The competitiveness and diversity in the global workplace demand a high level of skills. Cross-cultural abilities are becoming essential in employments, locally and internationally. Education in the twenty-first century has experienced many changes through reforms and policies that shift in the direction of inclusion of minorities. America is a nation of immigrants and the educational system, and plans are focusing on integrating students of diverse backgrounds in both lower levels and higher education. The purpose of teaching is not to produce individuals with documents such as certificates and degrees but also mold them with adequate skills to function in life and employment. The skills inculcated in students in a diverse cultural setting will help them cope in a world that is complex and challenging. A multicultural education environment will prepare students to see things from different perspectives (AAC&U, 2011). Thus, the best learning environment is one that is diverse in students, staff, culture, race, and courses of study.
Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College is a private college of liberal arts in Pennsylvania. It has a large student population. Some colleges are racially and culturally homogeneous in principle but not in practice, while others are practically heterogeneous culturally and racially. Washington and Jefferson College appears similar, but the student population is diverse in different ways. There is a mixture of the rich and poor, and students who are ethnical, ideologically diverse, living and learning together. This inclusion is enforced by the way the admission process is handled. Students and staff are aware of the importance of creating an accommodative mentality in students so that they can be open-minded people in the society after leaving school. Students from different backgrounds interact with each other cross-breeding knowledge of each other's cultures, and perspective on issues. The small-size nature of the college allows for a deeper cultural awareness and even the socioeconomic status of different students. However, it does not appear to have a center that is specifically devoted to student diversity but the curriculum is inclusive.
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Wagner College
Wagner College is located in Staten Island, New York. It is also strategic as a liberal arts college. The institution adopted a program, curriculum of inclusion that focuses on service learning. The service learning deals with exposing students to the diversity of culture, ideologies, sexual orientation, political affiliation, race, nationality, and any other factor that may lead to underrepresentation. They took it a step further to create two great action councils under the Center for Intercultural Advancement. These centers, the Internationalization Action Council and Diversity Action Council cover the entire student population with the intention of producing informed graduates who will fit in a complex workplace. Action Council (n.d) see diversity as "race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, ability, social class, age, geographic location, language or any underrepresented group on our campus" (n.p). With this goal, the college vigorously pursues inclusion in its curriculum.
America is built on the principles of fairness and equal opportunities for everyone. Upon these, the level of diversity is increasing but not adequate. Race and ethnic elements are melting slowly in communities and colleges. Higher education is a right place to build a firm understanding of the importance of diversity and accommodation of differences in culture. Students find institutions where there is diversity a better learning environment because they learn things about different people and cultures through interactions with course mates. Diversity foster learning by making it competitive. Many schools also have embraced diversity in their admission policies as a strategy because they have discovered the significance of its impact in the future. Academic and social skills tend to improve in a learning environment that is diverse because through such an environment, students learn how to collaborate and relate socially.
Excellence, as the overall assessment of a college, cannot be achieved without inclusion. Admissions processes have inhibitive areas that keep prospective candidates out of many schools. Students with high potentials of reaching excellence in college end up attending average schools because of reasons that are mainly economic (Kahlenberg, 2004). Thus, inclusion across all schools will produce well grounded, informed students with skills that reflect a society that is equal and democratic in its values. Faculty staff, administrators, and managers need to prepare themselves and the students about inclusion and the benefits associated with it so as reduce the homogeneity in some colleges. Integration helps students with cultural and ideological differences to appreciate others and be tolerant. It broadens their minds to be objective on current and national issues as they integrate and interact with each other.
In sum, there is awareness on the importance of having multicultural colleges in America because of the growing population of minorities, international students, and immigrants. Inclusion produces graduates with skills that make them capable of dealing with the complexities of the global workplace and relations. The cultural understanding allows them to see national issues from a different perspective and also in an objective manner. The best learning environment is one that offers students the opportunity to interact with other cultures, experiences, race, and classes.
References
AAC&U (Association of American Colleges and Universities). (2011). “Core Commitments: Educating Students for Personal and Social Responsibility.” Association of American Colleges and Universities. Retrieved from http://www.aacu.org/core_commitments/PSRI.cfm .
Action Councils - Center for Intercultural Advancement. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://wagner.edu/intercultural/action-councils/
Kahlenberg, R. (2004). “Toward Affirmative Action for Economic Diversity.” Chronicle of Higher Education 50 (28): B11.
