1. Calvin College Multicultural Affairs Committee Spring 2009 The 2009 Multicultural Climate Survey

2. Overview “I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne.” Rev. 7:9 Context: Overview of FEN Why a Multicultural Climate Survey? Diversity/ Climate Studies Research? MAC Survey Framework MAC Survey Timeline Big Questions Resources for More Information

3. What is FEN? From Every Nation (FEN) " There before me was a great multitude that no one could count, From Every Nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb." Revelation 7:9 A document adopted in 2003 by the faculty and in 2004 by the Board of Trustees of Calvin College. This document articulates a vision, as well as, goals and strategies for "transforming Calvin into a college that is always vigilant in recognizing racism, always conscientious in promoting reconciliation, and always active in the work of restoring a healthy multicultural community" (FEN, 8). From Every Nation Document

4. A Brief History of FEN Comprehensive Plan for Integrating North American Ethnic Minority Persons and Their Interests into Every Facet of Calvin’s Institutional Life (1985) “God’s Diverse and Unified Family” study and publication (CRCNA Synod, 1996) CRCNA agencies begin formal anti-racism training with Crossroads Ministry (1999) Planning & Priorities Committee of Calvin College assigned three study committees to analyze “charter documents” (2000) Committee work: Study and drafts (2001–03) From Every Nation (FEN) ratification by faculty (October 2003) and by Board of Trustees (February 2004) FEN 5-year review conducted by Multicultural Affairs Committee (2009)

5. FEN Themes Ultimate goal: work toward a multicultural Kingdom of God FEN Themes work simultaneously rather than sequentially Multicultural Citizenship (FEN, p. 27) Expand cross-cultural experiences Cultivate intercultural sensitivities Anti-Racism and Accountability (FEN, p. 28) Continuing effort to identify the sin of racism and its effects Make structural changes that will promote greater accountability and enable us to escape and avoid traps of institutional racism Reconciliation and Restoration (FEN, p.29) Develop positive vision of shalom Model shalom in our community

6. FEN Goals and Strategies Calvin College will develop a more racially and culturally diverse campus, one that increasingly reflects the multiracial and multicultural character of the Body of Christ, a community able to discern and counter racism in all its forms and to embody the reconciling power of the Gospel. See FEN, pages 40 – 52 for specific Goals and Strategies related to: Personnel Students Curriculum and Instruction Partners and Constituencies From Every Nation Document

7. Why a Multicultural Climate Survey? Coincides with the five-year review of the From Every Nation document being conducted by the Multicultural Affairs committee “By encouraging systematic evaluation and review, we hope to provide stimulus to reformulate particular strategies and, where appropriate, to explore new or alternative strategies, in response to practical experiences and changing circumstances. In that spirit, we recommend that every five years the Multicultural affairs Committee conduct an overall review of the plan itself to determine whether it is serving its intended purposes and/or whether further revision is needed.” (FEN, p.39-40)

8. Why a Multicultural Climate Survey? Calvin’s last racial climate study was conducted in 1999. Previous surveys targeted particular populations. Since 1999 FEN has been adopted. In 1993, “The Multicultural Climate of Calvin’s Campus: A Survey of Calvin College Students”, was conducted. A follow-up study by the same name was conducted in the Spring of 1999. In 1991 and again in 1998, a climate survey for employees was commissioned by MAC; however, race was not the focus of the employee surveys. Current literature suggest that Diversity/climate studies are useful for evidence-based decision-making, planning, and evaluation. “Examining the climate for diversity is an important part of campus-based assessment activity, especially as postsecondary institutions enter an era of ‘evidence-based’ practice and aim to identify areas for improvement to achieve educational goals for an increasingly diverse student body. … Over time, campuses began climate assessments as a proactive initiative rather than reactive attempt to deal with significant issues…” (Hurtado, Griffin, Arellano, & Cuellar – 2008)

9. Why a Multicultural Climate Survey? 2008-2013 Strategic Plan for Calvin College 1.B. We will tie key decisions, innovations, and evaluation standards to the central commitments of the college, as reflected in the Expanded Statement of Mission and From Every Nation. We will develop a set of benchmarks, based on these central commitments, to inform decision-making and ensure transparency throughout the college. Calvin College is a member of the West Michigan President’s Compact Committee. “This requires that we combat interpersonal, systemic and cultural racism whenever and wherever they appear in our institutions of higher education and in our community. We accept this as our responsibility and we will encourage efforts to address the issues of racism, diversity, sensitivity and understanding in curricular and co- curricular ways for all students, faculty and staff.” (Wording from Compact”

10. What is Meant by Multicultural Climate? For our purposes … the campus multicultural climate is part of the institutional context which includes community members’ attitudes, perceptions, behaviors, and expectations around issues of race, ethnicity, and diversity. A framework for understanding the campus racial climate describes it as a multidimensional construct, subject to and shaped by the policies, practices, and behaviors of those within and external to colleges and universities. (Hurtado, Griffin, Arellano, & Cuellar – 2008) Racial climate research has focused on the four climate-related factors internal to and within the control of individual colleges and universities: compositional or structural diversity, the psychological dimension of climate, the behavioral dimensions of the climate, and an institution’s history and legacy of inclusion or exclusion. (Hurtado et al., 1998, 1999 cited in Hurtado, Griffin, Arellano, & Cuellar – 2008)

11. 11 Climate-Related Factors Institutional Context Historical Legacy of Inclusion/Exclusion Psychological Climate Behavioral Dimension Structural Diversity Government/Policy ContextSocio-historical Context (Hurtado, Milem, Clayton-Pedersen, & Allen, 1999)

12. 12 Diversity/ Climate Studies Research Breakdown of 70+ Surveys from 1985 to most current administered or in literature Assessing the Value of Climate Assessments. Hurtado, Griffin, Arellano, Cuellar(2008)

13. Diversity/ Climate Studies Research “The consistency of the results from fifteen years of empirical research, along with the nine themes that emerged in our study, make clear the need for greater transparency regarding racial realities in learning environments at predominately white institutions. … Consistent with Kezer and Eckel’s recommendation (2002a), we suggest that administrators, faculty, and institutional researchers proactively audit their campus climates and cultures to determine the need for change.” “Unexplored qualitative realities of race in institutional assessment” is one of the nine themes. SourceSource Nine Themes in Campus Racial Climates and Implications for Institutional Transformation. (2007) Harper and Hurtado

14. Multicultural Climate Survey Framework Institutionally Devised (Specific to Calvin College, but includes questions similar to those found on other campus climate surveys.) Multidimensionality (Examining main themes found in many racial climate studies) Structural Diversity Psychological Climate Behavioral Climate Outcomes Capturing Student, Faculty, Staff, and Administrator opinions and experiences Targeting Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural dimensions of diversity. Also, addressing religious identity as a dimension of cultural identity.

15. Multicultural Climate Survey Timeline Fall 2007 … MAC decides to launch five-year FEN review in Fall 2008. Spring 2008 … MAC informs Faculty Senate of intentions of FEN review and multicultural climate study. Spring 2008 … MAC polls campus on opinions of FEN Spring 2008 … Racial Climate Survey Literature review conducted. Fall 2009 … MAC begins design of survey instrument. Spring 2009 … MAC contracts Center for Social Research to finalize and distribute survey. April 16, 2009 … Survey is launched. All Calvin College students, faculty, staff, and administrators are invited to participate. Summer 2009 … Analysis of survey results. Fall 2009 … Reporting of survey results as part of completed FEN review. Appropriate recommendations made.

16. Big Questions What does it mean for Calvin College to be a multicultural, anti-racist, reconciling, restorative, and Reformed campus? How will we know we have achieved this Kingdom inspired goal? Does Calvin College’s Historical Legacy of Inclusion/Exclusion impact the current racial climate of the campus? How has it impacted the racial and ethnic composition of students, staff, and faculty of the past and present? What does it feel like to be a person of color on Calvin’s campus? Who is more likely to feel like an outsider? How do “outsiders” cope? How will the changing national racial and ethnic demographic composition impact the racial and ethnic composition of the college over the next twenty to fifty years? How will U.S. international relations impact Calvin’s international student, faculty, and staff composition?

17. Resources and Information Nine Themes in Campus Racial Climates and Implications for Institutional Transformation. By Shaun R. Harper and Sylvia Hurado. (2007) Diversity and Higher Education, Harvard Educational Review—Fall Issue, (2002) Intergroup Dialogue: Deliberative Democracy in School, College, Workplace, and Community by David Schoem and Sylvia Hurtado, (2001) University of Michigan Press. Diverse Democracy Project papers and presentations on website: www.umich.edu/~divdemo www.umich.edu/~divdemo The Changing Currency of Diversity. Volume 15, Number1, The Diversity Factor © 2007, ISSN 1545-2808. Winter 2007. Ten Core Ingredients for Fostering Campus Diversity Success. Katrina Wade-Golden, Ph.D., and John Matlock, Ph.D. Assessing the Value of Climate Assessments: Progress and Future Directions. By Sylvia Hurtado, Kimberly Griffin, Lucy Arellano, and Marcela Cuellar. (2008)