"Pervasiveness indicates that change is felt across the institutions in the assumptions and daily work of faculty, staff and administrators." (Harper & Hurtado, 2011, page 214). A lot of lip services is paid to diversity at campuses - indeed, it seems to be one of the biggest "buzz words" within higher education.
In my opinion, Mason does a good job in walking the walk and talking the talk - at least to the public; however, I recognize, that not is all well in the "emerald city." No matter what one may think, feel or observe, racism, sexism, intolerance will always exist. The most we can hope for is that people will open their minds and exercise them - to learn, to respect and to reach to.
I do think a course on Diversity should be required of ALL incoming students - college freshmen and transfer students. If diversity is a core value, then make it as basic and as required as English 101.
Student Protest & Multicultural Reform - Interesting article on some key campus unrest events in the 1990's. The Mills College Strike and the African American Student resistance event at Rutgers University resonated with me because, I had a friend at Mills College and I went to a women's college; and, I lived in NJ during the Rutgers event. The other events - had no idea -
The student protests does harken one back to Toby Jenkin's discussion on what it means to be an Ally, an Advocate and an Activist. This theme was also iterated at a recent LGBTQ training course i took at Mason. A possible tie-in to being an ally, advocote and activitist is involvement with culture centers and student activities. Involvement encourages "cross-learning and multiculturalism," as argued by Lori Patton and Michael Hannon's selection from their book, Collaboration for Cultural Programming: Engaging Culture Centers, Multicultural Affairs, and Student Activities Offices as Partners. (retrieved from http://works.bepress.com/loripattondavis/17)
The readings this week point out that student activism and personal activism can be galvanized around a common cause/belief/or means to address a major social injustice. Collaboration leads to learning, engagement and activism.
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