Cultural Voices: Perceptions of Faculty, Staff and Students A Cultural Study funded by the Equal Opportunity Panel University of Kentucky

Purpose of the Study Pilot examination of faculty, staff, students and community’s perceptions of diversity- related, cultural experiences and their impact on organization processes Pilot examination of faculty, staff, students and community’s perceptions of diversity- related, cultural experiences and their impact on organization processes Analyses of invited focus groups and limited-item survey Analyses of invited focus groups and limited-item survey

Strategic Goal V: Nurture diversity of thought, culture, gender, and ethnicity Key indicators Key indicators Ability to meet the enrollment and persistence goals of the Kentucky Plan for Equal Opportunities in Higher Education and the employment goals of the University Affirmative Action Plan. Ability to meet the enrollment and persistence goals of the Kentucky Plan for Equal Opportunities in Higher Education and the employment goals of the University Affirmative Action Plan.

Project Impact Goals: 1) Assist PCD to better define goals for the work it is charged to do; 2) Identify how cultural norms might impact underrepresented populations in the areas of teaching, learning, recruitment, retention, and promotion of all members of the university community; and 3) Spearhead recommendations to redress all forms of racial and ethnicity-related inequities

Methodology  One-page, 11-item survey, 5-pt. Likert  Obtained as part of the on-line registration process for campus wide conference  Separate, non- identifying responses submitted to a common server  Four semi-structured focus group interviews  Purposeful sampling  100 participants  Open-ended questions

Descriptive Data  199 conference participants with 146 on-line registration respondents  65 African Americans; 66 white (non Hispanic)  10% other ethnicities  107 females; 39 males  5% African American males; 18% white males  39% African American females; 38% white females  18 UK faculty  2 former UK faculty  57 UK staff  5 no UK affiliation  32 UK students  7 guests to UK  1 UK alumni  25 not given

Education Beyond Brown: Future Perspectives Conference Survey The University of Kentucky: 1. Demonstrates that it values racial diversity in hiring administrators 2. Demonstrates that it values ethnic and cultural diversity in hiring faculty 3. Demonstrates that it values racial diversity in hiring staff at all levels 4. Exhibits a diversity of race/ethnicity in recruiting and retaining students 5. Demonstrates that it values diversity in curriculum choices 6. Demonstrates that it provides students with meaningful experiences in diversity 7. Maintains an inclusive community 8. Exemplifies a diverse community 9. Exhibits a diversity of gender 10. Exhibits a diversity of culture 11. Exhibits a diversity of thought

Invited Focus Group Questions 1. If you attended UK’s most recent conference on the 50 th year commemoration of Brown v. Board, what did you think of the program? 2. When you first read or heard about the university’s state Goal 5... what was your first thought or reaction? 1. In what ways do you see UK demonstrating that it values racial diversity? 2. Do you believe that UK maintains an inclusive community when it comes to issues of race and/or ethnicity? 3. If you had two minutes to talk with President Todd on the topic of racial diversity at UK, what would you say to him? 4. Of all the needs discussed here this afternoon, which one is most important to you?

Preliminary Survey Results Survey respondents neither agree nor disagree with the following: -UK demonstrates values in hiring racially diverse administrators -UK values ethnic and cultural diversity in hiring faculty faculty -UK values diversity in curriculum choices provides students with meaningful experiences in diversity -UK exhibits diversity of thought

Preliminary Survey Results Survey respondents agree with the following statements: -UK exhibits a diversity of gender -UK exhibits a diversity of culture -UK maintains an inclusive community -UK exhibits a diversity of race/ethnicity in recruiting and retaining diverse students

Preliminary Survey Results Survey respondents disagree : -UK exemplifies a diverse community -UK values hiring diverse staff at all levels

Preliminary Focus Group Themes  Apathy and isolation  Lack of intellectual community  Participant evaluations  Participant suggestions for improving