Rethinking Cultural Competence in Higher Education

Take a holistic look at an intentional educational ecosystem that builds cultural competence, a critical skill college graduates need for careers and citizenship in a diverse global society. This monograph unpacks the multilayered meanings of cultural competence and offers a term, "diversity competence," that is more consistent with the broad spectrum of diversity learning outcomes that occur on campus.Drawing on the findings of a survey of recent college graduates now working as professionals, the monograph offers:* leading-edge, integrative models that bring together the multidimensional components of the learning environment including curricular, co-curricular, and service learning* research-based factors contributing to a campus environment that encourages cultural competence* in-depth assessment and analysis of best practices, and* concrete recommendations that offer a transformative pathway to the attainment of diversity competence in the undergraduate experience.This is the fourth issue of the 42nd volume of the Jossey-Bass series ASHE Higher Education Report. Each monograph is the definitive analysis of a tough higher education issue, based on thorough research of pertinent literature and institutional experiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write the reports, with experts providing critical reviews of each manuscript before publication.

Executive Summary 7Foreword 12Acknowledgments 14The Politics of Cultural Competence in Higher Education 16A Demographic Call to Action 21The Veil of Color-Blindness 25Inclusive Excellence and the Pathway to Cultural Competence 27Purpose and Organization of the Monograph 29Deconstructing Cultural Competence 32Intercultural Competence 34Multicultural Competence 37Rethinking Culture 40Unbundling Competence 43An Alternative Term: Diversity Competence 44Mission-Driven Statements of Diversity/Cultural Competence 46Concluding Observations 48An Ecological Framework for Developing Diversity Competence 50Attributes of Campus Diversity Experiences 53Application of the Ecological Model to Campus Environments 55The Clash Between the Macro and Micro/Meso Levels 56Holistic Environmental Models for Diversity Learning Outcomes 59Campus Culture and Climate 62The Campus Physical Environment 65Diversity Leadership 66Organizational Learning as a Catalyst for Change 69Concluding Observations 71The Educational Benefits of Diversity and the Link to Democracy Outcomes 73The Relation of Liberal Education to Diversity Competence 78Common Ground: Democracy Learning Outcomes and Diversity Competence 80Cross-Cutting Educational Approaches to Democracy Outcomes 83Concluding Observations 87Mapping the Educational Terrain for Diversity Competence 89A Visual Methodology 90Campus Curricular Inventory for Diversity 91Features of Curricular Best Practices 96Service Learning as a Bridge to Diversity Competence 99Campus Cocurricular Inventory for Diversity 102Linking Diversity Competence to Accreditation Criteria 104Concluding Observations 107The Role of Identity Development and Intergroup Contact in Diversity Competence 110The Formative College Years and the Social Construction of Identity 112Racial and Ethnic Identity Formation 114Sexual and Gender Identity Formation 119Holistic Perspectives on Identity Development 121Structured Intergroup Contact 122Concluding Observations 126Strategies and Recommendations for Practice 128Note 140References 141Appendix A: Data Sample 160Name Index 163Subject Index 169About the Authors 173