Bringing Awareness of Cultural Competence to a University Campus
Bringing Awareness of Cultural Competence to a University Campus: A Faculty Learning Community’s Journey
How university faculty develops cultural competence may occur through faculty learning communities that support them in developing culturally responsive teaching practices. The presentation will describe the work of a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) in Diversity and Multiculturalism in higher education that sought to develop cultural competence across campus colleagues with the goal of instilling cultural sensitivity in their students. A narrative related to the formation and work of the FLC, the challenges and obstacles encountered during the first and second years of the FLC, and a brief analysis of data gathered at three workshop presentations are included.
OUTLINE
A. Introduction
a. Background information
b. Concept of learning communities
c. Challenges related to forming a faculty learning communities
d. Cultural competence in relation to faculty responsibility in teaching
B. Context for the study:
a. Formation of a Faculty Learning Community (FLC) in Diversity and Multiculturalism in higher education
b. Rationale for the FLC
c. Initial goals/aims of the FLC
d. Challenges encountered in accomplishing the goals and the work of the FLC
e. Modified goals of the FLC in response to challenges encountered
C. Description of three workshop presentations from which qualitative and quantitative data were gathered
a. Teaching and Learning Symposium
b. Privilege Walk
c. Discussion Café in Cultural Intelligence
D. Research questions guiding the study
E. Method
F. Results
G. Discussion
H. Limitations
I. Conclusions and future prospects