Browsing by Subject "Diversity"

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Assessing intercultural competence for educational leaders: an empirical investigation.
(2012-05) El Ganzoury, Hala A.
The growing diversity of multi-cultural student populations in public schools coupled with the persistent challenge of narrowing the racial achievement gap raises questions about the preparedness of educational leaders to meet the needs of their diverse student population. Educational leaders are facing the challenge of responding to the needs of their diverse student population without systemic strategies, knowledge, and skills necessary to succeed in multi-cultural schools. This study was designed to investigate the level of intercultural sensitivity of a group of educational leaders in a Northern Minnesota school district as measured by the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). In this study, the placement of educational leaders in the Minimization stage means that they were in a transitional stage from ethnocentrism to ethnorelativism. However, the results of this study indicated that a well planned training can significantly develop the intercultural competence of educational leaders. Findings from this study also demonstrated a significant disparity between the actual Developmental level and the Perceived level of intercultural competence of the participants. This could mean an overestimated and unrealistic view about the participants’ ability to effectively handle the increasing diversity of student population. Overall, demographic and background variables were not found to be significantly related to the level of intercultural competence. However, some significant relations were reported between these variables and some of the IDI subscale scores.
Communities in freshwater coastal rock pools of Lake Superior, with a focus on chironomidae (Diptera)
(2014-05) Egan, Alexander
Exposed freshwater shores have received little ecological attention. At Isle Royale, an archipelago in Lake Superior, coastal areas have a moderated climate due to the large, deep lake. This project was instigated because 1) little was known about coastal ecosystems at Isle Royale, 2) unique aquatic species were expected in this habitat, 3) potentially disastrous impacts from shipping accidents could cause population losses of sensitive species, and 4) long-term shifts in climate could influence communities via warming conditions and erratic precipitation. Focal habitats were pools on the open shore, formed in bedrock depressions from precipitation, ground water, overland flow, and wave wash. The focal study taxon was Chironomidae, a diverse family of aquatic flies, well-known for variable responses to pollution and ecological gradients. Results showed a surprisingly species-rich (n = 102) and diverse assemblage. Moderate to extreme range expansions and novel habitat use were documented. Distinct communities were observed between two vertical zones, based on distance from the lake. Differences in seasonal emergence occurred close to the lake, but emerging assemblages were similar across seasons above lake influence. Some evidence supported both biogeographic community variation based on distances between islands and control of emergence events by water temperature. However, there was no evidence that pool depth or potential for desiccation influenced chironomid occupancy. Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon) were the most important factors driving chironomid assemblage differences. Pools higher on the shore showed nutrient input from upland habitats, while pools lower on the shore appeared to have nutrients flushed out by wave action and replaced with low-nutrient water. Comprehensive habitat mapping revealed high pool densities, with an extraordinary number on Passage Island, arguably the most threatened locality to shipping pollution. Also, Passage Island had the highest density of Pseudacris triseriata, a frog species with a remarkably narrow habitat use at Isle Royale. Overall, a diverse community was revealed in what superficially looks like unremarkable habitat. Apparent similarities to northern and western shores of Lake Superior suggest this study of basic aquatic ecology and physical structure describes reference conditions for coastal management across much of the lake.
Conceptualizing the Needs of Gender Variant Consumers
(2018-08) Pettys-Baker, Robert
Gender variant people are a segment of consumers that are underrecognized in both the academic literature and the retail environment. As people who defy the gender norms held by western society, they have unique attributes that set themselves apart from their cisgender consumers. Therefore, the interest of this research was to start examining these consumers, and make suggestions for where to go from here for both academics and retailers alike. Utilizing a qualitative methodology, a survey was distributed to non-cis individuals asking them about their shopping experiences and various aspects related to same. From this population, five interviews were conducted to better illuminate the findings of the survey. In the end, a diverse sample of non-cis identities were represented, and demonstrated clear needs that aren’t being addressed, including unique problems and those shared by their cisgender peers. In looking through the data, five key themes came to the forefront: A Sense of Belonging, Something for Every Body, Rethinking In-Store Design, Welcome and Affirm Don’t Pander, and Interaction Anxiety. From these themes it became evident that gender variant consumers are disconnected from the current retail landscape for many reasons. They do not find products suited to their needs or body shape, and must compromise on fit in order to buy the clothing that expresses their individuality. Interactions with others while shopping comes with a sense of danger because of the worry of confrontation by transphobic appeal. This leads consumers to occasionally shop at odd hours and avoid others in store. Overall, the findings point to a need for the participants to feel like they belong in retail spaces, with clear signs that a store has their interests in mind. Being able to see themselves in a product, whether through representation in advertisements or non-cis mannequins, was important to some because of this. However, the concern over true support vs. cash-grab pandering was an issue mentioned by some. So, those looking to appeal to this market should keep that in mind. However, given the lack of research on this population, the reason as to why these themes came to the forefront could only be hypothesized. Acknowledging this, future work is discussed at length to give others a sense of how they might contribute to addressing the lack of non-cis inclusion in both academic and retail spaces.
Confronting complexities of public school integration: School district leaders of diversity and equity navigating the professional, the personal, and the political
(2013-08) Mattheis, Allison
This dissertation is an in-depth ethnographic investigation of how local school district equity and diversity coordinators work within policy constraints and respond to particular local demands. The findings presented in this document are drawn from four years spent exploring the implementation of school integration policy in the state of Minnesota through observation of leaders' professional networks, legislative and department of education meetings and hearings, visits to three communities selected as case study sites, and a statewide survey of leaders in districts receiving integration revenue. Using a sociocultural approach to policy studies along with critical discourse analysis, this research examines community values and actions in the wider context of demographic shifts in public schools across the country, and highlights the localized nature of much educational policy. This work seeks broadly to explore practices designed to develop multicultural understanding, and examine the impact of policies that address racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic integration in public schools.
Crossing boundaries: understanding what factors encourage undergraduate students to interact with people different from themselves
(2013-11) Kuhl, Michelle Wittcoff
This study examines factors that are related to openness to diversity among undergraduate college students. Openness to diversity is increasingly viewed as a desirable student-learning outcome in universities. The factors investigated here in relation to students' openness to diversity are level of academic challenge and community engagement. Four institutional samples from the 2009 National Survey on Student Engagement were analyzed. Results show that both academic challenge and community engagement, as well as some personal characteristics, are related to being more open to diverse people. This study contributes to the understanding of how universities can use curriculum, policy and best practices to develop experiences that will help students to become more open to diverse people.
Cultivating Diversity within the Hennepin County Bar Association: Raising the Bar
(Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, 2013-08-20) Kanagi, Buba; McElroy, Kellie; Buere, Jose; Weh-Dorliae, Vivienne P.
"Cultural Competency: A Framework for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the Archival Profession in the United States"
(The Society of American Archivists, 2018) Engseth, Ellen
This article explores cultural competency in the context of the archival profession in the United States. The author reviews the cultural competency framework, the pertinent literature of archives, library, and information studies (LIS) and beyond, and surveys activity within the archival field. The author also connects cultural competency to archival principles and practice, and offers a call for further research to develop cultural competency within the profession. Cultural competency is offered as a framework for equity, diversity, and inclusion work that is accessible and available to all, and as one that provides a way forward particularly for dominant-culture archivists. Furthermore, archivists can contribute uniquely to the discourse on cultural competency within LIS; this article responds to the call for, and encourages more, discourse with LIS.
CYFC Consortium Connections, Spring 1994, Vol 3, No 2
(Children, Youth & Family Consortium, 1994) Children, Youth & Family Consortium
Decentering and Dismantling white Prominence in Music Education: Portraits of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives
(2021-11) Diaz, Roque
As racial and ethnic diversity increases in a multicultural pluralistic society, professional music education institutions like orchestras and higher education institutions strive to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives into their programming, missions, and values. However, there is a lack of systematic efforts to holistically portray these initiatives and their outcomes. The primary objective of this study was to portray cultural change as revealed through the initiatives of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO) and Augsburg University (AugU), two institutions that have undertaken specific strategies to advance DEI. Utilizing portraiture methodology, I revealed both institutions' lived experiences and the essence of their practices through the concept of “goodness” (Lawrence-Lightfoot & Davis, 1997) as revealed through written portraits in the form of a screenplay composed from original interviews, material cultures, site observations, and my worldview lens as the portraitist. The findings highlighted this concept of “goodness” from the two institutions' DEI journeys, rather than criticized research failures (Lawrence-Lightfoot & Davis, 1997). The resulting analysis depicts the why and how of these DEI trajectories within each institution, including values, goals, strategies, and progress in achieving outcomes, leading to a final integrative portrait of cultural change. This study offers a conceptual framework for cross-institutional principles that may be effective in achieving enhanced DEI initiatives in institutions with differing structures, missions, and purposes. Key themes that emerged from the SPCO were defining racial and ethnic diversity as the institution’s DEI lens, including subthemes of diversifying the institution’s mission, collaborative leadership, cultivating relationships, single-loop, and double-loop learning; and controlling Whiteness. Key themes that emerged from AugU were defining equity-mindedness as the institution’s DEI lens, including subthemes collaborative leadership, establishing pipelines for historically excluded and marginalized students, inclusive communications; and amplifying lived experiences and identities. Both institutions shared a common interest and general sense of goodness through collaborative leadership and cultivating relations/establishing pipelines. Yet, both had divergent themes that illuminated imperfections. Several recommendations for future research and practice are offered, along with concluding reflections.
Developing ITS to Serve Diverse Populations
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2006-11) Douma, Frank
In 2003, the State and Local Policy Program (SLPP) at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs began research into how Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technologies can be used to deliver transportation services to an increasingly diverse population in Minnesota. The research objective was to identify the nature of the gap between the emerging needs and existing services, and to propose ways of using technology to bridge the gap, both in terms of providing better transportation options and in reducing the cost of these options. Using the information obtained from emerging demographic data, the 2003 study focused on identifying transportation challenges and opportunities for several different populations, with a particular focus on those that do not or cannot drive. This project continues this general theme through a series of analyses of ITS applications that appear most promising to improve mobility and access for Minnesota's increasingly diverse population. These applications include technologically advanced Community-Based Transit, Car Sharing, use of ITS to implement Value Pricing through conversion of an HOV lane to a High-Occupancy/Toll (HOT) lane, and evaluation of web-based Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS).
Genetics of Rust Resistance in a Wheat Nested Association Mapping Population
(2017-10) Manan, Fazal
Wheat is an important food crop in many parts of the world, but its genetic diversity has been eroded due to intense selection in breeding programs. To increase genetic diversity in the Minnesota wheat breeding program, a nested association mapping population was developed by crossing 25 exotic accessions selected from the USDA-ARS Spring Wheat Core Collection with RB07, a Minnesota cultivar selected as the common parent because it has wide adaptation in the region. Virulent races of the stem rust (Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici, Pgt), leaf rust (P. triticina, Pt), and stripe rust (P. striiformis f. sp. tritici, Pst) pathogens threaten the wheat crop in the region. Thus, the objective of this thesis was to elucidate the genetics of rust resistance in select families of the Minnesota Nested Association Mapping Population (MNAMP) based on qualitative (chi-square tests of Mendelian gene models) and quantitative (quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping with 66,685 single nucleotide polymorphic markers) genetic analyses. Four families segregated for resistance to the widely virulent Pgt races of TTKSK, TRTTF, and TTKST. One to five Mendelian genes and five to 19 QTL conferred stem rust resistance in individual families. One family segregated for resistance to Pt race TFBGQ with Lr21 virulence. One Mendelian gene and two QTL controlled resistance to this pathogen race. Three families segregated for resistance to the Pst races PSTv-37 and PSTv-40. Three to five Mendelian genes and two to 12 QTL conferred resistance to these races in individual families. Rust resistant progeny identified from the MNAMP will be useful for enhancing the resistance of wheat to the three rust diseases.
Hmong-Americans in the Mainstream Newspapers of the Twin Cities
(2006) Lee, Hlee
Housing Assistance for Culturally Specific Groups
(1999) Scott, Terri M.
How density, diversity, land use and neighborhood type influences bus mobility in the Swedish city of Karlstad: Mixing spatial analytic and typo-morphological approaches to assess the indirect effect of urban form on travel
(Journal of Transport and Land Use, 2018) Stojanovski, Todor
In the research on the effect of urban form on travel, a set of D-variables (density, diversity, design, destination accessibility, etc.) describes land use. Typo-morphology studies the historical emergence and evolution of urban patterns and their elements. In the typo-morphological approach, land use is an underlying element of neighborhood type. Neighborhood type defines urban areas that are relatively similar according to a range of attributes, such as building types, lot sizes, street layouts and land uses. This paper juxtaposes these two approaches to investigate the effect of density and diversity, land use and neighborhood type on bus mobility in the Swedish city of Karlstad. The results show that the number of residents and jobs in standard 400-meter walksheds around bus stops explains a third of the variation in bus ridership, which corresponds to previous studies in Sweden. The scatter plots with neighborhood types indicate that bus patronage variables and the D-variables cluster in intervals. This information about ranges and maximums in bus patronage in different neighborhood types is particularly important for urban designers and planners who work with typologies, form-based codes (FBCs) or transit-oriented development (TOD).
Identification of the intended and unintended outcomes of offering the international baccalaureate diploma program at an International School in Egypt
(2015-02) Belal, Susan Mohamed
The purpose of this study is to identify the intended and unintended outcomes of offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP) at the Cairo American College (CAC) in Egypt, both for the students and the school.This mixed methods study involves a qualitative case study including document analysis, interviews, a focus group, and a quantitative tracer study. The document analysis was performed using literature from within and external to the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). At CAC, interviews were conducted with four school administrators, eight students, and ten alumni, while the focus group was conducted with six teachers. Matriculation data for all students graduating from CAC in 2012 and 2013, including those who did not participate in the IBDP, was obtained as part of the tracer study component. The findings of this study show that the outcomes of offering the IBDP at CAC depend on the style of implementation of the IBDP, teacher interpretation of the curriculum, and choices students make during the program. The administrators, teachers, students, and alumni shared intended outcomes which included university preparedness, enhanced writing skills, and perceived advantage for university admissions. The results of the study indicate that offering the IBDP broadened most students' worldviews. It helped students by exposing them to a range of subjects and by developing their research skills. In addition, offering the IBDP helped to attract students to the school. The most frequently stated unintended outcomes of participating in the IBDP were students earning college credit, as well as developing time management and organizational skills. Other unintended outcomes indicated were the stressful and elite nature of the program. Engagement with the diverse local community was not one of the perceived main outcomes of offering the IBDP at CAC and is found to not be unique to participating in the IBDP. The diversity of the CAC student body was perceived as an integral factor for helping students develop a wider worldview. The tracer study results show that three times as many IBDP graduates were enrolled in the top 50 universities worldwide as compared to non-IBDP graduates.The most relevant theoretical frameworks for this study, due to CAC's diverse student body and the mission statement of the IBDP, are Allport's social contact theory and Mezirows' transformative learning theory. These frameworks help understand the IBDP and its impact.The findings of this study inform educators, educational leaders, and the IBO about the intended and unintended outcomes of offering the IBDP at the CAC, including the factors that impact engagement with the diverse local community and international mindedness in the context of the IBDP. There are implications for educational leaders such as the need for a diverse student body in order to help develop wider worldview in students, as indicated by the findings of this study. The findings also reveal several implications for the IBO with respect to the perceived stressful and elitist nature of the IBDP. The IBO should consider the intense workload both for the students and the teachers, as well as the exclusive nature of the IBDP mostly due to the cost. There are also implications for the IBO in that the outcomes of the IBDP are dependent on the school, teacher, and student. This results in variable outcomes for each participating individual student. For example, the outcomes of creativity, action, and service (CAS) are dependent on students' choices of project. In addition, there are implications for educators as they embark on their journey of teaching course content while trying to implement the ideological aims of the IBO.
Improved Methodologies for the Inoculation of Prairie Legumes in Roadside/Revegetation Settings
(Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2008-10) Graham, P.H.; Beyhaut, E.; Tlusty, B.
Response to five different inoculation treatments has been determined in a three-year-old prairie area established at the Becker Sandplain Experiment Station in Fall 2004. Seed inoculation was generally ineffective, but overall legume numbers and biomass in the prairie restorations were enhanced by both soil-applied granular and cover-crop applied inoculants, with soils collected from the prairie areas in 2007 also showing marked improvement in the soil quality traits Microbial biomass C and N as a result of inoculation. When Dalea rhizobia were recovered from soil in the different prairie plots, and identified using BOXA1R-PCR, only 2% of the strains from the seed inoculation treatment identified with the inoculant strains, whereas 53% -100% of the rhizobia from soil in the other treatments identified with these strains. Dalea plants inoculated with rhizobia recovered from soil and identifying with the inoculant strains outyielded those inoculated with non-inoculant strains by more than 100%. In contrast, when slow-growing rhizobia from Desmodium canadense were recovered from soil and characterized, only 13.7% of the strains identified with the inoculant strains used. Most were not intended for Desmodium per se but identified with the inoculant strains intended for Chamaecrista fasciculata, the legume species most evident in the first season after planting. Inoculation with high potency granular soil-applied inoculants improves both the nodulation and establishment of prairie legumes, and the quality of the prairie, but species differences in response to inoculation require further study, particularly relative to host establishment pattern, host/strain compatibility, spatial variability in soil and environmental influences
Individual Outcomes of Employee Resource Group Membership
(2018-09) Beaver, Gregory
Organizations increasingly promote the equality and inclusion of minority employees and women through the creation and support of diversity management practices – or formalized techniques and programs designed to improve interactions among diverse employee identity groups. However, these diversity initiatives often make demographic differences more salient, or make majority employees feel excluded, leading to unintended consequences. The primary purpose of my dissertation research is to consider the outcomes associated with membership in a specific type of diversity management initiative, employee resource groups (ERGs) created for minority employees and women. I explore this topic in three separate but related essays from different perspectives, using a mix of qualitative, quantitative, and archival data. In Essay 1, I explore the unique challenges faced by minority employees at work and seek to understand how characteristics of identity affect an employee’s decisions to join an ERG, actively participate in it, and experience outcomes of membership. I utilize a longitudinal qualitative data collection method for this Essay to explore how highlighting a minority identity at work through membership in ERGs could generate problems due to social categorization and other processes related to stigma. In Essay 2, I continue to explore potential positive and negative outcomes of ERG membership, and include an examination of the role non-minority employees, or allies (e.g., men in ERGs for women, heterosexuals in ERGs for LGBT employees), in the outcomes of membership. In this Essay I use an online survey of ERG members from across the United States to investigate the expected social and career outcomes of ERG membership, and the role that allies play in either helping, or hampering, these outcomes. iv Finally, in Essay 3 I consider elements of the environment surrounding ERGs and predict that the variation in legal and social contexts around ERGs could both positively and negatively influence minority employee outcomes from membership. By exploring state-level discrimination laws and community-level resources across contexts, in this Essay I sample from employee members of ERGs from across the country and draw on multiple archival and online databases to understand local labor laws and community-level environment to compile this contextual framework.
The Influence of Women and Minority Members of Corporate Boards of Directors on Firm Performance Measures
(2018) Nieto, Maria
In this paper, I review the growing and important literature examining the relationship between diversity, in terms of both gender and ethnic minorities, of the composition of corporate Boards of Directors and firm performance measures, including financial and corporate social responsibility. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the findings have been contradictory, and the exact nature of the relationship is still unclear. These contradictions may partly arise from a lack of clarity both theoretically and empirically of the term “diversity” as used by many study authors. My review conducts an extensive examination of the literature on the diversity-performance relationship, including almost 40 studies published on this topic. In addition, I outline several directions for future research.
Infusing Social Justice and DEI Practices into Teacher Candidate Literacy Instruction
(2022-06) Robinson, Lindsay
In response to factors in the landscape of the American education system (i.e. growing diversity of the K-12 student population, lack of diversity in the K-12 teacher workforce, current events highlighting racial and socioeconomic inequities, and a growing understanding of the opportunity gap), university teacher educators (TEs) have worked to integrate social justice (SJ) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into teacher candidate (TC) preparation with the goal of preparing TCs who can teach culturally, linguistically, and racially diverse children. Research indicates that these concepts are not typically infused by teacher educators in coursework through entire programs. Instead, ideas are often siloed into introductory courses, and if SJ and DEI concepts are taken up across coursework, it is often sporadic and inconsistent across the program curriculum. Thus, current teacher preparation programs often limit or undermine the confidence of TCs to teach in socially just ways because TCs are not prepared with cohesive, well designed programmatic curriculum that makes clear connections between SJ theory and enactment. Using case study methodology, this study addressed a gap in the literature by investigating how a revised curriculum in a literacy course that follows introductory elementary education coursework, built upon, and increased the understanding and confidence of TCs to teach literacy in a socially just way. Results from this study indicate that SJ pedagogies must be modeled and explicitly discussed by TEs in the context of discipline-specific instruction. As a result, TCs grow in their literacy knowledge, pedagogies, and confidence to employ SJ concepts when they are given opportunities to design, test out, reflect upon, and receive feedback on scaffolded literacy assessments and lessons for K-6 learners. Study findings can be used to strengthen teacher education programs with a social justice emphasis, particularly in the field of literacy education, by indicating a roadmap of how to infuse social justice programmatically and disciplinarily. This includes, but is not limited to, providing TEs with a clear scope and sequence of what SJ concepts can be addressed throughout the program and how. Results from this study also note the need for agreement among TEs on the definition and application of SJ, and opportunities for TCs to enact SJ pedagogies in authentic practicum experiences. This study also points to how TEs can make intentional changes to their instruction that shift TCs’ understanding and self-efficacy; findings also point to the need for intentional collaboration and curriculum planning by TEs to continuously weave and connect SJ concepts throughout the program. All of these efforts help TCs have a more nuanced and practical understanding of SJ. Finally, explicit connections between SJ theory and enactment in a particular discipline needs to occur in order for TCs to feel confident in teaching each disciplinary subject in a socially just manner.
Interactions between plants and antagonistic streptomycetes.
(2011-06) Bakker, Matthew Gene
This work explores a variety of mechanisms through which plants impact associated streptomycete communities. Streptomycete antibiotic-mediated antagonistic activity is a particular focus. Plant host species and plant richness are addressed as independent and interacting factors driving impacts on associated soil microbial communities. The possibility of modification to antagonistic phenotypes through chemical signaling between plants and streptomycetes is explored.

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