From Diversity to Inclusion: What Non-White and LGBT Graduate Students Say About the College Environment

• In Event: Multicultural/Multiethnic Education: Experiences of Students in Underrepresented Contexts

Abstract

The study described how minority (non-White and/or LGBT) graduate students defined diversity and inclusion in their classroom learning environment. Overall, students described diversity as number-oriented, while inclusion was process-oriented. Non-White students perceived diverse and inclusive campus learning environments differently than LGBT students. Non-White students described the need for a welcoming feeling with visible signs of diversity; LGBT students emphasized the need for all students to have an equal voice on campus and an environment that supported divergent views. The variation in the definitions of diversity and inclusion suggest an additional challenge when discussing and implementing diversity and inclusion initiatives on campus.

Authors

• Susan Swayze, The George Washington University

• Rick C. Jakeman, The George Washington University

• Wendy Hockersmith, The George Washington University