Date of Award
2003
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
EdD Program in Organizational Leadership
Advisor
Gloria Wolfson
Committee Member
Patrick Chambers
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
attributes, barriers, benchmarking, campus climate, campus diversity, community representation, Concordia University Wisconsin, cultural differences, cultural diversity, cultural inclusion, cultural pluralism, development methodology, diversity, faculty, faith and learning, higher education, inclusive campus, inclusive environment, learning communities, literature review, Lutheran education, multiculturalism, racial diversity, research, staff, student populations, student surveys, university planning, valuing diversity, workforce diversity
Abstract
This applied dissertation was designed to develop a plan at Concordia University Wisconsin to create a campus where racial and cultural diversity is valued. Concordia University Wisconsin is a Lutheran higher education community dedicated to integrating faith and learning. Concordia University Wisconsin lacks an inclusive environment where racial and cultural diversity is valued. Without valuing racial and cultural diversity, Concordia University Wisconsin cannot effectively represent the communities it serves, and it cannot meet the needs of all student populations. The purpose of this study was to discover what the attributes of an inclusive campus are, discover what barriers must be overcome, and develop a plan to create an inclusive environment that will value racial and cultural diversity.
The main focus of the research for this study was to develop a plan that can be implemented to encourage individuals to value racial and cultural diversity at Concordia University Wisconsin. To gather the information needed in developing this plan, two other specific research questions were examined. Firstly, what would the attributes of a campus that valued racial diversity look like? Secondly, what the barriers are at Concordia University Wisconsin to valuing racial and cultural diversity? An analysis of the data collected and benchmarking to discover successful programs at other universities aided in the development of a plan to create an inclusive environment that values racial and cultural diversity.
This applied research project utilized the development methodology to design the plan. The procedures included (a) reviewing of the literature, (b) surveying racially diverse populations, (c) surveying students and staff at Concordia University Wisconsin, and (d) working with faculty, staff, and students to create a plan for developing an inclusive environment to value racial and cultural diversity.