Assessment of Diversity Initiatives: A Tool for Transformation

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Assessment of Diversity Initiatives A Tool for
Transformation
AACUs Diversity and Learning Conference Saturday
, October 23, 2004 900 am to 1000 am

• Presenters
• Sonia V. Gonsalves, Professor, Psychology,
  Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
• Daniel Hiroyuki Teraguchi, Program and Research
  Associate, Office of Diversity, Equity, and
  Global Initiatives, AACU

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New Jersey Campus Diversity Initiativewww.aacu.or
g/bildner/index.cfm

• Funded by the Bildner Family Foundation in
  partnership with the Association of American
  Colleges Universities and The Philanthropic
  Initiative (TPI)
• The overarching goals are threefold
• to reduce prejudice
• promote intergroup understanding
• foster comprehensive institutional change
• needed to support such learning.

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Flow of Presentation

• Conceptual Framework for Institutional Learning
  A Transformational Model
• Campus-Based Approach Assessment as a Tool for
  Transformation
• Discussion

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Macro Spheres of Influence (Drawing from Daryl G.
Smith, 1997)
Educational Coherence (curricular co-curricular)
Campus Climate
Infrastructure, Mission, Resources, Culture
Institutional Viability Vitality (Leadership,
Personnel, scholarship)
Student Access and Success
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Micro Spheres of Influence
Diversity Course
Student Learning Engagement
Integrative Thinking
Communication Skills
Modes of Inquiry Critical Thinking
Responsibility
Intercultural knowledge Collaborative
Problem-Solving Skills
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Macro Spheres of Influence
Student Development
Connections to Institutional Mission
Psychological -- Attitudes and Perceptions
Connections with the co-curriculum
Compositional Racial Diversity
Educational Coherence
Climate
Connections to General Education
Connections to the Major
History of Inclusion and Exclusion
Diversity Course
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Macro Spheres of Influence
Access and Success
Diversity Course
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Macro Spheres of Influence
Student Research
Social Self-confidence
Campus Community Partnerships
Satisfaction with College
Access and Success
Diversity Course
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Campus-Based Model

• Grant Support for the diversity initiative
• Faculty development
• Acquire resources
• Buy time for collaboration and process work
• Engage collaborators outside of our institution
• Access to outside consultant

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Institutional Buy-In

• Commitment from administration
• Highlight the project
• Collaboration between academic and student
  affairs
• General studies goals addressed by diversity
  initiatives
• Coherence with college mission statement

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Bildner Diversity Initiative at Stockton

• Multiple section freshman seminars taught by
  faculty from several disciplines
• Biology, Psychology, Philosophy, Public Health,
  Political Science
• Common and unique components to the courses
• Common readings and speaker series

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Assessment Plan

• Goal driven assessment plan
• Increase multicultural awareness knowledge
• Improve multicultural skills
• Interrogate attitudes
• Incorporate service-learning
• Increase faculty knowledge of inclusive pedagogy
• Create learning community with diversity focus

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Assessment Methods Self Report Instrument

• Pre-post assessment of attitudes and opinions for
  student participants
• Pre-post assessment of attitudes and opinions for
  student non-participants
• Post-only assessment for student non-participants

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Content Knowledge

• Portfolio Assessment rubric for assessment
• Reflective writings
• Cultural apprenticeship
• Range of diversity issues
• Historical and relational context
• Actions that support development

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Transformation

• Sharing findings
• Among the participants
• With other projects and initiatives
• Interrogating findings
• Using findings to drive discussion and
  interventions
• Examining impact
• NSSE data

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Pooling Resources

• Academic and Student Affairs
• Recognizing and using the social component of
  learning
• Collaboration among programs and projects with
  related goals
• Broadening spheres of influence
• Faculty, staff, counselors, students,
  administrators, community partners

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Intellectual Integrity

• Focus on cognitive outcomes
• Theoretical frameworks
• Analytical abilities
• Evaluative abilities
• Understanding of diversity issues
• Recognition of multiple perspectives
• Broader and deeper knowledge
• Commitment to action

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Assessment - What works

• Psychometric necessities
• Validity and reliability of measures
• Prior knowledge assessment
• Using assessment data
• Formative assessment
• Process assessment
• Closing the assessment loop