Prepared by the Student Affairs MCOD Implementation Team
June 2009
The MCOD Implementation Team was charged with completing a proposal of next steps and strategies to meet the objectives of Student Affairs MCOD Strategic Plan Goals. The charge includes developing a working definition of MCOD, determining what the Division must do to become a MCO, setting guidelines for use of Student Voice, conducting a review of current multicultural organizational efforts in the Division, making recommendations regarding infrastructure to support MCOD, developing plan to address Strategic Plan objectives, making suggestions regarding best practices, setting clear and measurable metrics.
Implementation Team members included Shelly Kerr, Chair (Counseling and Testing Center); Suzanne Hanlon (Erb Memorial Union); Dani Amtmann (Career Center); Peg Rees (Physical Education and Recreation); Brian Parks (Counseling and Testing Center); Lou Vijayakar (Housing); Chicora Martin (Office of Student Life); and Tina Gutierez Schmich (Center on Diversity and Community).
The Implementation Team met weekly during the Spring 2009 term and is continuing to meet throughout the summer to develop this report.
Student Affairs Multicultural Organizational Development is:
The intentional creation of an organization that actively includes and engages
everyone.Our Student Affairs multicultural organization:
- Is a dynamic and ongoing commitment to the MCOD process
- Creates a safe. welcoming, accessible, and fair environment
- Advocates social justice
- Eliminates all forms of oppression
- Has diverse representation throughout all levels of the division
- Considers the multicultural impact in all decision-making processes
- Understands and engages the advantages and strengths of a diverse organization
- Encourages the contributions of all members of the division
A Student Affairs multicultural organization is accomplished in these ways:
- A commitment by Division Leadership to develop and maintain a multicultural organization
- Staying current on MCOD practices and principles by reading current literature, attending professional conferences specific to MCOD, and consulting with professional colleagues with expertise in MCOD
- The creation of explicit policies and processes to prohibit exclusion and to foster inclusion
- Being invested in a lifetime of learning
- By expressing its value system locally, regionally, nationally, and globally
- Continually assessing the organization to ensure that principles of MCOD are being met
- Continually revising and implementing new policies, procedures, and practices to enhance the multicultural development of the Division
- Taking leadership and partnering with colleagues on campus, regionally, and state-wide to create multicultural organizations outside of the Division
- Including clear and explicit statements about the commitment to being a multicultural organization in Division literature, websites, recruiting efforts, etc.
- Recognizing that individual staff members are at different places in their multicultural development and that educational efforts must be targeted toward different developmental levels
Definitions
Diversity: the presence or absence of numerical symmetry of differences such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age religion, and physical ability or disability, in our society
Multiculturalism: achieving positive individual, community and societal outcomes through values of inclusion, cooperation, and movement toward mutually shared goals; the acceptance of multiple worldviews, (i.e., how others see, react and interact in the world; helping us to acquire the attitudes, knowledge and skills needed to function effectively in a pluralistic society.
Oppression: one group routinely keeping another group without access to social power or in a subjugated position
System of oppression: the systematic harassment, discrimination, exploitation, marginalization or other differential and unequal treatment of individuals or groups in institutionalized and systematic ways
Prejudice: the preconceived judgment or opinion, based on an irrational attitude (including hostility or hatred) directed against an individual or group (or their supposed characteristics)
Privilege: unearned access to resources (social power) that is only readily available to some people as a result of their group membership
Racism: the belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce inherent superiorities or inferiorities that justify and normalize practices of privilege and discrimination
Social Justice: full and equal participation of all groups in a society that is mutually shaped to meet their needs; moves beyond awareness and tolerance toward appreciation and action; moves beyond conversations about the “other” and focuses on how our identities are windows into understanding oppression and change; end outcome in equity and inclusion (Wall and Obear, 2009)
MCOD Developmental Stage Model (Jackson, 2006).
Stage 1: The Exclusionary Organization
- Openly maintains the dominant group’s power and privilege
- Deliberately restricts membership
- Intentionally designed to maintain dominance of one group over others
- Overt discriminatory, exclusionary, and harassing actions go unaddressed
- Unsafe and dangerous environment for subordinated group members
- Monocultural organization
Stage 2: “The Club”
- Maintains privilege of those who have traditionally held power and influence
- Monocultural norms, policies, and procedures of dominant culture viewed as the only "right" way: "business as usual"
- Dominant culture institutionalized in policies, procedures, services, etc.
- Limited number of "token" members from other social identity groups allowed in IF they have the “right” credentials, attitudes, behaviors, etc.
- Engages issues of diversity and social justice only on club member’s terms and within their comfort zone
Stage 3: The Compliance Organization
- Committed to removing some of the discrimination inherent in the “Club”
- Provides some access to some members of previously excluded groups
- No change in organizational culture, mission, or structure
- Focus: Do not make waves, or offend/challenge dominant group members
- Efforts to change profile of workforce (at bottom of organization)
- Token placements in staff positions: Must be “team players” and “qualified”
- Must assimilate into organizational culture
- Must not challenge the system or "rock the boat"
- Must not raise issues of sexism, racism, classism, heterosexism...
Stage 4: The Affirming Organization
- Committed to eliminating discriminatory practices and inherent advantages
- Actively recruits and promotes members of groups that have been historically denied access and opportunity
- Provides support and career development opportunities to increase success and mobility
- Employees encouraged to be non-oppressive awareness trainings
- Employees must assimilate to organizational culture
Stage 5: The Redefining Organization
- In transition
- Moving beyond “nondiscriminatory,” “non-oppressive”
- Working to create environment that “values and capitalizes on diversity”
- Working to ensure full inclusion of multicultural workforce to enhance growth and success of organization
- Begins to question limitations of organizational culture: mission, policies, structures, operations, services, management practices, climate, etc.
- Actively works towards developing a multicultural organization
- Committed to redesigning and implementing policies and practices to redistribute power, and ensure the inclusion, participation, and empowerment of all members
Stage 6: The Multicultural Organization
- Mission, values, operations, and services reflect the contributions and interests of the wide diversity of cultural and social identity groups
- Leaders and members act on the organizational commitment to eradicate all forms of oppression within the organization
- Actively works in larger communities (regional, national, global) to eliminate all forms of oppression and to create multicultural organizations
Most Student Affairs departments are involved in some type of multicultural development work, including formal multicultural trainings and informal multicultural conversations. These efforts are sometimes isolated or periodic diversity trainings, but they may not be part of a clearly articulated commitment to multicultural organizational development. There are few examples of Division-wide multicultural organizational efforts. Current divisional efforts include:
- Including MCOD in the Division Strategic Plan
- Diversity Action Committee of Student Affairs (DACSA)
- Cultural Competency Modules for Student Affairs staff
SECTION STILL TO BE DEVELOPED
Resources cited in the Reference section were researched to identify best practices in the field of multicultural organizational development.
- Gain leadership commitment and support (Wall and Obear, 2008)
- Form an “inclusion change team” (Wall and Obear, 2008)
- Clarify and communicate the vision and institutional benefits of a multicultural organization (Wall and Obear, 2008)
- Create a sense of urgency and an expectation for shared responsibility (Wall and Obear, 2008)
- Conduct an assessment to assess current Division and Campus dynamics and organizational readiness for change (e.g. Comprehensive Cultural Audit, Wall and Obear, 2008; MCOD Environmental Assessment, University of Alabama Student Affairs)
- Implement accountability structures (Wall and Obear, 2008)
Individual departments are doing multicultural work, but somewhat isolated from each other. Departmental work is important for laying a foundation and it is important for departments to retain some individual identity. However, more work is needed to establish a blueprint for the Division. These ideas can be thought of in terms of Student Affairs as a neighborhood. It is important that each house (Student Affairs departments) be solid and functioning well, but it is also important to develop a community center (the Division of Student Affairs).
It is important to acknowledge where we are currently, and how much work we still have to do. This work must be backed up with a commitment from the Division leaders - not just the Vice President for Student Affairs. The reasons for engaging in this process must be communicated consistently by Division leadership and throughout the organization. Division leaders (formal and informal) must consider the different motivating factors for staff commitment to the Division’s multicultural commitment. Some staff members are intrinsically motivated and choose to participate because they are personally invested in the issue, others are motivated by incentives to participate, and others participate to avoid negative consequences. We must be motivated to ensure that all members of the Division become increasingly multiculturally competent.
Recruitment and Retention Issues
The Division should commit itself to more intentionally hiring and retaining diverse staff at all position levels to build a critical mass of historically underrepresented groups at the University. Increasing staff diversity is likely to create a more attractive work environment and may allow us to gain traction in attracting an increasingly diverse applicant pool. Greater diversity creates opportunities for varied perspectives, world-views, interpersonal styles, and communication styles to be modeled and shared. General priorities and specific activities to achieve these priorities should include:
1. Enhancing the UO Division of Student Affairs’ and its individual units’ reputation as leaders in the area of multicultural organizational development and cultural competence.
- Student Affairs staff should actively participate in professional conferences that emphasize multicultural issues and should present on topics related to multicultural issues in Student Affairs. This type of participation would increase current staff multicultural competence, create multicultural networking opportunities, and assist in developing a national reputation for being committed to multicultural organizational development.
2. Addressing and reducing barriers to successful recruitment of underrepresented staff, especially staff of color.
- Position announcements should be distributed to organizations and publications that reach underrepresented groups rather than relying primarily on usual professional organizations.
- Search committees and participants in interview processes must take the initiative to address the diversity of the UO and the city of Eugene directly and honestly.
- Position announcements should be written so that multicultural skills are emphasized in ways that go beyond the obligatory affirmative action statements. Position announcements that emphasize English language skills could be written in ways that value bilingual skills and the ability to communicate with a wide range of individuals.
3. Providing adequate support to underrepresented staff in order to retain a diverse workforce.
- Supervisors should consider being flexible in providing professional development release time and professional development funding for staff to attend conferences in which participants are typically diverse or in communities that are more diverse.
- Supervisors should actively seek out campus linkages for underrepresented staff and support staff members in building these linkages into their job responsibilities.
Infrastructure
Efforts to initially engage staff in multicultural staff development may be successful, but sustaining excitement and commitment can be more difficult. It is typical for individuals to return to the status quo under stress and when they become very busy. There needs to be a) structure in place to support and sustain these efforts and b) visible and transparent leadership to keep multicultural organizational development on the radar screen.
A commitment to providing funding for multicultural organizational development is vital to this initiative. It will be important for the Office of the Vice-President of Student Affairs to provide funding for ongoing professional development for all levels of Division staff. Examples of this type of professional development could include reinitiating the Summer Student Affairs Diversity Institute or developing a half-day Student Affairs Diversity Symposium.
There are a number of real and perceived barriers to accomplishing the goal of becoming a multicultural organization. It will be important to recognize and address these issues explicitly and creatively in order to achieve multicultural objectives.
- It is easy to dismiss our ability to recruit and retain staff of color because the numbers of these staff members are currently low. It can become an easy excuse for maintaining the status quo.
- Different developmental levels and personal/interpersonal styles make it challenging to present information and communicate ideas in ways that are meaningful and accessible to all staff members.
- Staff members may hold perceptions that multicultural development is not relevant to their jobs and/or are not personally relevant.
- There can be the belief that multicultural issues have already been thoroughly addressed and there is no longer a need to do this work.
- Individual staff members and individual units may perceive themselves to be more advanced than they actually are and may not be receptive to challenge or addressing their growth areas.
- Student Affairs staff members are usually very busy and there are typically too many things to do in any given week/day/term/year. It can be difficult for staff members to prioritize multicultural development efforts equally or higher than other job tasks and responsibilities.
- Although there is a charge from the VP for Student Affairs to invest in multicultural organizational development, there is not yet cohesive and consistent leadership at the Director/Associate Director level throughout the Division to advance this charge.
- Power differentials can influence decisions about what discussions we have about multicultural issues and when. These discussions are often initiated by staff without formal leadership roles who lack the authority to make the discussions an ongoing priority.
- Discussions about multicultural issues are often derailed by the presence of hierarchies in the room. Sometimes the derailment occurs because the individuals who have power communicate or interact in ways that limit honest disclosure and discussion. At other times, staff members may fear that there is too much risk involved regardless of the communication and leadership styles of the people with positional power.
- Issues of power and hierarchy are often not explicitly addressed and examined as important to being a multicultural organization.
SECTION STILL TO BE DEVELOPED
Objective 1: Increase awareness of Multicultural Organizational Development (MCOD) theory within Division staff.
Strategies:
a) Create an MCOD section on the Student Affairs website and individual unit website with key concepts, definitions, etc.
b) Train DACSA on key concepts of MCOD and involve DACSA members in training and assessment of MCOD objectives
Objective 2: Increase and enhance residential university environments that are welcoming, inclusive and accessible.
Strategies:
a) Utilize MCOD Environmental Assessment (ACPA Commission for Assessment and Evaluation Emerging Best Practices) to assess physical environment in each unit and make changes as needed.
Objective 3: Increase collaboration with university partners.
Strategies:
SECTION STILL TO BE DEVELOPED
Jackson, B. W. (2006). Theory and practice of multicultural organization development. In Jones, B. B. & Brazzel, M. (Eds), The NTL Handbook of Organization Development and Change (pps, 139-154). San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
Jackson, B.W. (2005). The theory and practice of multicultural organization development in education. In Ouellett, M. (Ed.), Teaching Inclusively: Resources for Course, Department, and Institutional Change in Higher Education. Oklahoma: New Forums.
Pope, R. L., Reynolds, A. L., Mueller, J. A. (2004). Multicultural Competence in Student Affairs, Jossey-Bass.
Student Affairs, University of Alabama (2009). MCOD Environmental Assessment. ACPA Commission for Assessment and Evaluation Emerging Best Practices in Student Affairs Assessment Program Review and Evaluation, 2009 Award Winner http://www.sa.ua.edu/proTools.cfm#; www.myacpa.org/comm/assessment/.../EBP%202009%20Alabama.doc
Wall, V. & Obear, K. (2008). Multicultural Organizational Development: Exploring Best Practices to Create Socially Just, Inclusive Campus Communities. Presented at AAC&U Conference on October 17, 2008