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Personal Philosophy Statement: Aspirations of Diversity, Inclusion, and Intercultural

Experiences

Ayanna Williams

Loyola University Chicago

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In a forever evolving American society, I strongly believe that higher education should be

viewed as an honorable right for all opposed to an elite privilege limited to some. As history

shows, a high value has been placed on education because it has been viewed as a tool for social

mobility, a form of liberation, and the key to power and success for many Americans; especially

those from minority populations, such as Black people, that experienced oppression and

adversity (Allen & Jewell, 2002). With that being said, not all will take advantage of this

educational right. However, the pipeline to access higher education should be just as accessible

than a citizens right to vote in political elections. There are several issues facing colleges and

universities today that stem from institutional and systematic flaws rooted from the past. One of

the most pressing issues is the importance of increasing retention and graduation rates among

underrepresented identity groups.

Establishing an inclusive and diverse campus climate is essential to retaining students,

especially among various marginalized identity groups regarding race, ethnicity, gender,

socioeconomic status, ability status, religion, and sexual orientation. Establishing a certain

caliber for the campus environment creates a community where all identities are valued opposed

to a breeding ground for microaggressions and discrimination. The feeling of being valued as a

student is essential to that students coming of age and understanding of self. This feeling is also

vital in building a community and sense of belonging where the university can be considered a

safe space. A university that serves as a home away from home strongly contributes to sustained

retention rates, graduation rates, and the care for the student as a whole.

I will be focusing on how I believe student affairs is a key player in retaining students

from marginalized identity groups by fostering an inclusive and diverse campus community

through designating safe spaces for students, incorporating a diverse faculty and staff, and
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exploring different approaches to diversity education. I place a tremendous value on social

justice, inclusion and diversity, self-identity exploration, community, care for the whole student,

and high retention for underrepresented students in college. I will explore my philosophy that

reflects these values with theoretical framework and my personal experiences at the University

of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), also known as Inclusive Illinois for its diversity and

inclusion initiatives. Sustained and increased retention rates amongst minorities lead to

increased graduation rates which contribute to a progressive higher education system and a

forever evolving American society.

Safe Spaces and a Home Away from Home

Designated safe spaces create a home away from home for students and a place for

intercultural interactions that promote inclusivity. As a former high school student from the

Chicago Public Schools system, the transition to UIUC was a difficult one. I was the only Black

cellist in my music performance major, the only Black string instrumentalist in the entire School

of Music, and the only Black musician in the entire university orchestra. I would see maybe two

other Black musicians every now and then but there were no designated safe spaces for me to

actually formally meet them. Therefore, I felt ridiculously undervalued as the extremely

marginalized individual that I was. I did not get the support I needed academically, socially, and

emotionally to help with my transition to the university and the School of Music. I immediately

switched my major after the first semester, with little to no guidance. My academic performance

was on the brink of disaster. A faculty member even told me that I just would not succeed at

UIUC. As such a vulnerable and confused freshman, that experience scarred me emotionally and

academically. Socially, I felt like an outcast. Intellectually, I felt beyond inferior to my white
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counterparts, especially when I was placed on academic probation. It was not that I was less

intelligent than anyone else. My grades suffered from my lack of knowledge about useful

resources outside of the classroom, not having a sense of belonging to a community, and the

absence of self-efficacy and confidence in my craft from being undervalued by my department.

My story is similar to many other stories and the reason why some underrepresented

students do not stay in college. Luckily, I encountered the African American Cultural Center,

also lovingly known as the Black House, where my life drastically changed for the better. The

Director, Rory James, and Assistant Director, Ashley Davis, immediately took me under their

wings and helped me get back on track to the path of success and academic excellence. After

being heavily involved in the Black Houses retention program for Black students, I excelled

academically, socially, and became a prominent campus leader. Not only did I graduate from the

university like the faculty member from the School of Music claimed I was not capable of doing,

but I graduated with a double major in Economics and Environmental Sustainability, won several

awards for my contributions to the campus community, and left a legacy that I did not know I

was even capable of leaving. All of this was possible because I had a sense of belonging to the

African American community, and eventually larger campus community. I attribute my personal

college retention and graduation triumph to student affairs resources, such as the Black House.

As seen through my experiences, a key component to underrepresented student support and

retention includes,

Retention programs that offer tutoring, academic advising, and financial aid counseling;

cultural centers that serve as physical homes and central gathering places for students,

thus providing social anchors for those students most at risk of dropping out; and

population-specific resources, organizations, and offices that provide opportunities for

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identity development, cross-cultural learning, and peer support (Schuh, Jones, & Harper,

2011, p. 54).

Cultural centers and resource centers, such as the Black House, serve as safe havens for

specific identity groups, as well as spaces for intercultural learning for allies and the larger

campus community. UIUC had amazing centers that focused on the needs of women,

international students, Black students, LGBTQ students, Native American students, Asian and

Asian American students, and Latinx students. These centers provided educational and social

programs by a diverse staff for students. Programming by staff is imperative to the development

and well-being of the whole student because it allows for intercultural interactions and dialogues

to take place. Students are able to bond and learn from each others experiences. Student affairs

programming is one of the best out-of-class learning experiences where students can explore the

various identities they hold. One of the most influential programs the Black House hosts is the

annual Black Congratulatory ceremony for all of the Black graduates during graduation

weekend. It is one of the most empowering events for the entire Black community because it is

the perfect picture of a sea of Black men and women in caps and gowns that have come together

and defied all negative statistics embodying the idea that they would not make it through college.

Programs like Black Congratulatory inspire the younger classes and generations, to keep pushing

until the end and success is achieved. It is a beautiful symbol of the impact a sense of

community can have on retention and graduation rates.

Cultural centers also tend to have targeted mentorship through mentoring programs,

retention programs, and retreats. For example, the Black House oversees the 100Strong

Retention program, which aims for a 100 percent retention and graduation rate for Black

students. This is a very direct and intentional method of how universities retain
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underrepresented students. These programs provide a sense of belonging to students through

peer-to-peer mentorship, staff to student mentorship, and leadership opportunities to enhance the

student as a whole. Through mentorship and leadership opportunities, students are able to define

who they are in regards to their intersecting personal identities. The more they understand

themselves, the more they understand their short-term academic path and long-term potential

career path.

Similar to cultural centers, student organizations provide a safe space for students to

express their own cultural interests while teaching others as well. Whether it be a fraternity or

sorority, cultural student organization, or sports club, students are able to engage in intercultural

exchanges and cross cultural learning that contribute to a diverse and inclusive campus climate.

Because student organizations have programs that are coordinated by students for students, there

are leadership opportunities on the executive boards, planning committees, and within the

general member assembly. The concept of learning outside of the classroom is a prominent

theme in many students college experiences, especially my own. It caters to the whole students

development by stimulating the needs of the different identities one holds and to the different

methods of learning.

The Importance of a Diverse Faculty and Staff

Higher education while at the forefront of educating the larger society about diversity,

still falls short of employing a staff that reflects the nations diversity (Wilkinson & Rund,

2000, pg. 586). It is imperative that a diverse staff is hired, valued, fostered and retained in order

to cater to the social, emotional, and academic needs of universities growing diverse student

populations. A staff that is reflective of the diverse student population contributes to retaining
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students, especially underrepresented students. Incorporating a quality diverse staff sends a

message to students from the university that a well-rounded experience for the care of the whole

student has been considerately invested in. It also sends a message that all student identities are

valued. These implied messages foster a sense of student belonging and set a tone and high level

of tolerance for a safe inclusive community.

It is important for students to see a diverse staff so they can have mentors they identify

with (Sandeen & Barr, 2009). Based on my personal experiences, my Black mentors have left

me with some of the most impressionable opportunities and eternal wisdom. However, it is just

as beneficial to have a mentor that I dont identify with at all but they understand and embrace

the importance of diversity. For example, one of my best mentors, Ross Wantland, is a white

male. He is the Director of Diversity & Social Justice Education in the Office of Inclusion and

Intercultural Relations at UIUC. He singlehandedly debunked all negative stereotypes I have

ever had about white males. Because of his quality guidance in a time of academic confusion in

my collegiate career, he was a large factor of my college retention and graduation success,

whether he realized it or not. He exposed me to leadership opportunities that only someone in

his position of power would know about and had access to. That being said, it is so crucial for

students to have access to a diverse staff not only so they can interact with professionals and

mentors they identify with, but so they can be mentored by those that have a contrasting identity

but genuinely care just as much, if not more, than the next professional. These experiences

create quality interactions, which leads to retention, which leads to increased graduation rates,

which leads to students, like myself, wanting to be an agent for change. It all comes full circle

thanks to those like my Black mentors and those like Ross.

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To the nave ears, some may take the word diverse as a quota that just simply needs to

be met by the university. Meeting a quota will not suffice for the demanding needs of the

growing student population. There are a number of underrepresented students in the STEM

fields that struggle finding a sense of community in their academic program because they are one

of the few minorities in their classes. In addition, it adds insult to injury when those students

simply cannot identify with their professors because there are barely any to identify with as well.

Thus, they can lack a sense of belonging in their classes and may feel intimidated to be

proactively vocal. These feelings negatively impact retention amongst minorities. There should

be an accurate representation of the intentions of an inclusive campus by implementing a diverse

faculty and staff. This does not only mean adjunct faculty, staff employees, or waged workers.

It means a visible increase in tenured faculty with marginalized identities as well, in order to

represent equity among different identity groups reflective of the student population.

The level of quality of a diverse staff cannot be based off of meeting a quota because it

will be apparent in the work of the professional. For example, as a Black female student, I have

noticed a trend of how the Black staff employees represented in universities desperately needs to

be up to par, if not more so above par. If they are not, then students will primarily resort to the

staff members that seem more competent and organized, which are stereotypically white people.

Although whites can be adequate resources, that defeats the purpose of having a diverse staff if

students only utilize a certain type of staff member and cannot use those who they identify with

as a resource. Mentorship within similar identity groups and intercultural mentorship results in

well-rounded guidance based on the different viewpoints, experiences, and resources offered by

different mentors and professionals. A well-rounded experience is essential to the development

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of the whole student because of the opportunity to learn outside of the classroom and blossom

into their own personal identity.

Diversity Education

I believe that there are two main aspects to diversity education that are vital to increased

retention and graduation rates. The first aspect is educating the larger student population on

diversity and inclusion. This can be done in the form of mandatory workshops or a general

education requirement. Requiring this would theoretically increase the campuss ethical

conscience, morality, and cultural competence that is reflective of M. Arsenault, R. Castaeda,

and T. Williamss (2001) FLEX model (Adams, Blumenfeld, Castaeda, Hackman, Peters,

Ziga, 2013). It is also a visible commitment from the university to students saying that a

cohesive community is strongly valued. The second aspect is taking different learning styles into

account when educating different populations of students. As universities reflect the greater

American society, academic curriculum should reflect a multicultural pedagogy.

At UIUC, I have experienced much racism, many microagressions, and been made to feel

like I am just a quota from my nonblack peers and even some professors and staff. Much of this

stems from their ignorance on being a racial minority. I, along with a few other Black student

leaders, peacefully protested the unwelcoming racial climate at Inclusive Illinois and

established the #BeingBlackAtIllinois Campaign to voice our experiences. What we thought

was just a peaceful protest and a chance for students to voice their stories of oppression on social

media through the hashtag, turned into a working relationship with Black leaders and university

administration to improve the racial climate on campus. Some of our demands were met or are

in the process of being met. For example, having improved proactive recruitment methods for
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prospective Black students, providing adequate funds and resources for Black retention

programs, and building a new Black House to meet the growing needs of the Black student

population. Two of our demands that seemed to be more of a long-term process were an increase

in Black faculty and staff representation and having a diversity education requirement in the

form of a general education requirement for first-year students.

Having a required diversity education course will directly birth an intercultural

community in the classroom and build a new generation of competent and inclusive-minded

students. There are many classes focused on diversity education that have gotten outstanding

reviews and shown to be effective, however they are not required. Because often times those

from contrasting backgrounds do not fully understand other identities, a diversity education

requirement would equip students with the necessary tools and knowledge to be agents for

inclusion. Based on the behavioral climate dimension identified by Hurtado et al. (1998, 1999)

in the campus climate framework, the absence of contact across difference does affect students

views toward others, their support for campus diversity initiatives, and their development of key

educational outcomes (Hurtado et al., 1998, 1999). A diversity education course establishes

expectations from the university to the students, embraces positive attitudes towards cultural

differences, and asserts the universitys intolerance towards discrimination. It provides a life

changing cross-cultural learning experience, opportunity for self-reflection, and contribution to

students identity formation. The FLEX model illustrates the possible development of

multicultural competence through cross-cultural communication in diversity education by

Fostering interconnectedness, Listening and communicating, Encouraging respect, and

eXploring differences (Adams, Blumenfeld, Castaeda, Hackman, Peters, Ziga, 2013).

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Secondly, there are different ways of learning and processing different information

amongst different groups of students. Therefore, a multicultural based pedagogy and curriculum

would be more inclusive of all students instead of just the stereotypical traditional student. The

traditional pedagogy forces students to assimilate to one certain type of educational culture

opposed to embracing a multicultural education that explores a global perspective and cultural

pluralism (Amney-Dixon, 2003). Not only does that make higher education institutions

competitive in the global higher education market, it stimulates equity and respect towards

different cultures and identity groups.

Conclusion

Whether people take advantage of the opportunity, I truly believe that higher education

should be viewed as a civil right. Therefore, the access to higher education should resemble that

of equity instead of a restricted privilege. I have focused on how student affairs is a key player in

encouraging this educational right by retaining students from underrepresented identity groups

by cultivating a diverse and inclusive campus community through establishing safe spaces for

students, incorporating a quality diverse faculty and staff, and exploring different aspects of

diversity education. This concept stems from the values I place on social justice, inclusion and

diversity, self-identity exploration, community, care for the whole student, and high retention for

minorities in college. While exploring my philosophy and values with theoretical framework and

my personal experiences at UIUC, I truly believe that student affairs contributes to a progressive

higher education system by aiding in increased retention rates amongst minorities, which leads to

increased graduation rates.

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References

Adams, M., Blumenfeld, W. J., Castaeda, R., Hackman, H. W., Peters, M. L., & Ziga,

X. (Eds.). (2013). Readings for diversity and social justice (3rd ed.). New York:

Routledge.

Allen, W., & Jewell, J. (2002). A Backward Glance Forward: Past, Present and Future

Perspectives on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The Review of Higher

Education, 25(3), 241-261. doi:10.1353/rhe.2002.0007.

Ameny-Dixon, G. (2003). Why multicultural education is more important in higher

education now than ever: A global perspective. Retrieved October 17, 2015, from

http://www.nationalforum.com/Electronic%20Journal%20Volumes/Ameny-

Dixon,%20Gloria%20M.%20Why%20Multicultural%20Education%20is%20More%20I

mportant%20in%20Higher%20Education%20Now%20than%20Ever.pdf.

Manning, K., Kinzie, J. & Schuh, J. (2014). One size does not fit all: Traditional and

innovative models of student affairs practice (2nd ed.) New York: Routledge.

Sandeen, A., & Barr, M.J. (2006). Critical Issues for Student Affairs: Challenges and

Opportunities. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Schuh. J. Jones, S. Harper., & Harper., & Associates (Eds.) (2011). Student services: A

Handbook for the profession (5th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.