Upload
laura-linder-scholer
View
98
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
● ● ●
“We need to help produce young people who are critical thinkers and ethical people, socially aware of the disparities of this world and the work that needs to be done to address systemic oppression.”
−Afifa Benwahoud, Macalester College Dept. Coordinator of Multicultural Life
● ● ●
History of the Functional Area Multicultural Student Services originally developed out of a push for increased access to higher education for previously underrepresented student groups. The 1960s and Civil Rights Era saw increased student and community pressure—plus civil rights legislation—demanding increased programs, services, and access for women, students of color, and low-‐income students. The first offices were called "Minority Student Services" but the terminology has since shifted to “Multicultural Student Services" or "Multicultural Affairs" as the field has developed (and been pushed) to be more inclusive of LGBTQ+ students, international students, and other students of racial, ethnic, and religious diversity. Today's practitioners understand that the functional area developed out of a long history of inequity and injustice in higher education, and they work under the belief that a multicultural institution is "one in which the cultures of diverse groups are not merely acknowledged or tolerated but accepted, respected, included, appreciated, and celebrated within the larger institutional culture" (Shuford & Palmer, 2004).
Multicultural Student Services Working to “promote systemic change that fosters a multicultural perspective across campus” (Shuford & Palmer, 2004)
Goals and functions of Multicultural Student Services:
• Advocate for changes to policy and campus climate around issues of diversity, equity, and access to resources and opportunities;
• Promote student access to academic support and services; • Provide mentoring, advising, community building opportunities; • Facilitate awareness and cultural celebration events; • Encourage student identity development and leadership; • Offer programs, initiatives, and events that increase overall
multicultural awareness, skills, and knowledge on campus; • Partner and collaborate with other center or offices on campus
(for example, Women’s Centers, Ethnic Studies or Queer Studies departments, International Student Programs, et cetera);
• Share resources (including space, budget, and organizational affiliation) as needed with other functional areas including Residence Life, Campus Life, the Student Union, et cetera.
Foundations and relevant critical theory based in:
[Counseling]
[Identity development]
[Critical race theory]
[Intercultural competence]
[Social justice work]
[Intersectionality]
(Student artwork in Macalester College Department of Multicultural Life)
Professional Associations
• ACPA Coalition for Multicultural Affairs
• Association of Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)
• Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals
• National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO)
• NASPA Equity and Diversity Constituent Groups, including:
o African American o Asian Pacific Islanders o Disability Knowledge
Community o Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual,
and Transgender o Indigenous Peoples o Latino/a o MultiRacial
CAS Standards
(Standards for Multicultural Student Programs, from the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education)
1. Assess the needs of minority students in selected areas, set priorities among those needs, and respond to the extent that the number of students, facilities, and resources permit;
2. Orient minority students to the culture of the institution; 3. Assist minority students to determine and assess their
educational goals and academic skills; 4. Provide support resources to help minority students achieve
educational goals and attain or refine academic skills necessary to perform adequately in the classroom;
5. Promote the intellectual, career, social, and moral development
of the students; 6. Promote and deepen each minority student’s understanding of
his or her own culture and heritage; 7. Promote and deepen majority students’ understanding of their
unique cultures and heritages; 8. Provide training in leadership skills and other personal, social
skills for minority students and those seeking to assist them; 9. Offer/identify appropriate minority mentors and role models.
Challenges of Multicultural Student Services
Sustaining or é institutional commitment to
addressing minority concerns and
changing campus culture
Challenging the perception that
multicultural work can or should only be done by one
office
Always under-‐
resourced
Developing effective retention programs
Developing curricula that are reflective of the diverse student
population, as well as incoming populations
Merging racial and gender issues
Assisting under-‐ prepared students
Insights shared in Shuford and Palmer (2004) and personal interviews
Growing student resiliency
Ensuring student safety
Can’t reach all students
Afifa Benwahoud Dept. Coordinator of Multicultural Life at Macalester College
What do you like about this work? “It helps me affirm and claim my various identities. It helps me to explore, analyze, and be critical of my identities, biases, privileges. It helps me see my strengths and be open to others and the world” (A. Benwahoud, personal communication, October 9, 2015).
Kong Her Multicultural Student Services
Coordinator at Century College
Who is drawn to this work? “Those who are interested in creating and maintaining an environment that promotes cultural understanding across campus and are dedicated to serve underrepresented students by engaging in and supporting the learning, success, and development of each individual” (K. Her, personal communication, October 2, 2015).
Santos Martinez Director of Multicultural Affairs at Metropolitan State University
What do you dislike about this work? “I dislike not being able to completely give students one hundred percent of my time because we serve so many students and we are under-‐staffed and under-‐resourced” (S. Martinez, personal communication, October 8, 2015).
Sang Yang Dir. of Center for Asian American Affairs, Multicultural Affairs Office, MN State University Mankato
What skills are critical for this work? “Practitioners need to be student-‐centered. They have to put students’ needs, interests, and values first, to allow students to develop and grow to be successful in higher education. Practitioners need to be open-‐minded, active listeners” (S. Yang, personal communication, October 15, 2015).
(Multicultural Affairs Office 2014 Day of the Dead celebration at Minnesota State University Mankato)
Local Practitioners in Multicultural Student Services
Say their work revolves around issues of:
• Equity and access
• Nondiscrimination
• Safe campus climate
• Compliance with state and federal legislation (for example, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act, etc.)
• Cultural awareness and celebration
• Students’ sense of inclusion, social integration, and community
• Advocacy, support
• Creating a campus-‐wide multicultural perspective
Arminio, J. (2008). The Role of multicultural student programs and services. CAS standards contextual statement. Retrieved from http://www.shoreline.edu/sba-‐archive/doc/cas/roleofmulticulturalstuprg.pdf
Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. (2006). CAS self-‐assessment guide for multicultural student programs. Washington, DC: Arminio, J.
Gorski, P. C. (2015). Getting started: Respect activity. In Critical multicultural pavilion (awareness activities). Retrieved from http://www.edchange.org/multicultural/activities/activity1.html
Marcy, M. (2004). When diversity and dollars collide: Challenges for higher education. Innovative Higher Education, 28(3). Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/B:IHIE.0000015108.11519.08#/
Shuford, B. C., & Palmer, C. J. (2004). Multicultural Affairs. In F. J. D. MacKinnon & Associates (Eds.), Rentz’s student affairs practice in higher education (218-‐238). Springfield: Charles C. Thomas Publisher, Ltd.
Multicultural Student Success Coordinator The College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, MN
The College of St. Scholastica seeks a student-‐centered individual with a desire to engage diverse student populations. The Multicultural Student Success Coordinator for the Office of Diversity and Inclusion works collaboratively with the Director of Diversity and Inclusion to provide programs and services that support the diverse needs of underrepresented student populations. These programs and services aim to continually improve academic success and overall student experiences thereby increasing retention, graduation rates and overall student satisfaction. Key Responsibilities: • Work closely with Director in all programming & communication plans targeted at underrepresented populations. • Network & counsel targeted populations & assist in coordinating support services to aid in retention. • Supervise implementation of supportive programs and services. • Assist Director in campus climate and student experience assessment. • Collaborate with campus partners & departments with diversity training to improve student experience for
underrepresented student populations. • Recruitment of students from diverse backgrounds. • Provide financial aid, scholarship and personal finance advising, monitoring, and education. Required Qualifications: • Bachelor's degree required. Preferred Master's degree in Education, Counseling, Higher Education or related field. • Knowledge of the needs of underrepresented students. • Ability to build strong relationships with students from underrepresented populations. • Knowledge and ability to follow confidentiality and ethical guidelines necessary within the profession. • Effective written and verbal communication skills. • Some evening and weekend work required. • Previous project coordination experience with underrepresented populations in Student Affairs or higher
education student support services. • Ability to speak a second language. • Experience in college admissions, advising, counseling or student life is highly desirable. For details and to apply, visit www.csshrjobs.com. The College of St. Scholastica is an equal opportunity employer committed to enriching education and promoting opportunity through a culturally diverse faculty, staff, student body.
Job Announcement
References