Analysis of Campus Feedback
What the Campus Feedback Revealed - Spring 2008:
Halualani conducted a qualitative analysis of 770 responses from the campus consultation and feedback stage (using NUDIST – Non-numerical Unstructured Data Indexing Searching and Theorizing -- Software)
Main Themes (not exhaustive):
- There is a need and value for the plan. [80% of responses – the other 20% were skeptical because of a) suspicion that it won't be implemented and b) that it could divide the campus.]
- SJSU needs to follow through with this idea; we need to not JUST TALK about diversity but take action to support it across the campus.
- Need to include many different kinds of backgrounds (race, ethnicity, gender, age/generation, sexual orientation, socioeconomic class, political perspective, religion, region, nationality, disability, languages spoken, among others).
- The plan needs to be more inclusive of ALL campus members.
- The plan should work hard to incorporate staff needs.
- Diversity needs to be connected to excellence and quality; no dumbing down.
- There should not be a forced, imposed approach to diversity; let a thousand flowers bloom.
- Whites need to be given a role in the diversity plan.
- Management needs to reinforce the diversity mission and incorporate it in the management style and reward system for staff.
- There needs to be more engagement and excitement around diversity; not some forced "guilt" approach. Inspire the campus to care.
- Students framed diversity as representational diversity and understood diversity in terms of events and spectacles.
- Students expressed dismay at the number of culturally insensitive comments made by professors in the classroom.
Research on the needs of SJSU (data evidence, outcomes, perceptions)
The needs are as follows: (gleaned from the forums, focus groups, and an environmental scan / inventory/ mapping)
- Ongoing assessment of diversity at SJSU (across the board
- Student demographics
- Student engagement (ignite their curiosity and interest as opposed to a top-down "it is good for you" approach)
- Graduation and retention rates
- Access
- Diverse faculty recruitment, retention, and success;
- Diverse staff recruitment, retention, and success;
- Professional development opportunities that highlight diversity and intercultural skill sets;
- Curricula that foregrounds diversity issues and skills across disciplines
- Faculty incentives and engagement around diversity
- Creating a campus environment to explore, dialogue about, and traverse different identities, perspectives, and ways of being
- Management training around interculturalism and diversity
- Connections to and alliances with a global and internationalized effort at SJSU (strategic planning goal-of-focus)
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