College Environments, Diversity, and Student Learning

Evaluating the Rationale for Affirmative Action in College Admissions: Direct and Indirect Relationships between Campus Diversity and Gains in Understanding Diverse Groups

“…These institutions also made intentional efforts to insure that diverse perspectives were emphasized in the curricu lum. That is, consistent with other research (e.g., Hurtado et al, 2003), the percentage of students from historically underserved popu lations present in the student body is less important in helping students understand di mensions of human diversity than is exposing students to different ways of thinking. These include assignments that feature socioeco nomic class, internationalism, and global consciousness and expand students' worldviews and how they interpret and generate alternative solutions to problems.…”

Relationships among Structural Diversity, Informal Peer Interactions and Perceptions of the Campus Environment

“…Much of the theory and research related to diversity experiences has focused on three features of the teaching and learning environment: (a) structural diversity, (b) classroom diversity, and (c) informal interactional diversity (Gurin, 1999;Hurtado, Dey, Gurin, & Gurin, 2003). Structural diversity essentially represents the extent to which students of color are included in the student population.…”

“…Recruiting minority students is particularly significant because many scholars agree with Justice Powell that a diverse student body is a necessary condition for interactions among diverse groups. These interactions, in turn, create opportunities for students to develop skills and competencies needed to function effectively in a diverse society (Chang, 2001;Gurin, 1999;Hurtado, Dey, Gurin, & Gurin, 2003;Hurtado, Milem, Clayton-Pedersen, & Allen, 1998, 1999. Thus, structural diversity is thought to exert an indirect effect on student learning, acting through interactions with peers.…”

“…The effects of informal interactions among diverse peers depend on the nature and quality of those interactions. Drawing on research from social psychology, Hurtado, Dey, Gurin, and Gurin (2003) concluded that interactions among diverse groups will have positive effects on outcomes when: (a) the groups are of equal status, (b) there are common goals and inter-group cooperation, (c) institutional leaders support group equality, and (d) there are extended opportunities for group members to get to know one another. Interactions between Black and White students at one institution resulted in an increasingly negative climate when the conditions identified by Hurtado and her colleagues were not present (Sampson, 1986).…”

“…Many higher education scholars argue that increased minority enrollment provides colleges and universities with an opportunity to address issues of prejudice and discrimination and better prepare students for life after college when they live and work in a diverse society (Chang, 2000(Chang, , 2002Hurtado, Dey, Gurin, & Gurin, 2003;Smith et al, 1997). These scholars point to research indicating that a diverse college campus provides students with opportunities to interact with peers who are different from themselves and that these interactions ultimately contribute to a supportive campus environment and mediate students' intellectual and personal development (Gurin, 1999;Hurtado, Milem, Clayton-Pedersen, & Allen, 1998, 1999.…”