Assessing Courses in Cultural Diversity and

Community:Student Perceptions of the

Impact of a Curricular “Diversity” Requirement

General Education Program

Dr. Beverly Schneller Dr. Thomas D. BurnsChair, Department of English Associate Provost forCoordinator, General Education Academic Administration

Assessment Study OverviewIn 2009, Millersville engaged in this assessment study to capture student perceptions of the newly added General Education requirement - Cultural Diversity and Community courses. We are particularly interested in understanding both the cognitive and the emotional appreciation of diversity education, not solely the cognitive. Our study is not designed as a research study, but rather as an assessment study, focusing on helping the institution learn about students’ understanding and attitudes towards issues of diversity and begin to evaluate the effectiveness of diversity education on our campus within the General Education program.

Cultural Diversity and Community and General

Education (Gen Ed)The Gen Ed Curriculum at Millersville,

revised in 2008, is divided into three parts:

• Foundations for Lifelong Learning• Critical Thinking across the Liberal

Arts• Connections and Exploration

The Cultural Diversity & Community course resides in the Connections and Explorations section of the Gen Ed Curriculum

Millersville’s Cultural Diversity & Community

course•A three credit course at the 100-level or above

•Required as part of the Gen Ed curriculum•Course approval process requires that the course must meet specific requirements

•Identified in our course registration materials as a “CDC” course

•Referred to on campus as the “D” course

Cultural Diversity & Community courses:

• Examine the historical and environmental factors that underlie cultural differences

• Be of an interdisciplinary or cross cultural nature• Examine the potential global, regional, and/or

local factors that underlie cultural differences• Engage students in articulating their personal

worldview through oral and written communication

• Foster information literacy as relates to diversity• Provide an academic structure for students to

engage with peoples of diverse histories and from diverse communities

Connecting to the University’s Mission and Vision

Mission (selected statements below)

– To better prepare students for a diverse society and workforce, the University embraces diversity of people, cultures, ideas and viewpoints.

– The Millersville University community pledges itself to … multicultural awareness and understanding within an environment of civility, mutual respect and cooperation.

VisionThe Millersville University experience will empower students to make a significant difference in the communities where they will live and work. Millersville will be a premier comprehensive public university.

Connecting to the University’s Strategic Directions

The importance of cultural diversity and community can be found in all six of the University’s Strategic Directions. Particular

emphasis is found in :

• Cultivating a Community of Diverse People, Thoughts and Perspectives (specific statements from this strategic direction highlighting are cultural diversity and community are included below)– “Millersville University will enhance the diversity of people,

thought, and perspectives in our community ….”– “We will prepare our students for citizenship in a world of

increasing human diversity.” – “We will actively advance an atmosphere of mutual respect,

tolerance, understanding, sensitivity, and appreciation for the richness of human diversity through programs, workshops, dialogue, and training.”

• Fostering an Appreciation of the Liberal Arts • Developing Life and Leadership Skills that Promote the

Greater Public Good

Defining “Cultural Diversity” at Millersville:

Cultural diversity refers to the differences among people in terms of beliefs, customs, values, politics, and experiences. In essence, culture is a worldview; it is both learned and evolved. The following factors are seen to underlie differences: age, economics, education, gender, geography, language, nationality, occupation, physical ability, race and ethnicity, religious affiliation, and/or sexual orientation among others.

Creating the “D” Courses

• Initially applied the “D” label description to existing courses.

• Proposer addressed specific questions demonstrating how the course would accomplish the goals of the “D” course.

• Application to expedited curricular approval process involving approvals by the departmental curriculum committee and Undergraduate Course and Program Review Committee (UCPRC).

• New courses - must also address the same eight questions and navigate the full curricular approval process – department and school curriculum committees, UCPRC, Faculty Senate and Provost.

• “Priming the Pump” – The Associate Provost has provided professional development programs and small stipends for new course development payable when the course is fully approved and added to the teaching schedule.

What Departments Offer Cultural Diversity & Community courses?

Biology ChemistryCommunication Theater Computer

ScienceEducational Foundations Elementary

EducationEducation English Government & Political Affairs Industry &

TechnologyLatino Studies MathematicsNursing PsychologyWomen’s Studies Social WorkSpecial Education

Assessment Methodology• Developed a student perception survey (26

questions) focusing on the nature of diversity, application of course content, and course learning environment

• Submitted survey and study protocol to the Human Subjects Internal Review Board (exempt)

• Survey administered via Google.docs survey form in January and May 2010.

• Students who had completed a “D” course were emailed an invitation to participate which contained a link to the survey.

• Invitation was sent to campus email address after final grades for courses were posted.

• Responses were anonymous- Collected only class level and gender. Did NOT collect names, course enrolled in, faculty instructor, etc.

• The survey will be repeated in January and May 2011.

Participants

• Survey sent to all students enrolled in a D course in Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 (~650 student each semester)

• 218 total responses– 120 responses for those enrolled in fall 2009– 98 responses for those enrolled in spring 2010

• By gender: – 54 men– 155 women

• By class rank: – 1 First-year– 69 Sophomores– 78 Juniors– 70 Seniors

Resources Employed to Develop Survey

•BCSSE, NSSE, and FSSE (2009-10)•Wabash National Study of the Liberal Arts (2008)•Campus Climate Survey (2010)•Research studies:

–Meacham (1994), –Hurtado, et al (1998) –CRLT Papers University of Michigan (1999)–Mayhew, et al (2005)–Bowman (2001) and –AACU Values Project

The Survey: What we asked

Survey consisted of 26 questions. Examples:• After completing this course, my understanding of diversity

has changed.• I feel comfortable articulating the meaning of “diversity”.• I can explain the importance of diversity to others.• I applied knowledge learned in this course on diversity to

solve everyday problems or issues.• My awareness of how diversity effects people increased in

this course.• The course provided opportunities for me to demonstrate my

understanding of diversity through writing and speaking.

Survey consisted of 26 questions. Examples:• After completing this course, my understanding of diversity

has changed.• I feel comfortable articulating the meaning of “diversity”.• I can explain the importance of diversity to others.• I applied knowledge learned in this course on diversity to

solve everyday problems or issues.• My awareness of how diversity effects people increased in

this course.• The course provided opportunities for me to demonstrate my

understanding of diversity through writing and speaking.

The Results: What we foundPercentage of Students Responding “Agree” or “Strongly

Agree”• After completing this course, my understanding of

diversity has changed. 71%

• I feel comfortable articulating the meaning of “diversity”. 96%

• Awareness of diversity is essential to my personal identity and growth. 97%

• I can explain the importance of diversity to others. 97%

• This diversity course enabled me to understand others better. 94%

• I learned something in this course that changed me. 83%

• My awareness of how diversity affects people increased in this course. 93%

• Information in this course was presented to stress its usefulness in and outside the classroom. 93%

Results by GenderI feel comfortable articulating the meaning of “diversity”*

–Males: 91%–Females: 98%

Awareness of diversity is essential to personal identity and growth.**

–Males: 91%–Females: 99%

I can explain the importance of diversity to others. *

–Males: 93%–Females: 99%

I evaluated the quality of information about diversity using tools I learned in this course outside this course.*

–Males: 73%–Females: 87%

In general, I think people should learn more about diversity given my experiences in this course.**

–Males: 85%–Females: 97%

Note : * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01

Results by Class Rank

QuestionPercent “Agree” or “Strongly

Agree”

Because of this course, I engaged in projects emphasizing diversity with faculty, staff, or students.

Sophomores: 68%Juniors: 55%Seniors: 56%

I discussed diversity with other students outside this course.

Sophomores: 78%Juniors: 78% Seniors: 90%

I used knowledge learned in this course to select and attend cultural events:

Sophomores: 56%Juniors: 49%Seniors: 46%

I used knowledge learned in this course to select and attend other diversity-related workshops, programs or events:

Sophomores: 49%Juniors: 38%Seniors: 46%

The course provided opportunities for me to demonstrate my understanding of diversity through writing and speaking:

Sophomores: 91% Juniors: 90% Seniors: 91%

Conclusions• Students recognized they were transformed by the

experience of the D courses.

• Senior students were more likely to respond favorably to the value of the D courses in their learning and to their personal growth and development.

• All students could benefit from specifically articulated linkages between campus programming and workshops and the D courses.

• The first courses to carry the D label were highly successful in achieving the desired outcomes and learning experiences for which they were designed.

• Overall, the D course is meeting its intended goal to increase knowledge among our students of the meaning and significance of diversity in their lives.

What comes next?• As the student perception study nears its end, we intend to triangulate the survey data results with data faculty may be willing to share from their own in-class course evaluations, national survey data, and information gathered from the Campus Climate Survey.

•Additions to future perception studies may address grade earned in the course and its influence on student satisfaction and the number of respondents divided by class rank to see if a preponderance of one class answered the questions.

•Faculty will also be surveyed to determine how they decided to create a particular D course and that will be triangulated with FSSE and HERI data.

•Work with the General Education Review Committee and the Academic Outcomes Assessment Committee to consider implementation of the AAC&U’s VALUE Rubric on Intercultural Knowledge and Competence