Central Washington University Board of Trustees May 16, 2019
Executive Summary – University Diversity Overview Leaders of national, multinational and emerging corporations need employees who are culturally competent. They want people who can adapt their working and communication styles to individuals from a wide range of different cultures and countries. Cultural competence creates rapport, improves efficiency, and helps opens new markets and networks. Culturally competent employees in business make customers feel valued and build repeat business. It’s a critical skill that helps organizations avoid mistakes and miscommunication. Cultural competence is a key aspect of the mission of Central Washington University because it is integral to the academic success of students and their success after graduation. As well, diversity among university employees enriches all university endeavors, including marketing, problem solving, and organizational flexibility. A culturally diverse workforce increases creativity and innovation, and, most important, provides student-centered approaches that increase retention and graduation for all students. The diversity of the workforce is especially critical at an institution like CWU where the student body is very diverse. A third of students are people of color. Half transferred to CWU from another institution, and more than half are first in their family to go to a university. CWU strives to be a student-centered university, which research has shown to be the most significant factor in student success. However in order to meet the needs of such a diverse student body, the university requires employees with the cultural competence to understand what student needs really are. A critical factor of the university’s success therefore is a workforce that is diverse: faculty and staff from many walks of life; diverse in gender, race and ethnicity; and with a wide range of cultural experience. Research shows that teaching and learning benefit from a diverse faculty and that the learning process significantly impacts student engagement. Diverse faculty are more likely to use student-centered teaching practices, such as class discussions, and student-developed learning and topics that relate directly to issues of student engagement and success. Students in classrooms of faculty with diverse backgrounds are more likely to encounter readings and research that highlight diverse experiences— including perspectives different than their own. Faculty with diverse perspectives create innovative classrooms through professional interest in current local, national, and global issues that are non-traditional and use that interest to restructure classrooms and learning into a student centered environment. Student engagement is associated with diverse educational practices and collaborative learning. Active pedagogy provides students with opportunities to interact with those different from themselves through collaborative learning methods. Students as active contributors to the learning process are more engaged and much more likely to persist in their studies and graduate.
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