Diversity report results seek to break campus norms
Erica Strauss
Issue date: 10/5/06 Section: News
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Students representing a plethora of campus clubs and organizations, as well as several faculty members, attended the follow-up to the spring semester diversity program on Wednesday, Sept. 27.
Sponsored by Miguel Martinez-Saenz, assistant professor of philosophy, and Forest Wortham, director of multicultural student programs, "Promoting Inclusive Excellence" provided results on campus diversity and encouraged participants to look at what our campus would look like if we lived by the mission statements that have become part of our campus vocabulary.
At the end of the spring 2006 semester, Martinez-Saenz created a slide show of images depicting people from various nationalities and backgrounds. Students viewed the series of images and were then invited to converse in small groups about what they observed from the photos.
The general consensus was that many of the images were unfamiliar, but inferences were still made as to where the pictures were taken. The photos spawned talk of how Wittenberg can increase its diversity, and look below the surface to truly understand others. This aspect of the unknown came to shape the follow-up program.
"When we think of people in a one-dimensional way, assumptions are made," Martinez- Saenz said. "You must engage. If you don't engage, only assumptions will work."
Participants were given a sheet containing three mission statements used throughout campus: the University Mission Statement, the Diversity Task Force Mission Statement and the CBS University Diversity Statement. Each statement displayed linkages that aim toward diversifying the Wittenberg community, as well as showing an appreciation for the differences of others.
"If we could live these mission statements, what would we see?" Wortham asked, also adding that each person should attempt to examine what a diversity statement is and means in its most explicit form.
The discussion of Wittenberg's diversity has become more prevalent as the student body continues to grow by leaps and bounds. A contingent of Wittenberg students were represented in the survey results that examined three core areas of university life: institutional receptivity, admissions/recruitment and curriculum and pedagogical practices. In each of these areas, the results were split up by both sex and race (white and non-white). All responses were based on a scale of one to five, with one being strong disagreement and five being strong agreement.
Sponsored by Miguel Martinez-Saenz, assistant professor of philosophy, and Forest Wortham, director of multicultural student programs, "Promoting Inclusive Excellence" provided results on campus diversity and encouraged participants to look at what our campus would look like if we lived by the mission statements that have become part of our campus vocabulary.
At the end of the spring 2006 semester, Martinez-Saenz created a slide show of images depicting people from various nationalities and backgrounds. Students viewed the series of images and were then invited to converse in small groups about what they observed from the photos.
The general consensus was that many of the images were unfamiliar, but inferences were still made as to where the pictures were taken. The photos spawned talk of how Wittenberg can increase its diversity, and look below the surface to truly understand others. This aspect of the unknown came to shape the follow-up program.
"When we think of people in a one-dimensional way, assumptions are made," Martinez- Saenz said. "You must engage. If you don't engage, only assumptions will work."
Participants were given a sheet containing three mission statements used throughout campus: the University Mission Statement, the Diversity Task Force Mission Statement and the CBS University Diversity Statement. Each statement displayed linkages that aim toward diversifying the Wittenberg community, as well as showing an appreciation for the differences of others.
"If we could live these mission statements, what would we see?" Wortham asked, also adding that each person should attempt to examine what a diversity statement is and means in its most explicit form.
The discussion of Wittenberg's diversity has become more prevalent as the student body continues to grow by leaps and bounds. A contingent of Wittenberg students were represented in the survey results that examined three core areas of university life: institutional receptivity, admissions/recruitment and curriculum and pedagogical practices. In each of these areas, the results were split up by both sex and race (white and non-white). All responses were based on a scale of one to five, with one being strong disagreement and five being strong agreement.
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