competitive college; average student at public high school; expects to earn a master’s degree.


A Hypothetical

3.95

4.59

3

4

5

6

Case 1: White male Case 2: Hispanic female


Highly Important

Engagement with Diverse Perspectives

How often did you do the following: Have serious conversations with students of a different

race or ethnicity than your own

Have serious conversations with students who are very different from you in terms of their religious beliefs, political opinions, or personal values

Examine the strengths and weaknesses of your own views on a topic or issue

Try to better understand someone else's views by imagining how an issue looks from his or her perspective

Learn something that changed the way you understand an issue or concept

Responses range from ‘Never’ to ‘Very Often’

Questions of Interest #2 & #3

What is the relationship between entering college students’ openness to diverse perspectives and their engagement with diverse perspectives during college?

How does students’ engagement with diverse perspectives differ by their backgrounds?

Examples:

Are males more engaged with diverse perspectives than females?

Are private high school students more engaged with diverse perspectives than public high school students?

Have some ideas? Its time to test your knowledge…


Imagine two hypothetical college-bound students…

Who are similar in all of the following ways but one:

Openness to Diverse Perspectives High School Grades

Gender High School Leadership

Race High School Type

Parents’ Education College Selectivity

Degree Aspirations


Students who are more open to diverse perspectives are more engaged with diverse perspectives during college.

True

False


By Openness to Diverse Perspectives

1.922.15

2.37

2.59

2.813.03

1

2

3

4

LeastImportant

2 3 4 5 MostImportant

LessFrequently

MoreFrequently


Males are less engaged with diverse perspectives than females.

True

False


By Gender

2.65 2.74

1

2

3

4

Female * Male ®

LessFrequently

MoreFrequently


White students are more engaged with diverse perspectives than students of other races.

True

False


By Race

2.742.60

2.772.68

1

2

3

4

AfricanAmerican

AsianAmerican

Hispanic/Latino *

White ®

LessFrequently

MoreFrequently


Engagement with diverse perspectives differs by degree aspirations.

True

False


By Students’ Degree Aspirations

2.65 2.69 2.72

1

2

3

4

Bachelor's ® Master's * Doctoral *

LessFrequently

MoreFrequently


Involvement in high school leadership activities increases the students’ engagement with diverse perspectives.

True

False


By High School Leadership

2.60 2.64 2.67 2.71 2.75 2.78

1

2

3

4

NotInvolved

2 3 4 5 HighlyInvolved

LessFrequently

MoreFrequently


Students from public high schools are less engaged with diverse perspectives than students from private high schools.

True

False


By High School Type

2.67 2.69 2.72

1

2

3

4

Public ® PrivateNon-Sectarian

PrivateReligious *

LessFrequently

MoreFrequently


Having a greater number of close friends attend the same college increases one’s engagement with diverse perspectives.

True

False


By Number of Close Friends at College

2.69 2.68 2.67 2.66 2.65

1

2

3

4

None 1 2 3 4 or more

LessFrequently

MoreFrequently


Members of learning communities are more engaged with diverse perspectives than non-members.

True

False


By Learning Community Membership

2.782.66

1

2

3

4

Member * Non-member ®

LessFrequently

MoreFrequently


Students who attend selective colleges are more engaged with diverse perspectives than students who attend non-selective colleges.

True

False


By Selectivity of College Attended

2.59 2.63 2.66 2.70 2.73 2.76

1

2

3

4

Non-Competitive

2 3 4 5 Most Competitive

LessFrequently

MoreFrequently


“Test Your Knowledge” Scores 7-9 Good Job!

5-6 Not Bad!

1-4 This has been educational, No?

Summary of Findings

Openness to Diverse Perspectives Matters!

Holding constant students’ openness, differences in students’ engagement with diverse perspectives are most evident by:

Gender

Race

High School Leadership Involvement

Learning Community Membership

Selectivity of the College Attended


A Hypothetical: Imagine Two Students Case 1

White male attending non-competitive college; average student at a public high school; does not expect to go on beyond the bachelor’s degree; has several close friends attending college; not in a learning community; is not very open to diverse perspectives.

Case 2

Hispanic female attending moderately competitive college; average student at public high school; expects to earn a master’s degree; has no close friends attending college; not in a learning community; is very open to diverse perspectives.


A Hypothetical

1.81

3.09

1

2

3

4

Case 1: White male Case 2: Hispanic female

LessFrequently

MoreFrequently


Implications

Promoting Openness to Diversity Matters

Individual diversity development is an uncomfortable developmental process for most people because otherness, makes individuals uncomfortable.

Chavez, Guido-DiBrito, Mallory (2003)

Promoting Openness to Diversity Matters

Two Aspects of Effective Educational Practice indicated a significant total and direct effect on a cognitive skills/knowledge and student openness to diversity.

Effective Teaching/Interactions with Faculty Use of higher order questioning techniques Instructor feedback to students Instructional clarity and organization

Interactions with Peers Instructional emphasis on cooperative learning Course and non-course related interactions with peers

(Cruce, Wolniak, Siefert & Pascarella, 2006)


Academic Advising Program Guidelines AAP’s should promote educational experiences

that are characterized by open and continuous communication that deepen understanding of one’s own identity, culture and heritage, and that of others.

Some starting points: Identify and celebrate your own heritage and display respect

for the heritage of others Describe the variables that you believe comprise diversity Read and discuss research related to diversity Examine and explore your own biases

Visit Project Implicit website https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/ . Psychologists at Harvard, UVA, and the University of Washington have developed Hidden Bias Tests.

https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/


Help students select course offerings that will increase understanding of one’s own and others’ identity and cultures.

Do you know the courses that offer rich collaborative learning opportunities on your campus?

Help students seek involvement with people different from oneself.

Are students involved in diverse extracurricular activities?

Instill a sense of accountability to the larger community.

Are students participating in service learning opportunities in/out of the classroom?


Encourage social/cultural diversity experiences to be included in student orientation programs.

Encourage diversity experience requirements be incorporated into the formal curriculum.

Help recognize those who creatively introduce diverse perspectives into their classrooms or other service to students.

Use student feedback related to diversity courses or experiences you’ve recommended to inform your future advising efforts.


Summary Points Help students identify diverse curricular and co-

curricular opportunities and encourage them to participate.

Maximum benefits result from a broad-based campus culture that supports effective educational practice.

Effective practice related to diversity experiences does not necessarily require significant funding investments, however, it requires purposeful action.


Other Suggestions &

Discussion

Contact Information

Email: Ty Cruce [email protected]

Julie Williams [email protected]

John Moore [email protected]

Presentation materials from this sessionare available on the NSSE website: www.nsse.iub.edu

NSSE efforts have been supported by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, The Pew Forum on Undergraduate Learning, The Lumina Foundation, and the Center for Inquiry into the Liberal Arts at Wabash College.

mailto:[email protected]



Documents

Advising Students Toward a Greater Appreciation for Diversity Ty M. Cruce Julie M. Williams John V. Moore Indiana University NACADA Conference, October