Devoted to Diversity

By Jennifer Maloney
Residence Director
Elizabethtown College

Diversity is a very popular word on college campuses. For some, diversity is equivalent to the differences among people due to their race and ethnicity, but for others, the term diversity has expanded to include the celebration of differences and similarities of/in national origin, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age and socio-economic status. I'm sure you have all experienced some sort of diversity training, but have you given any thought to including diversity in your own programming?

As you begin to build community within your floor and building, it is important to appreciate the diversity among your residents. Remember that as a resident assistant, you are an educator. Educate your residents of the differences and similarities that exist among them and other parts of the world. A fun and creative way to accomplish this is through the development and implementation of a program or a series of programs.

Here are some helpful hints on how to incorporate diversity into your programming plan:

1. Residents to the Rescue: Use the residents of your floor
   
   Whether your floor consists of fifteen or fifty residents, there are bound to be differences among your residents. Use the diversity of your residents to program for them. They will get to know one another and learn something new! Since the program will be more focused on "them", they will be more likely to attend and more likely to actively participate. Here are some ideas to use with your floor:
   
   
   • Where In the World...
     Ask your residents what their nationalities are. Create a world map on a bulletin board or on the hallway wall. Write your residents' names on separate pieces of paper and post the papers around the world map. Using pieces of string, connect each resident with the country or countries that represent their nationality. This can be a very impressive passive program for residents to see. It shows your residents how much they have in common and often can spark conversation between them.
   
   
   • The Question Game
     Compose a list of questions that relate to the different components of diversity (race/ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status). You can find some really great questions in The Book of Questions. Put the questions in a hat and have each resident pick one, read it aloud and then answer it. This activity allows your residents to learn about more one another and sometimes they even learn something new about themselves.

2. Diversity Decoration: Use your bulletin boards to create passive programs
   
   Passive programming is a great way to educate your residents. Some institutions require resident assistants to change their bulletin boards every month, so programming through a bulletin board is a wonderful way to add diversity to your programming. Each month you can highlight or spotlight a particular topic relating to diversity. You and your residents will be able to learn something new each month! If you are unable to think of a topic for a bulletin board, you can always align your passive programming efforts with the multicultural celebrations that take place each month. For example:
   
   
   • The period between September 15th and October 15th is National Hispanic Month
   • October is National Disability Employment History Month
   • November is Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual History Month
   • February is Black History Month
   • March is National Women's History Month.

3. Professional Helper: Talk with a Multicultural Affairs professional
   
   Many institutions have a professional who is dedicated to the study of multicultural affairs. Their main responsibility is to promote greater awareness and understanding of the cultures that comprise their institution. These individuals are very well educated on the subject of multiculturalism and diversity and probably would love to help you plan an educational program or event. They have incredible ideas concerning programming and also have access to diversity resources, so even if you don't know what you want to do (but you do know that you want to do something), they can help. As a bonus, sometimes these individuals will help sponsor your program financially!

4. Campus Happenings: Utilize college-sponsored programming
   
   College campuses are busy places. There is always something to do! Administrative offices and academic departments often sponsor programs relating to their areas of interest, so use these as programs for your floor. They are such easy programs because the program is already done for you. You do not need to plan it or publicize for it; you need only round up your residents and have a good time.

5. Get Connected: Use the Internet
   
   The Internet is a great resource for resident assistants. There are a variety of websites devoted to the RA position. Many include program ideas that have been successful at other institutions; others include Internet resources that can help a resident assistant better their performance. In addition to these websites, the Internet contains information about any topic imaginable. For example, if you are interested in finding information about Diwali, a Festival of Lights, celebrated by both Hindus and Sikhs, for a bulletin board or passive program, use the Internet! The Internet is instant information at your fingertips! There are also websites dedicated to multiculturalism and diversity. Here are a few websites that can help you with programming efforts:
   
   
   • Diversity Tool Kit is a wonderful resource offering a calendar of ethnic and cultural events
   • Multicultural Pavilion is another wonderful resource that includes activities for exploring multicultural issues in self and society.
   • Diversity Web is an interactive diversity resource for higher education, sponsored by the University of Maryland

6. Serve the Community: Participate in service-learning projects
   
   Service-Learning projects are a great way to incorporate diversity into your programming and into the lives of your residents. Often times you will be working with individuals with a disability, individuals older than you, individuals younger than you or those whose socio-economic status is different from yours. As you and your residents work and participate in a project, you will learn about the lives of those you are helping. Service-Learning projects are incredible "hands-on" diversity programs that have such an impact on the lives of their participants.

As you develop ideas and begin planning your programs, remember to also keep the following in mind:

1. Balance the minority with the majority
   
   It is not necessary to always target the minority. Although your residents may not be as aware of the minority, it is okay to educate them about the majority as well. For example, if you are doing a program on the traditions of Judaism, you can also talk about the traditions of Christianity.
   
2. Big things come in small packages
   
   Try to experience diversity in your everyday programs. For example, when planning a study break, instead of having pizza, try ordering egg rolls or quesadillas. And, if you are putting together a bulletin board or passive program involving inspirational quotations, be sure to include quotations from a vast array of individuals, including women and people of color. Remember that the little things make a difference!
   
3. Remember ethnic and religious celebrations as you plan your programs
   
   Try not to plan any major programs during the ethnic or religious celebrations of your residents. For example, planning a hall dinner during a time when some of your residents may be fasting for religious reasons may not be such a great idea. Remember to take into consideration the backgrounds of all your residents.

Hopefully these hints will encourage you to incorporate diversity into your programming this year. If you are still unsure about how to go about including diversity in your programming, join forces with another resident assistant and plan something together. Good luck with all your programming adventures this year. You will do great!

About the Author

Jennifer Maloney is a second-year Residence Director at Elizabethtown College. After spending a year in corporate America, Jen returned to higher education and residence life last year...she just missed working with people. Jen's love for programming began as an undergraduate and has continued into her professional career where she is Programming Coordinator for the resident assistant staff. Jen truly believes that programming is the key to building a successful community.