Institutions of Higher Education must understand and engage with students’ perceptions of diversity within the social and academic contexts of campus life. “Diversity, pluralism, equity, access, multiculturalism, regardless of how they have been named, have been on the agenda of colleges and universities for nearly 50 years” (Pope, Mueller, & Reynolds, 2009, p. 640). Toward this end, researchers have developed cultural competence instruments for teachers, counselors, and student affairs professionals (Cheng & Zhao, 2006). For our study, we define cultural competence as knowledge of and sensitivity to the accumulated store of symbols, ideas, and material products associated with multiple group experiences. The groups will be those identified by race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, language, and ability/disability. Additionally, awareness of one’s own identity and membership in the various groups mentioned above is a critical component of cultural competence.
Institutions of Higher Education must understand and engage with students’ perceptions of diversity within the social and academic contexts of campus life. “Diversity, pluralism, equity, access, multiculturalism, regardless of how they have been named, have been on the agenda of colleges and universities for nearly 50 years†(Pope, Mueller, & Reynolds, 2009, p. 640). Toward this end, researchers have developed cultural competence instruments for teachers, counselors, and student affairs professionals (Cheng & Zhao, 2006). For our study, we define cultural competence as knowledge of and sensitivity to the accumulated store of symbols, ideas, and material products associated with multiple group experiences. The groups will be those identified by race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, language, and ability/disability. Additionally, awareness of one’s own identity and membership in the various groups mentioned above is a critical component of cultural competence.