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##  Multicultural Strategies for Community Colleges: Expanding Faculty              Diversity. ERIC Digest.                                                      

For years, many community colleges have been discussing the need for            multiculturalism in the classroom in an effort to give students an              understanding of an increasingly diverse population. According to               Burstein (1997), multicultural education is a process that promotes             understanding and appreciation of the cultural diversity that exists            within a pluralist society. King (2000) stresses that students must             be able to compete academically and technologically on a global                 scale and to communicate effectively with people from different                 cultures. 
Multiculturalism is of great importance in the community            college, for it is the community college that provides the initial              exposure to higher education for most non-traditional students.                 Adopting a multicultural stance in the community college is helpful             in facing the challenge of serving a diverse student                            clientele (Burstein, 1997). However, undertaking such an endeavor is            not an easy task. Students that come from a variety of cultural and             lifestyle backgrounds need role models on their college                         campuses (Erkut & Mokros, 1984). Increasing the diversity of the                administration and faculty is one promising way to provide role                 models and establish the kind of rapport needed for effective                   mentoring. To be effective, mentoring must include people that                  listen to each other, care about each other, and have a willingness             to strive toward mutually rewarding experiences leading to the                  satisfaction of individual and group needs (ACE/AAUP,                           2000). MULTICULTURAL SUCCESS THROUGH A MULTICULTURAL                          FACULTYMulticultural education involves more than adding a few              classes. Rhoads and Solorzano (1995) contend that this endeavor                 should begin with restructuring community colleges so that all                  constituents have the opportunity to expand upon current academic               understandings, making issues of citizenship, social responsibility,            and democratic participation central to the experience. The personal            and academic relationship between faculty and students has been                 referred to as the "core relationship" of learning, encompassing the            roles of teachers and students, the subject matter and their                    interaction in the classroom (Burnette, 2000). Castro-Abad (1995)               stresses that a faculty member's goal should be to assist                       multicultural students in adapting to American educational culture              rather than to bring about, or encourage, their assimilation. Such a            curriculum could enable all students, regardless of their cultural              background, to take an active role in their own education. 
Though             student diversity on community college campuses is increasing at a              rapid pace, community colleges are not achieving similar levels of              diversity among their administrators (Foote, 1996). Some experts                believe that community colleges will not reach their full potential             as a catalyst for educational and social progress without increasing            the commitment to multicultural leadership (Bowen & Muller, 1996).              Students from underrepresented cultural and lifestyle backgrounds               are less attracted to education and teaching as a profession due to             the lack of desirable role models in those particular fields (Crase,            1994). Thus, the lack of diverse role models in faculty and                     administrative positions creates a cyclical pattern in which the                diminished diversity works against the ability and desire to                    increase and build a multicultural environment. BEYOND GOOD                   INTENTIONS TO IMPLEMENTATIONRecognizing the need to hire a more             multicultural staff, a number of innovative educators have initiated            programs to help recruit and train staff from underrepresented                  populations to succeed academically and socially within the                     community college system. Several of these ongoing initiatives are              described below. 
Schenectady County Community                                 College (NY) 
Schenectady County Community College, New York                   campus, created an intern program aimed to increase faculty                     diversity. The program was started after the college's affirmative              action and multi-cultural affairs committee decided to address the              lack of diversity among faculty. The program is designed to select              and give interns from a variety of diverse cultures an overall                  knowledge of the entire community college operations. Candidates                intern for four semesters and then apply for vacancies as they                  become available. 
San Diego & Imperial Counties (CA) 
The San                Diego and Imperial Counties Community College Association in                    cooperation with San Diego State University created a community                 college training internship for members of multicultural groups                 interested in community college teaching or counseling careers. The             program identifies, recruits, trains, prepares, and helps place                 individuals from historically underrepresented groups in California             community colleges as faculty and counselors. Throughout the year,              each intern works very closely with an assigned mentor. After                   completion of the program, interns are employed by one of the                   colleges as an adjunct instructor or counselor. During a three-year             period, 70 interns participated in the program; 70% were females and            80% were from multicultural backgrounds, including International,               African-American, Hispanic, American Indian, and Amer-Asian                     students. The program has been successful; 75% of interns have been             employed at a community college after program completion. 
Borough             of Manhattan Community College (NY) 
Recognizing that its student              body is far more diverse than its faculty, the Borough of Manhattan             Community College in New York has developed a fellowship program                aimed at recruiting teaching fellows from diverse populations that              represented the variety of ethnic groups within the community. The              minority fellowship program was started in the fall of 2000 and is              designed to recruit teaching fellows from among multicultural                   graduates. These graduates are placed into the program where they               teach 12 hours per week under a mentor teacher, and, upon completion            of the program, they are given the opportunity to compete for an                available faculty position at the community college. 
City College             of San Francisco (CA) 
The City College of San Francisco (CCSF) has            listed diversity as a key institutional value in its strategic plan             and stresses the importance of celebrating the diversity of the                 students, faculty, administrators, and communities it serves. To                achieve this goal, CCSF has established a Faculty/Mentor Diversity              Internship to increase the number of faculty members from a variety             of cultural and lifestyle groups employed by the college. The                   interns are afforded the opportunity to learn and practice teaching             and interaction techniques appropriate for community college                    students, which will make them more competitive when applying for               full and part-time positions after all project qualifications have              been met. CCSF also supports diversity by sponsoring the Annual                 World PULSE Diversity Retreat, a weekend of exploring cultural                  issues and identities. 
Santa Monica College (CA) 
Santa Monica               College (SMC) produces more transfer students from a variety of                 minority groups for the University of California system and the                 California State System than any other community college in the                 state. Under the leadership of its president, SMC has developed                 several programs that address diversity issues. At SMC, the areas of            greatest impact are mentoring and "grow your own" activities. The               college provides professional development, utilizing national                   organizations that promote underrepresented groups in higher                    education. The college president and other key administrators and               faculty also serve as active mentors to these students. In addition,            SMC has engaged in a new transfer agreement with historically black             colleges, encouraging former African-American students to come back             to SMC as professional employees. CONCLUSIONIt is beneficial              for community colleges to adopt programming activities that                     encourage faculty, administrators, and students to enhance their                growth and development through interactions with people from a                  variety of lifestyles and cultures. Moreno (2000) stresses that for             the benefit of educational efficiency and productivity,                         multicultural groups accomplish tasks that could not be done by                 individuals working alone; they bring multiple skills and talents to            bear on highly complex tasks. The community college student                     population, which is increasingly diverse, needs administrators and             faculty members as mentors and role models who can demonstrate                  successful strategies to overcome barriers and achieve success. "A              basic tenet of psychological theories of identification is that                 people emulate models who are perceived to be similar to themselves             in terms of personality, characteristics, background, race, and                 sex" (Erkut & Mokros, 1984, p. 400). The relationship between                   educators and students is most effective when both groups share                 common experiences and characteristics. REFERENCESAmerican                Council on Education (ACE), American Association of University                  Professors (AAUP). (2000). Does diversity make a difference? Three              research studies on diversity in college classrooms. Executive                  Summary. Washington, DC: ACE/AAUP. 
Bowen, R. C., & Muller, G.                 H. (1996, summer). Achieving administrative diversity. New                      Directions for Community Colleges, Number 94. Washington, DC:                   Jossey-Bass. (ED 397 884) 
Burnette, J. (2000). Critical behaviors             and strategies for teaching culturally diverse students. Reston, VA:            The Council for Exceptional Children. (ED 435 147) 
Burstein,                  M. (1997). Multiculturalism and the community college. Community                College Journal of Research and Practice, 21(5), 523-526. (EJ 549               461) 
Castro-Abad, C. (1995). A human development workshop on                  cultural identity for international students. Princeton, NJ:                    Princeton University, Mid-Career Fellowships Program. (ED 384                   382). 
Crase, D. (1994). The minority connection: African Americans            in administrative/leadership positions. Physical Educator, 51(1),               15-20. (EJ 484 296) 
Erkut, S., & Mokros, J. R. (1984). Professors             as role models and mentors for college students. American                       Educational Research Journal, 21(2), 399-417. (EJ 303 656) 
Foote,             E. (1996). Achieving administrative diversity. ERIC Digest. (ED 395             616) 
King, D. (2000). Experience in the multicultural classroom.              Community College Week, 13(4), 4-6. 
Moreno, K. (2000). Wasted                 opportunity. Forbes, 166(3), 129-131. 
Rhoads, R. A., & Solorzano,             S. (1995). Multiculturalism and the community college: A case study             of an immigrant education program. Community College Review,23(2),              31-45. (EJ 521 871) 
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This project has been funded at least             in part with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education                under contract number ED-99-CO-0010. The content of this publication            does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S.                  Department of Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial             products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.            ERIC Digests are in the public domain and may be freely reproduced.          **Title:** Multicultural Strategies for Community Colleges: Expanding Faculty              Diversity. ERIC Digest.                                                      **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse for Community Colleges. University of California             at Los Angeles, 3051 Moore Hall, P.O. Box 951521, Los Angeles, CA               90095-1524. Tel: 310-825-3931. For full text:                                   http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/ERIC/eric.html.                                    **Descriptors:**  Community Colleges,  Diversity (Faculty),  Multicultural Education,            Student Characteristics, Teacher Characteristics,  Teacher Student              Relationship, Two Year College Students, Two Year Colleges                   **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests                                                                 
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