Co-curricular Partnerships: Global and Multicultural Competency as an illustration

1. Co-curricular Partnerships: Global and Multicultural Competency as an illustration Angie Hattery Tashia Harris Women and Gender Studies

2. Educational Program Components • * Presentation and context of the articulated issue/trend • * Evidence to support the knowledge • * Identification of the national trends • * Implication for student learning and the student experience • * Innovative practices units have employed to meet student needs • * Impact on the future of the field • * Relevant knowledge for colleagues

3. Transformational Learning: Student Success Model • For at least two decades higher education professionals have articulated the need to educate the “whole” student • With changing demographics (race, ethnicity, social class, 1st generation, immigrant status), higher education professionals have identified the increased need to support student learning outside the classroom • Mason is somewhat ahead of the curve with the goal of a co-curricular transcript

4. Transformational Learning: Student Success Model • Working on the global and multicultural competency team • Working in WGST • We have identified unique ways that ULIFE can work to provide pathways for students seeking global and/or multicultural competency at the beginner, intermediate and advanced levels • *We recommend all students achieve a beginner level!

5. Global and Multicultural Competency: A definition • Global and multicultural competence is acquired through a developmental process. Building on self-awareness and attained cultural knowledge a person understands and employs multiple ways of perceiving, evaluating, believing, and solving problems. Global and multicultural competence enables a person to conscientiously negotiate diversity among individuals of various cultures and ethnicities, as well as, within individual cultures and subcultures by becoming aware of one’s own perspectives and other cultural perspectives. • Although not an exhaustive list of the elements of cultural diversity, those covered in the initial phase of the ULIFE student success curriculum are Race, Gender & Gender Identity, Sexual Identity and Religion.

6. Learning Outcomes--Multicultural

7. Introductory level initiatives • CAPS- Conversation Hour (E) • LGBTQ --Pride Week events (E/EM) • ODIME- Heritage Month Programs (E/EM) • Year-round Multicultural Programming (E/EM) • Housing- UNIV 300 Course(E/EM) • UL Arlington- Pizza & Perspectives (E) • WAVES- Large-Scale Events (E/EM) • Presentations (E/EM) • Weeklong Initiatives  (E/EM) • Women & Gender Studies-Sojourner Truth Lecture (E/EM) • Vagina Monologues (E) • Fall for the Book (E/EM) • Take Back the Night (E)

8. Intermediate level initiatives • LGBTQ --Pride Week events (E/EM) • ODIME-Year-round Multicultural Programming (E/EM) • Housing- UNIV 300 Course(E/EM) • WAVES- Emerge (E)

9. Advanced level initiatives • LBGT- Safe Zone Training (E) • ODIME-Cultural Competency Classroom Project (E) • LEAD- Leadershape (E) • SOEL (E) • WAVES-- Healthy Relationships Group (N) • Women and Gender Studies—Shifting the Script: Gender, Gender Identity and Sexuality LLC

10. Goals of the Transformational Learning Model • Provide opportunities for students to achieve beginning level competencies in the 4 areas • Provide tracks for students to develop intermediate and advanced competency in one or more of the areas • Create a bridge in the University, uniting all units in the goal of the transformational learning model

11. Achievement Goals • 100% of students achieve beginning level • 50% of students achieve intermediate level • 25% of students achieve advanced level • Ambitious yes, but perfectly aligned with the University’s new strategic plan!

12. Gaps • ULIFE is lacking sufficient opportunities for both intermediate and advanced competency given our achievement goals

13. Campus Climate • Conducive Climate to Expect 100% Beginner Level of Multicultural and Global Competency based on diversity and inclusion efforts, initiatives, and commitment to progressive learning practices , workshops, and courses. • Holding Accountable all Mason persons to reach 100% Beginner Level, understanding that each of our contributions, attitudes, and efforts contribute significantly to the overall campus climate: • Faculty • Staff • Students

14. Classroom to Resource CenterResource WGST has a unique ability to reach its students and other students with various majors by way of students accessing our classes first. Many times in classrooms, we make students aware that there is an inclusive place for them to be in between classes. Resource centers are a difficult place to get many students to come to, but that invitation in a classroom setting has proven to and continues to be extremely beneficial • For Student Access • Campus Pulse • Ability to Direct Students

15. Classroom to Resource CenterResource cont’d What Organically Occurs in Our Resource Center ( and why it’s important): • Academic Discussion • Relation to Academic Issues students see in different spaces • Conversations with other Students they may not have met without that space • Student Collaborations • *Listening* • Safe place to be right, wrong, confused, knowledgeable, new, etc. • Fostered Inclusion and Staff commitment to ensure the continuation of said climate • Constructively addressing cultural misconceptions

16. Resource Center to Classroom • Efforts to Come to Classrooms and Make your presence known • Taking/Auditing a Class • Doing a Workshop in Classes where you feel interest would be high based on representation and in classrooms where you feel there will be a lack of exposure in the realms of 100% beginner level attainment • Possibility of Working with more Faculty in the future for co-curricular goal achievements, to ensure inclusivity training/awareness etc. is extended for accountability measures • Students Benefit • Faculty Benefits • Closes the Gap • Contribute to a more positive Holistic College Experience

17. Resource Center to Resource Center • We all have access to different groups of students • Should make our reach greater and work collaboratively • Increased Student Recognition of Possible “go to” people/offices • Accessibility • Willingness of Students to Float between offices by Seeing Staff in different offices • Talk to Different Resource centers about overlaps, trends, campus issues, possible courses based on student feedback, and collaborative workshop efforts based on gaps cited

18. Resource Center Issues after Academic Exposure • Terminology Crusaders ( classroom and in spaces; levels of learning) • Spill over of Student Disagreements • Student Complaints of Bias (in a variety of campus spaces) • Sensitive Culturally Relative Issues ( in an open space) • Offensive Wording • Understanding that we all are Students; learning, especially the actual students All spaces we try to make as safe/free as possible run into a road bump here and there. Overall , if we as staff and faculty hold ourselves accountable to continuously learn ourselves and our students, continue workshops, and professional development these issues are able to be resolved in a productive and constructive way that get our students closer to a 100% goal of at least a beginner level. While we ourselves continuously strive for the ever evolving advanced level of multicultural and global competency.

19. Partnerships with academic units—WGST as an illustration • Unlike traditional departments, interdisciplinary programs (majors and minors) have always relied on other academic units to contribute courses

20. Partnerships with academic units—WGST as an illustration • WGST minor: • 18 credits (6 courses) • 2 required courses (intro 200/308 and feminist theory 330) • 3 courses, including the required classes, must be taken in WGST • A total of half the minor may be taken outside of WGST (cross-listed and approved courses from other departments, e.g. American Women Writers (ENGH))

21. Partnerships with academic units—WGST as an illustration • Relying on other units, even outside of the college, in which case we “lose” FTE, this approach is considered appropriate and indeed somewhat desirable because it meets the truly interdisciplinary nature of the field

22. Why partner with academic units? • It is a goal of ULIFE to develop collaborations outside of the division • Faculty can be great collaborative partners! • Collaborations provide opportunities for faculty to see the great work being done in ULIFE • Transformational learning will require collaboration in order to meet the needs of the whole student

23. What can academic units bring? • Opportunities to fill the gaps in the current proposal • Specifically, many courses would in fact provide opportunities for intermediate and advanced global and multicultural competency

24. Advantages to this model • Tracks that combine curricular and co-curricular opportunities is the most expansive and diverse • Tracks that combine curricular and co-curricular opportunities model for students the integrated nature of their education; not everything is learned in the classroom!

25. Illustration: Gender/ Gender Identity • Gender and Gender Identity • Put the chart here just gender/gender identity

26. Illustration • Beginning level: student attends a production of the Vagina Monologues, a Fall for the Book Lecture or the Sojourner Truth Lecture • Intermediate level: student attends SafeZone training • Advanced level: student takes a 200 or 300 level course in women and gender studies or student becomes a SafeZone trainer

27. Adapting this model • This model is easily adaptable to any of the global and multicultural competency areas

28. Global and Multicultural Competency • Beginning level: student attends an international week event or an international café • Intermediate level: student attends a campus impact forum or cultural fusion • Advanced level: student takes a 200 or 300 level course in Global Affairs or participates in the Global Crossings LLC

29. Multiple Pathways for Maximum Participation • Advanced global and/or multicultural competency can be achieved exclusively by participating in ULIFE programs • By partnering with academic units we provide hundreds of more “spots” for students seeking intermediate and/or advanced competency

30. Collaboration goes both ways! WGST as an illustration • Every semester we compile a list of our programs and provide it to all of our faculty affiliates • We encourage them to include the programs on their syllabi and if appropriate require attendance or offer extra credit for doing so. • This increases both the attendance at our events and the connections between programs and courses (e.g. students may discuss what they learned at a program during class or in a writing assignment)

31. Adapting this model • Any unit that offers programming as part of any of the four transformational learning areas can identify relevant faculty and courses and provide a list of appropriate programs • Faculty may not always include recommended programs, but anything they don’t have to create they will appreciate!

32. Discussion