Diversity Research

I have created this web site to disseminate information about our on-going project.  It includes a short reading list, focus group transcriptions and tapes, and questionnaire data.   I am keeping aspects of the site private (it will require a password) so to keep the tapes confidential. 

Readings:  I have put together some papers on the topic we have been discussing with my summary and comments.  Feel free to send other papers (with or without comments) which I can post. 

Bliss (2004).pdf:  Study compared Hispanic-American Community College students' study behaviors to those of students in public and private schools in Mexico. They found that HACC students were more similar to Mexican students in public than private universities or colleges.  The results were interpreted as suggesting a larger role played by the "culture of the student" (e.g., SES etc.) rather than the "culture of the institution" (primary Hispanic institution).  (I am not sure that the comparisons between students of different universities really distinguishes between culture of the "student" and of the "institution").

Ceja & Rhodes (2004):  The study examined factors associated with moving Hispanic students through the academic pipeline from associates to bachelor degrees. (Interesting qualitative study)

Fuertes et al. (2000):  This paper reports on the Universal Diversity Orientation Scale, which we    used to assess students' embracing of ethnic diversity. (Still need to get more predictive validity studies before I know exactly what is being tested). 

Miller (2005):  Reviews the challenges facing and programs promoting the goal of increasing enrollments of Hispanic Students in High Education.  (Somewhat limited in scope).

Rajapaksa et al. (2003):  Examined the adjustment of American and International students to American university life. Americans had more friends and were more satisfied with their social networks.  However, social network satisfaction was predictive of adjustment for International but not American students.  (Interesting analysis, however the conclusions are suspect because there was no control of, or even comparison between, the American and International students on demographics or other potential extraneous variables). 

Ridley (2004):  An essay on the socio-linguistic nature of learning and the challenge that poses for international students.  Not only are international students learning the language and culture of the country, they are also learning the institutional culture of learning.  (Provides a good foundation on socio-linguistic analysis).

Wrightman-Brown (2002):  The study analyzed and interviewed male and female Hispanic students who achieve in science and engineering.  They found a variety of high school-related, curriculum-related, faculty-related, advisement-related, and institutional culture-related variables as impacting these students' success.

Zhao et al (2005): The study assesses the engagement of  freshmen and senior American and International students at American institutions using the NSSE data.   They found International Freshmen were more engaged academically than their American counterpart, but became less engaged and more like American students by senior year.  The effect held for the most part by  national origin, except of Asians who relaxed and embraced diversity less than Americans.  (Good statistical control but questions remain about generalization and other extraneous variables).

Focus groups: For the transcripts and streaming audio of the focus groups please click here (you will need the password, email eamsel@weber.edu if you have forgotten it).

Questionnaire Data: