Diversity and Multicultural Competence
As one of the CCE’s Strategic Priorities is diversity, the CCE actively participates in diversity efforts on campus working towards utilizing community engaged teaching, scholarship, faculty service and student service in partnership with community organizations that work with diverse populations. We also target our outreach to potential community partners to those that work with diverse populations.
Service-learning, the most studied community engaged teaching method, is an important tool for increasing civic learning and engagement.
Service-learning consistently shows a positive impact on reducing stereotypes and increasing tolerance for diversity.[1] It helps students recognize their own assumptions and understand broader social issues related to their service work.[2] Students who regularly interact with people from diverse backgrounds report personal growth, greater self-awareness, and a deeper appreciation of other cultures. Research also shows that students in service-learning courses focused on race relations experience greater increases in diversity awareness compared to those in non-service-learning sections.[3]
Service-learning promotes multicultural competence by offering community-based learning that responds to local needs and values diverse perspectives, especially from marginalized groups. It fosters a deeper understanding of social issues, making it more than just a way for students to help others, but a chance to learn about local challenges from new perspectives.[4]
Please remember, students of color and students from low-income families may have a different experience when working with ethnically diverse and low-income populations. “Service for students of color, can also be helping White classmates learn about the communities where they serve and challenging their peers that White and middle class are not normative perspectives.” Therefore we “should not prepare students for service experiences from a place of fear or risk, but instead showcase the assets and strengths of the communities” and we should not frame the experience as “‘giving back’ or ‘giving to’ people less fortunate than ourselves.” [5]
Diversity is one of the CCE’s two strategic priority areas (outlined in the SSU Civic Action Plan) so CCE staff serve on the President’s Diversity Council and Senate Diversity Subcommittee.
The CCE supports diversity-related service-learning and other community engagement by providing support to faculty as they develop their partnerships, assessment materials, and student reflective analysis activities. In particular, we help faculty develop critical analysis activities that will intentionally assist students in integrating their service experience with the stated learning objectives.
All references are available in the CCE Resource Library.
1Eyler, J., & Giles, D. E. (1999). Where's the learning in service-learning? San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
2Jones, S. R., & Hill, K. (2001). Crossing high street: Understanding diversity through community service-learning. Journal of College Student Development, 42(3), 204-216.
3Marullo, S. (1998). Bringing home diversity: A service-learning approach to teaching race and ethnic relations. Teaching Sociology, 26, 259-275.
4Boyle-Baise, M. (Ed.). (2002). Multicultural service learning: Educating teachers in diverse communities. New York: Teachers College, Columbia University.
5Mitchell, T.D. & Donahue, D.M. (2009). Paying Attention to the Reflections of Students of Color in Service-Learning in The Future of Service-Learning: New Solutions for Sustaining and Improving Practice, 172-190.