The general college student body has evolved from a homogenous, predominantly white population to one that is culturally, racially, and ethnically diverse. The findings of current research on achievement and retention of minority students are discouraging. Fewer minorities attend college, success rates of those in college have not improved, and dreams of achieving educational equity remain unfulfilled. This volume of New Directions for Student Services moves forward from a descriptive perspective of what is happening on ...
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The general college student body has evolved from a homogenous, predominantly white population to one that is culturally, racially, and ethnically diverse. The findings of current research on achievement and retention of minority students are discouraging. Fewer minorities attend college, success rates of those in college have not improved, and dreams of achieving educational equity remain unfulfilled. This volume of New Directions for Student Services moves forward from a descriptive perspective of what is happening on college campuses. It describes an approach to working with students that involves "cultural brokering, " which enjoins us to learn to think contextually, span boundaries, ensure optimum performance, and take action. The cultural broker model is suggested for use with all students on today's campuses. The model presents a vision of practice that can respond to the diversity of the the 1990s and beyond. This reflexive approach is defined as deliberate and thoughtful choices of action based on knowledge of cultural differences, expansion of personal experience to others' communities, education from a variety of perspectives, and advocacy for broadening opportunities. For college administrators and student affairs professionals, the perspectives and suggestions within this volume provide valuable insights about the creation and maintenance of multicultural campuses. This is the 60th issue of the quarterly journal New Directions for Student Services. For more information on the series, please see the Journals and Periodicals page.
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