For a sample of 305 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students, of whom 95% was from economically disadvantaged Hispanic families and for whom English was their second language, evidence was sought regarding the reliability and construct validity of scores on a Spanish version of an academic self-concept measure entitled Dimensions of Self-Concept (DOSC), comprising five subscales bearing the same names as those of the five hypothesized constructs that they were intended to operationalize: Level of Aspiration, Anxiety, Academic Interest and Satisfaction, Leadership and Initiative, and Identification versus Alienation. Reliability estimates varying between .72 and .80 were judged to be reasonably satisfactory. Results from oblique factor analysis lent empirical support for the hypothesized constructs of Anxiety, Leadership and Initiative, and Identification versus Alienation. Scores associated with the subscales of Level of Aspiration and Academic Interest and Satisfaction generated a factor interpreted as a fusion of the two constructs of Level of Aspiration and Academic Interest and Satisfaction.

The past decade has evidenced significant dialogue on faith-based campuses about the persistent gap between the increasing ethnic diversity of the student population and that of the faculty. While campus administrators and leaders acknowledge the need to address this concern through faculty development, there is a disturbing lack of successful models for developing a culturally competent faculty. When coupled with the motivation of faith-based institutions to integrate a biblical foundation and spiritual approach to these topics, it can feel like an overwhelming task. In this article, the authors describe a faculty development pilot program that serves as a "best practices" model designed to blend the cognitive, affective, and spiritual dimensions and required faculty to engage with the complexities of diversity from multiple perspectives. The model includes several foundational elements, yet the authors believe it could be adapted to fit a variety of university contexts where cultural competency is both valued and needed.

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