The demands of the 21st century are challenging higher education to pursue greater excellence and improve national competitiveness. Among the challenges are the demographic changes that require enhancing institutional capacity to serve diverse populations; and societal needs to educate students to become effective global citizens and leaders. Success will be directly correlated with the degree to which institutions embed diversity and globalism at the very heart of their activities and evaluate the impact of this investment. The goal of this book is to stimulate campuses to frame and then address substantive questions that yield usable data about the degree to which diversity enriches the educational experience. It offers a set of constructs to answer such questions as: How do we know that the learning and social environment of a campus prepares its students to challenge stereotypes, or become good citizens in a pluralistic society? Do our diversity efforts in the disciplines develop students’ relational abilities and critical thinking skills? This book sets out the challenges and considerations that must be addressed by administrative leaders, by faculty, by trustees, and others who shape the vision and direction of the institution. It offers a theoretical framework that places the diversity discussion into a learning-centered context. While charging institutional leaders with the responsibility for organizational change, it stresses the critical role of faculty in changing the teaching and learning paradigm, diversifying or transforming the curriculum, and empowering the voices of diverse students. It calls for strategically linking diversity and globalism to teaching and learning outcomes. The book offers numerous examples of institutional and faculty initiatives that have successfully used diversity and collaborative pedagogies to create inclusiveness, and elevate the quality of teaching, research agendas, and students’ learning.
