11. Multicultural Awareness, Knowledge, and Skills

Graduates should possess the attitudes, beliefs, values, and self-awareness necessary to serve students who are culturally different from themselves. Specifically, students should be able to demonstrate

a. that they have carefully examined and, when necessary, challenged their own values, world view, assumptions, and biases.
b. that they possess specific knowledge about how gender, class, race and ethnicity, language, nationality, sexual orientation, age, religion or spirituality, disability, ability, and institutional power affect individuals and their experiences.
c. that they have the ability to effectively challenge and support individuals and systems around diversity issues.

Evidence one
“Effective Cultural Programming using the film Crash (2004)”, Workshop

During the CSA 567: The Role of Diversity in Student Affairs Practice course, I was asked to design a Diversity Development Workshop. Around the same time, the Academy of Arts and Sciences awarded Best Picture to the film Crash (2004). I saw the film and found the writing and directing excellent. The film had the potential to teach people about race relations and stereotypes. I saw a great opportunity with Crash (2004) and the class assignment. Within a few weeks, I designed a workshop around showing the film Crash (2004) and facilitating a post film discussion. I presented the idea to the 2006 CCCSAA Professional Conference planning committee and they accepted. The name of the workshop was “Effective Cultural Programming using the film Crash (2004). Click here to review the PowerPoint: Effective Cultural Programming using the film Crash (2004)

Evidence Two
Leadership Training in “Strategic Planning for Campus Diversity”

When I was the Tri-Chair for the Diversity Task Force, I was picked to represent Napa Valley College and receive training in Strategic Planning for Campus Diversity at the Summer Institute of Intercultural Communication in Portland Oregon. I went in the summer of 2005. The training lasted over a three day period for a total of twenty hours. Through out the training, I learned on how to write effective diversity plans, how to envision positive diversity committees and programs, and to become a more intercultural communicator. The institute also provided training in how gender, class, race, and ethnicity, language, nationality, sexual orientation, age, religion, or spirituality, disability, ability, and institutional power can affect individuals and their experiences. After the training, I became an advocate for inter cultural communication and utilizing multiple resources when designing programs and policy that supports the Diversity Task Force Plan. Click here to view the training certificate: Leadership Training in Strategic Planning for Campus Diversity

Evidence three
“NVC Diversity Task Force Request for Funds” Application

I served as a Tri-Chair of the NVC Diversity Task Force (DTF) in 2003-2005. I represented the Classified. I am very proud of the work I did on the DTF. I joined with the hope that I had find a group of people I could work closely with to plan cultural events. I was surprised to find the group was disorganized and constantly disagreeing. I got the feeling from most of the group members that they thought their purpose was to meet and complain about campus politics. After I joined the Diversity Task Force, I found myself carefully examining and challenging my own values, world view, assumptions and biases. Part of the reason I did was because I was now in a leadership role.

There were members with a real passion to change the climate of the campus. Lorraine Segal, who represented the faculty and was also a Tri-Chair the same time I served, and I made an effort to restructure the Diversity Task Force. I encouraged the group to meet in a circle and lay out goals for implementing the 40 recommendations. I lead the group to organize its budget and implemented a proposal system so staff, faculty and students could request money from the Diversity Task Force. The within a year, the group went from spending only $5,000 on flex day diversity training speakers to spending $20,000 sending staff, faculty and students to conferences and cultural events. Click here to review the Request for Funding paperwork I developed to be used for requesting money from the DTF. “NVC Diversity Task Force Request for Funds” Application

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