In a recent survey, a majority of Whitworth alumni disclosed that, of the eight educational goals that appear at the beginning of every catalogue, the college was least successful in the area of multicultural education. Information from this survey, additional anecdotal information, and many peoples' experiences on this campus encouraged Jim and me to apply for this William and Flora Hewlett Pluralism Grant. We'd like to make a few points clear before we all get much further into the granting period.

First of all, we hope that this grant (in some small way) benefits everyone on campus and, eventually, in the greater Spokane community. In other words, this grant is for students, faculty, staff, and administrators. And, we are hoping that, even though the workshops are largely for faculty, that all on campus will be able to take advantage of this grant's resources.

Secondly, this grant hopes to address American multicultural issues, not international ones. Jim and I (and the grant) do not have the resources to address global multiculturalism. Furthermore, Jim and I see global multicultural issues to be distinctly different from American multicultural ones. We are interested in preparing our students for living in a multicultural American, urban setting.

And last, since we hope that this grant will have long-lasting, permanent effects on our campus, we are interested in fostering activities and events that seek to educate the community and that seek to change the way we think about the campus, students, and our curriculum. While one-time guest lectures, special exhibits, field trips, Power Point presentations, and special performances featuring Americans of color are good things, we do need to question the long-lasting educational value of such events, especially, if students and the community can always consider the event as "special" or "exotic." A few years ago, an American Indian who came to speak on our campus told me that he felt like "the Indian for the day." In other words, we need to re-think and revise our goals, our mission, our curriculum, and our campus events so that when we do host guests, they all feel comfortable, welcome, and part of a vital and ongoing conversation about our American society.

You may be asking: "So, then, what can I do, and how can I take advantage of the grant? In other words, how does this grant affect me?" Good question. Here are some ways in which you can help us make this grant successful.

Don’t assume. Don't assume that there is no prejudice on campus. Don't assume (just because you are a person of good will) that multiculturalism is not an issue. Don't assume you know all you need to know about American multiculturalism. Don't assume that all you need to know is in a book or a website. Ask for help, information, resources, contacts from and one of our Cultures and Community Board members. For example, ask them in what contexts the term "American Indian" or "Native American" can be more appropriate or respectful. Ask them for help in establishing contacts with the African American community. Ask them to recommend speakers, videos, websites, area churches, internships, service-learning experiences, books, and community events to you.

Don't treat the board members as if they were "special." While we all appreciate their energy and their participation in this project, they want to be treated like colleagues and friends. They need coffee and lunch, just like everyone else. They don't wish to be elevated and revered--they want to become a well-used bridge between the campus and the community.

Don't feel as if you need to change everything you are doing in the classroom. Part of our goal is to develop some new American multicultural courses, but a greater part of our goal is to have professors, students, staff, and administrators make multicultural issues part of our regular discussions. For examples--What do some Native Americans feel about the 2000 elections, tribal sovereignty, the Constitution of the U.S., Christian missionaries, Native ceremonies, dams in the Northwest, and straight-ahead jazz? How do some African Americans and Asian Americans feel about how their communities are depicted in American history texts, in art, and in the American sports media? How do some Hispanics regard women's issues, differences between Catholicism and Protestantism, business opportunities in the 21^st century, and the Bush Cabinet? You may need to do some research and reading in order to prepare a discussion or guest speaker or unit, but we don't expect everyone to develop a whole new syllabus or program.

Let distinct American voices speak for themselves. Don't rely on the same old authorities and textbooks. Talk to other faculty, and call our board members for different perspectives. Have students read articles and books by writers with different viewpoints.

Think broader and deeper. Studies have shown that college students who are taught material with multicultural contexts, resources, and discussions develop subtler and more complex cognitive and life skills. Consider integrating different viewpoints and perspectives into your office and classroom. Consider reading different texts or articles. Consider preparing your syllabus, your readings, your assignments and your students explicitly for your guest speaker. Consider asking your guest speaker to return, and asking her for further resources and contacts. Consider one of the May-term workshops to work on renovating your classes with multicultural content.

Encourage your students to explore internships and service-learning opportunities with board members or with their contacts. Think about how valuable internships and service-learning experiences, in general, are for students. Now consider how valuable it would be for students to develop those same work skills in a different cultural setting.

Get to know the community. Spokane may feel like a small, somewhat isolated city, but it is becoming more cosmopolitan every day. Did you know that there are over twenty ethnic churches in the area? Did you know that there are 31 languages spoken in the Spokane District 81 area? Did you know that there are over 100 languages and non-English dialects spoken in the greater Spokane area? Did you know that Asian Americans and Hispanic Americans are the fastest growing community groups in the area? Start by contacting the C&C Board members.

Put Whitworth out there and ask (others on campus) why Whitworth isn't out there more often. A few months ago, I met with Rabbi Izakson (Rabbi Jack, a board member) of Temple Beth Shalom. The first question he asked me was, "Why doesn't Whitworth recruit here, at the Temple?" I was flustered and had no answer for him. We, all of us, should be better prepared to answer such questions. And, we should be ready to ask the powers that be, such questions.

Back to Cultures & Community Project >>