Enacting Diverses Learning Environments: Improving the Climate for Racial/Ethnic Diversity in Higher Education

Abstract

This document is intended to provide the higher education community with information from recent and classic research studies that can serve as a guide to improving the climate for diversity on campus. The first section of the report examines the literature on campus climate for diversity, the experiences of various racial/ethnic groups, and the effect of campus climate educational outcomes. Following sections (1) set out the research framework; (2) examine the historical legacy of inclussion and exclussion; (3) examine the impact of structural diversity resulting from the increased complexity of diverse student enrollments and problems associated with diversifying faculty; (4) review the psycological climate and the impact of discrimination and perceptions of climate on students. (5) examine the behavioral dimensions of institutional climate, including student involvemnet and intergroup relations, classroom environment, curricular change, campus race relations and social interaction, and participation in racial/ethnic student organizations and minority support programs; (6) link institutional climate for diversity with general learning environment; (7) provide some principles for improving campus climate for diversity; (8) give some examples of current effortss at various institutions, and (9) conclude with a plan for action in which everyone has a role in improving campus climate.