Diversifying the Academy
Diversity in an Academic Doctoral Program: A Case Study
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Nancy J Duresky, Tora Brown
When confronted about the lack of ethnic or gender diversity in an organization, many organizations issue statements about the difficulty in finding qualified female candidates or qualified candidates of color. Conversely, many women and employees of color state that they experience either their male counterparts or white counterparts with equivalent credentials advance at a more rapid rate. The strategy of some employees is to seek an advanced degree to assist in organizational advancement. This case study examines the reasons that graduate students seek a doctoral degree. The case study was conducted at a small non-profit graduate institute in a large urban area on the Pacific Coast of the United States. Thirty-two graduate students, currently enrolled, participated in the study. The student body of the graduate institute is highly diverse with regard to gender, sexual orientation, ethnic group, age, and religion. For example, the program is about 66% female and more than 60% of the students identify as non-white. First, the reasons students choose to pursue a doctoral degree were assessed. Second, the graduate students’ perceptions vis-à-vis meeting their needs were detailed. Finally, the measures taken by the program to promote diversity are detailed.
Student Perception of the Utility of Diversity in a Doctoral Program
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Deborah Jackson, Nancy J Duresky
Many scholars have written about the benefits of diversity in education (Tanner Hermond, Vairez, and Leslie, unpublished; Tanner and Frank, 2013). Graduate schools have responded to these findings by hiring a diverse faculty and seeking a diverse student body. The current paper surveyed the graduate students of a small, accredited graduate university in a large city on the West Coast of the United States. The focus of the school is on management of organizations and consulting with profit and nonprofit organizations. This school prides itself on its diversity: More than half of the student body in this program identifies as other-than-white; more than half of the student body identifies as female; additionally, there is diversity of sexual orientation, religion, background, and political leaning. The faculty is diverse vis-à-vis the same categories as the students. Yet, it is unclear if the students see the faculty’s diversity as positively contributing to their educational experience. The current paper surveyed the thirty-three students in the program to determine their perceptions of the role of diversity in their learning experience. How students value the diversity among their co-students and faculty was assessed.
Journey of Change: Understanding Urban Students’ Experiences and Realities in an Era of Diversity
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session James P. Takona, Leta Hooper, Juanita D. Ashby Bey , Wyletta Gamble-Lomax
Education in the U.S. is at a critical crossroads. The broader segments of our emerging workforce will come from low-income, racial, and ethnic groups that are least well-served by our schools. The paper is anchored on the premise that promoting diversity in schools is more than merely encouraging students of different backgrounds to attend certain schools. It entails critical processes about the ways diversity impacts education. However, this is a daunting task for the educator, given that the world at large is markedly more complex and varied than the microcosmic environment that the student inhabits. Our ability to give every child a chance to succeed in school depends upon a full understanding of culture and learning styles. In addition, the paper examines certain unresolved issues in teacher preparation and bringing together both research on diversity as a historically persistent issue and research on diversity in the preparation of teachers. The paper will highlight selected paradigms, contemporary frameworks, as well as perspectives considered to have implications for re-framing teacher preparation programs. In addition to calling for more focused empirical research on the topic, the authors highlight a major gap in the current knowledge base insofar as it regards culturally responsive teaching strategies including the importance of attracting and retaining students and teachers from diverse background; better articulating the links between initial and on-going teacher education in supporting change in teacher beliefs and practices as well as researching the preparation and practices of teacher educators themselves based on empirical studies completed in the area.
