A presentation by Patrick J. Ashton, Ph.D.

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Doing Diversity An Analysis of Recent
Diversity Initiatives at IPFW

• A presentation by Patrick J. Ashton, Ph.D.
• Associate Professor of Sociology
• Director, Peace and Conflict Studies
• Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne

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The demographics of diversity at IPFW

• Handout demographic profile, 1995-2005
• Conclusions
• White declined by 4 percentage points
• Black population jumped in late 90s remained
  steady since 2001
• Hispanic population increased dramatically since
  mid 90s
• Asian population lower than in mid 90s
• Foreign population dramatically lower
• Gender ratio has remained constant

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Diversity in context IPFW and the region
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Emerging recognition

• The real benefit of diversity comes from the
  engagement of students with one another
• The thing being made in a university is
  humanity. Wendell Berry
• The success of diversity depends upon campus and
  classroom climate
• Both require organizational change

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How to make this organizational change?

• The answer
• Knowledge Management to foster diversity

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Organizational Change through Knowledge
Management
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Knowledge Management The Learning Organization

• Components/Disciplines (Peter Senge)
• Personal mastery continual learning
• Mental models open fluid develop in
  community
• Shared vision shared images of the future
• Team learning thinking together through
  dialogue communities of practice tap tacit
  knowledge
• Systems thinking organizing complexity into a
  coherent story

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Knowledge Management Model

• Sociotechnical Design (Albert Cherns)
• Compatibility must satisfy an array of
  objectives therefore must be arrived at through
  consensus
• Minimal critical specification as little
  pre-specification as possible
• Variance control make key decisions as close as
  possible to where they are implemented

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Knowledge Management Model

• Sociotechnical Design (continued)
• Information flow information is freely shared
  boundaries should not impede the flow of
  information
• Multifunction principle take account of both
  the external and internal environments
• Power and authority work teams must command the
  necessary resources

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Knowledge Management Model

• Sociotechnical Design (continued)
• Support congruence reward people for what they
  know and are willing to learn
• Transitional organization it is more complex
  than what it was or is becoming
• Principle of incompletion all periods of
  stability are only temporary lulls between
  changes redesign should be continuous

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A Brief History of Diversity at IPFW

• Key leadership changes in the 1990s
• Chancellor Michael Wartell - 1994
• Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
  Susan Hannah - 1998
• Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs
  Jeanette Clausen- 1997

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Key Diversity Initiatives at IPFW 1994-2006

• Diversity Council
• Established 1994 includes all stakeholders
• faculty, staff, administrators, students
• Strategic Planning
• 1st plan 1996 5-yr. revisions 2001, 2006
• Diversity Leadership Teams
• Part of a 2000-2002 IU systemwide diversity
  leadership initiative
• 3 five-member faculty/administrative action teams
  trained over 3 years (some overlapping
  membership)
• Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity
• Created Fall 2005
• Enrollment Management Team
• Troika of Associate Vice Chancellors from Student
  Affairs, Academic Affairs, Multicultural Services
  (2005)

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Diversity and the Learning Organization

• The Strategic Plans
• A result of systems thinking use of metrics,
  timelines Deans responsible for meeting
  diversity strategic goals
• Product of team learning developed shared vision
  and mental models e.g., focus groups
• Compatibility satisfied multiple
  constituencies developed by consensus
• Information flow draft plans widely published
• Multifunction principle used internal data
  looked at comparable institutions elsewhere

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Diversity and the Learning Organization

• Diversity Council and Diversity Leadership Teams
• Personal mastery for themselves and others
  through training, workshops, institutes
  curriculum transformation grants for faculty
• Mental models, team learning developed through
  institutes, workshops
• Shared vision dialogue through book discussions
  (12 books, 200 faculty and staff), Study Circles

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Diversity and the Learning Organization

• Diversity Council and Diversity Leadership Teams
• Systems thinking moving from funding events to
  organizational transformation, culminating in the
  Diversity Showcase development of Diversity
  Strategic Plan, diversity general ed requirement
• Compatibility, tapping tacit knowledge
  curriculum transformation focus groups, gen ed
  diversity focus groups
• Multifunction principle training by
  nationally-recognized experts at workshops,
  institutes
• Support congruence grants to faculty, staff

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Diversity and the Learning Organization

• Diversity Council and Diversity Leadership Teams
• Minimal critical specification, variance control,
  power and authority empowered by top
  administrators to make their own plans resources
  from all top administrators
• Information flow DC has representation of all
  stakeholders DLTs sought representation, input,
  proposals from key schools and departments draft
  gen ed requirement widely publicized
• Acknowledgment of mistakes discussion of
  problems with diversity college fairs,
  recruitment and retention, gen ed diversity
  requirement

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Recap Knowledge Management and the Learning
Organization

• People continually learning how to learn together
• Where new and expansive patterns of thinking are
  nurtured
• It is a living system nurturing it is like
  raising healthy plants or children

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Diversity and the Learning Organization

• Current challenges
• Team learning
• Record and make explicit the tacit knowledge of
  key staff who will be retiring or leaving
• Support congruence reward people for what they
  know and are willing to learn
• Rewards for those doing diversity work???

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Diversity and the Learning Organization

• Current challenges
• Multifunction principle Connect with the
  external environment by redesigning the internal
  environment
• Assign walls or display cases on campus to
  various cultural groups in the community
• They decide how to decorate and explain the
  meaning (campus experts can facilitate process
  and artistic judgments, if asked)
• The community group raises funds for decorating
  and scholarships
• Important diversity outcomes of this initiative
• The learners become educators and the educators
  become learners.
• The display says We were thinking about and
  appreciating you even when you werent here.
• Becomes a focal point to draw diverse communities
  onto campus

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Diversity and the Learning Organization

• Current challenges
• Transitional organization more complex than the
  past or the future organization
• Uncertainty, debate over the gen ed diversity
  requirement
• Principle of incompletion
• New Strategic Plan 2006
• New diversity requirement?
• Implement the Goals of the IPFW Baccalaureate
  Campus Diversity Audit 2006-07
• Peer evaluation with IU Northwest

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Assessment of the Knowledge Management Model

• Useful analytical tool for past practices
• Points to crucial present challenges
• Provides strategic guidelines for the future
• Offers best chance of embedding diversity
  practices