Diversity is comprised of the multiplicity of people, cultures, and ideas that contribute to the richness and variety of life. It encompasses a mixture of similarities and differences along dimensions including, but not limited to, values, cultures, concepts, learning styles, and perceptions that individuals possess. According to the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, diversity "is represented in many forms, such as differences in ideas, viewpoints, perspectives, values, religious beliefs, backgrounds, race, gender, age, sexual orientation, human capacity, and ethnicity of those who attend and work in the organization."
Central to quality educational environment
Diversity is central to providing and retaining a quality educational environment. Missouri State University is deeply committed to developing educated persons equipped to contribute to the interdependent world in which we now live. The ability to adapt to rapid economic, social, and cultural changes is imperative. Skills and competencies to deal with diverse cultures and societies have not only become necessary to function in today’s workplace, but they also enrich one’s life and work.
Missouri State shares a belief in the following values of diversity as articulated in the American Council on Education’s 1998 Statement on Diversity:
- Diversity enriches the educational experience –– We learn from those whose experiences, beliefs, and perspectives are different from our own, and these lessons can be taught best in a richly diverse intellectual and social environment
- Diversity prompts personal growth and a healthy society –– Diversity challenges stereotyped preconceptions; it encourages critical thinking; and it helps students learn to communicate effectively with people of varied backgrounds
- Diversity strengthens communities and the workplace –– Education within a diverse setting prepares students to become good citizens in an increasingly complex, pluralistic society; it fosters mutual respect and teamwork; and it builds communities whose members are judged by the quality of their character and their contributions
- Diversity enhances America’s economic competitiveness –– Sustaining the nation’s prosperity in the 21st century will require us to make effective use of the talents and abilities of all our citizens, in work settings that bring together individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures
Values similarities and differences
As a result of these values, Missouri State is committed to creating physically and psychologically safe environments where students, faculty, and staff will be valued for both their similarities and differences. Differences should be viewed as valued resources for academic, cultural, and personal development. A challenging atmosphere which fosters the exploration of issues from multiple perspectives will enhance intellectual exploration as well as personal, professional, and institutional growth.
In order to increase and nurture its diversity, Missouri State will pursue the following strategies and initiatives:
- Create a campus climate that values and respects differences
- Expand programs that explore the experiences, perspectives and contributions of various cultures, groups and individuals
- Enhance efforts to recruit a diverse student body
- Emphasize diversity in the recruitment of faculty and staff
- Encourage a diverse community of faculty and students and staff that reflects both our pluralistic society and our commonalities and that is consistent with the goals of a public affairs institution
- Foster institutional environments and opportunities, including academic courses, that enhance learning about and respect for diversity
The successful implementation of these recommendations will depend upon the efforts of the entire campus community.