Utilizing Virtual Technology as a Tool to Enhance the Workforce Diversity Learning

New technologies for sharing information and communication are being developed every day. Such technologies have become critical to organizations and are needed to bridge the global distance gap. The ability for employees to meet virtually and interact with domestic and global partners is priceless. This ubiquitous communication ability also can be used to promote diversity and equality in the workplace. In this chapter, the increased global role of technology in the workplace and how its use can benefit and/or hinder diversity objectives will be discussed. Additionally, an innovative course delivery method will be used to demonstrate how students in diversity courses can use virtual technologies to build skills and develop intercultural and global competencies by learning from and interacting with students from around the world.

Developing a Social Justice-Oriented Workforce Diversity Concentration in Human Relations Academic Programs

There are limited human relations [HRL] programs in higher education in the United States, and even fewer that include an integrative concentration of social justice and workforce diversity. The purpose of this chapter will be, first, to identify the need for social justice and workforce diversity perspectives in HRL programs and then provide a philosophical and theoretical rationale for how an integration of these perspectives is critical to the advancement of HRL in praxis. Second, to develop students' awareness of ways that the organizational social culture operates to create social stratification and exclusion. Third, an experiential service learning component will be described as a necessary step for students to experience environments and contexts where social injustice is prevalent. The chapter will conclude with a proposal for a social justice workforce diversity certificate in HRL that recognizes professional competency and skill as a social change agent. This chapter advances the concept of organizational social justice (Byrd, 2012).

Workforce Diversity Curriculum Design Considerations for Diversity Certificates and Study Abroad Experiences

Diversity is quickly increasing in the United States, which means the demographics of today's workforce are changing. Also, many companies are going global so there is a need for better cultural awareness and understanding. With the changes in the workforce comes the need for better interpersonal skills, knowledge, and cultural awareness for those who work with diverse individuals as well as those who manage diversity initiatives. Studies show that not only is there a need for better workforce diversity curriculum in higher education, but also for workplace diversity certificates. In addition, studies show the need for better design of study abroad experiences to help with cultural and social differences. This study examines diversity trends in various disciplines, as well as reviews workforce diversity-related courses and study abroad experiences. Based upon conclusions, suggestions are offered for designing curriculum for workforce diversity certificates and for designing study abroad experiences.

A Future Direction for Integrating Workforce Diversity across the Curriculum

The current chapter provides details on integrating cultural diversity in the curriculum. Specifically, the authors discuss a new course whose aim is to prepare students to successfully work in the field of global strategic communication. The course is designed to help students gain an understanding of politics, economy, media, culture and diversity worldwide and constitutes a transformative approach to curriculum internationalization while revolving around interdisciplinarity in co-teaching and research. The authors discuss the design of the course as well as the literature they consulted for its development, namely past research on interdisciplinary research, co-teaching, and curriculum internationalization. The details provided in this chapter can help academics to replicate this approach in order to foster global engagement at their institutions.

Black Student-Faculty Mentorship Programs

This chapter discusses recommendations for how colleges and universities can institute formal mentorship programs between Black students who have the aptitude and/or interest to become professors and Black faculty. Recommendations about concerns that mentors should address have been crafted based on the expressed needs and desires of Black students from the work of Shorter (2014). The chapter will detail the types of activities the program should include such as learning more about expected job responsibilities. The chapter also discusses intended outcomes associated with the program, the ultimate being an increase in the numbers of Black students that become professors. The chapter concludes with recommendations to expand the program's scope to include all underrepresented minority students.

Diversity in Undergraduate Medical Education

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) developed the Diversity 3.0 framework to reflect this current, evolving literature on diversity and inclusion, as well as the increasing need to broaden the scope of diversity work. This framework illustrates the major components of organizational culture and climate: Institutional and social context, institutional structures and policies, and the key groups of people within the institution: administrators, professional staff/non-faculty, faculty and students. This chapter will explore various aspects of the Diversity 3.0 framework, presented by experts in the field of institutional culture and climate. Additionally, the chapter will provide information on how institutions can engage their surrounding community, what metrics to consider when assessing organizational culture and climate, and how to best leverage data and findings once they are obtained.

A Perspective on How Counseling Curricula can Enhance Workforce Diversity Practices

As we become more of a global society, it is imperative for the work environment to mirror this diversity and for individuals to be supported in their professional development. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to describe how the field of counseling can contribute to the advancement of workforce diversity education. The understanding and application of counseling skills (e.g., attending skills) can positively influence interactions within the workplace and enhance workforce diversity initiatives. A case study is included with discussion questions along with an exploration of future directions for enhancing workforce diversity.

Diverse Student Scholars

With student co-authors, this book chapter shares the impetus, background, origin, and sources of institutional support for Diverse Student Scholars, which is a predominantly undergraduate, interdisciplinary research program created and founded by the first faculty author. Along with offering student involvement details on the Diverse Student Scholars program, the relevance of institution-mission fit for undergraduate research is discussed. The authors summarize the Diverse Student Scholars program impact and connect student undergraduate research engagement with the potential for advancing workforce diversity competencies.

Trans*Forming Higher Education to Advance Workforce Diversity

The discrimination transgender persons experience in their educational pursuits, as well as their personal, public, and private lives, negatively impacts their ability to obtain and to maintain work. Trans individuals experience frequent harassment and violence in school, discrimination in the workplace, and high rates of poverty. This chapter reviews the prevalence and implications of trans targeting before surveying judicial opinions and legal statutes that work to protect or to discriminate against transfolk. Although the laws are mixed, more and more legislative codes and judicial opinions advance trans rights and consider gender identity and expression a protected class of people. This chapter suggests different policies, programs, and protocols college campuses can adopt to create a safe, inclusive, and productive educational environment for trans students. Doing so will educate cisgender individuals about trans issues and legal rights as well as prepare trans workers to enter into the workforce.

Organizational Socialization and Workplace Diversity

An organization teaches its members its culture through socialization. Sources of anticipatory socialization exceed just the organization. Many sources such as family, friends, media, communities, previous employment, and education play a role in the socialization process. Not only are people socialized into skills but also into ideals such as workplace diversity. Therefore, the teachings of such ideals need to occur before an individual enters an organization. Through socialization, members learn not only workplace skills but also ideals and concepts such as workplace diversity. Therefore, if anticipatory socialization begins before an individual enters an organization, then teaching of concepts like workplace diversity need to occur earlier as well. In order to merge theory with practice, institutions of higher education must incorporate the teaching of organizational values such as workplace diversity to adequately prepare graduates for entry into the workforce.