Overview of Diversity Efforts

Why diversity matters and what it means for the University of La Verne.

Various studies1,2,3 have articulated the importance diversity makes to a well-rounded education. These authors outline how problems and challenges have been addressed by the inclusion of diverse perspectives and experiences that offered new insights, solutions, and overall benefits to all students.

The University of La Verne, situated in one of the most diverse and dynamic areas of the United States (the Greater Los Angeles Metropolitan area and the fast-growing San Bernardino County), reflects the demographic make-up of its community. With such richness in student diversity and the surrounding area, the university understands the tremendous benefits of learning and accessing first-hand experiences that ultimately enrich the understanding and life of each student, academically and socially.

Furthermore, La Verne integrates the concept of valuing diversity with its university mission statement:

The university promotes the goal of community within a context of diversity. The university, therefore, encourages students to understand and appreciate the diversity of cultures which exists locally, nationally, and internationally.

La Verne also has an extended but connected nuance to diversity: “It seeks to promote appreciation of biodiversity by helping students understand the impact/dependence of human beings on their environment.”

What does this mean?

It means we are on a journey together attempting to learn what it means to be an inclusive learning community, where we care enough for each other that we engage each other in meaningful dialogue about inclusion and justice. It also means we are mindful of the impact our presence has on the environment we inhabit and how we use and allocate resources.

The University of La Verne is a designated Hispanic Serving Institution, and as a campus community, we are striving to transform and operationalize what it means to be a “serving” campus within the construct of being designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution.

University Strategic Plan on Diversity

In fall 2010, La Verne drafted and had approved by its Board of Trustees a University Strategic Plan on Diversity. The significance of this plan was that it outlined several goals for implementation during the first year which included the hiring of a Chief Diversity Officer—CDO. This position has now evolved into the role of Associate Vice President of Institutional Excellence and Mission Integration (AVP-IEMI) and has responsibilities to oversee institutional excellence and the integration of our institutional values as it impacts the campus community, as well as all diversity efforts across the university, both in the academic and administrative units.

Diversity, as defined in the Strategic Plan on Diversity and as embraced by the Center for Multicultural Services, is an operational definition of diversity:

Diversity is an active and intentional commitment to support and embrace difference and multiplicity for the sake of expanding knowledge, educating capable citizens, developing the whole person, and serving our local and global communities. Promoting and sustaining diversity is a commitment to educational quality, equity, and the creation of positive, respectful communities. Diversity means more than just acknowledging and/or tolerating differences. Diversity is a set of conscious practices that involve:

  • understanding and appreciating the interdependence of humanity, cultures, and the natural environment;
  • practicing mutual respect for qualities and experiences that are different from our own;
  • understanding that diversity includes not only ways of being but also ways of knowing;
  • recognizing that personal, cultural, and institutionalized discrimination creates and sustains privileges for some while creating and sustaining disadvantages for others;
  • addressing practices that perpetuate discrimination and unfair treatment while also instituting other practices that support diversity and diverse people; and
  • building alliances across differences so that we can work together to eradicate all forms of discrimination.

Mission statement for Diversity

Critical to the Strategic Plan on Diversity and to supporting the definition of diversity is the “Mission Statement for Diversity”:

The University of La Verne is committed to providing a quality, personalized educational experience for leadership and participation in a diverse society to a student population that reflects the full diversity of this country. This commitment is achieved through creating a climate that supports diversity, social justice and sensitivity to global interdependence. The University will engage our students, faculty, staff and the broader external community to achieve this campus climate.

Opportunities for Involvement

If you are eager to fully educate yourself in a holistic fashion, with the richness of diversity at your disposal, then you are encouraged to engage yourself in the life and collaboration of the many cultural clubs on campus. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to join the clubs and organizations they desire. You don’t have to self-identify with a particular club in order to join. It is very encouraging to have students from various backgrounds join the numerous clubs and organizations that make up the university community.

A core value the University of La Verne upholds is valuing diversity and being a lifelong inclusive learning community. Much of what individuals learn and hold as memories comes from active involvement in clubs and organizations.

The cultural clubs and organizations available at the University of La Verne fluctuate from year to year, but these are some of the perennial ones: (many of these clubs and organizations have other offices and departments supporting them, but are part of the rich diversity of clubs on campus).

  • African Student Association
  • Armenian Law Student Association
  • Asian Pacific American Law Student Association
  • Black Law Student Association
  • Black Student Union
  • Brothers’ Forum
  • Common Ground
  • CRU
  • Delta Sigma Theta
  • IDEAS (Improving Dreams, Equity, Access for Success)
  • Interfaith Fellows
  • International Student Organization
  • Kings’ Ascencion
  • Latino Law Student Association
  • Latino Student Forum
  • LGBTQ+Coalition
  • Muslim Student Association
  • Pride Law Association
  • Sigma Gamma Rho Inc.

Other student participation opportunities

All program initiatives have the goal of creating awareness of the gifts and talents of the diverse University of La Verne community, and at the same time of challenging racism, sexism, classism, ableism, heterosexism, homophobia, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, islamophobia, all forms of inter-religious bigotry and other forms of privilege and oppression.

References

  1. Astin, A. W. (1993ª). Diversity and multiculturalism on campus: How are Students affected? Change, 25(2), 44-49.
  2. Gurin, P., Dey E. L., Hurtado, S., & Gurin, G. (2002). Diversity in higher education: theory and impact on educational outcomes. Harvard Educational Review. 72(3), 330-366.
  3. Pascarella, E. T., Edison, M., Nora, A., Hagedorn, L. S., & Terenzini, P. T. (1996). Influences on student’s openness to diversity and challenge in the first year of college. Journal of Higher Education, 67, 174-195.