North Seattle Community College Multicultural Climate Survey 1992 : Findings from the Student & Employee Surveys / Scott P. Kerlin.

In 1991, North Seattle Community College (NSCC), in Washington, received funding to develop a multicultural curriculum, to assess and improve ethnic student outcomes, and to develop a multicultural leadership program for the period 1991-1996. The project called for the completion of multicultural awareness surveys in the first and last years of funding to examine the program's impact on campus support for and awareness of diversity. The first-year study of NSCC students and staff was undertaken in spring 1992. A survey was administered to 1,140 students and all 450 administrators, classified staff, and faculty. Response rates were 56% for students and 27% for employees, 44% for administrators, 27% for classified staff, 45% for full-time faculty, and 12% for part-time faculty. Study findings included the following: (1) among students, 36% of Asians, 32% of African-Americans, 38% of Hispanics, and 43% of Whites reported gaining greater understanding about people from other cultures as a result of attending NSCC; (2) over 57% of the student respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they would like to see a more diverse student body, while 46% felt NSCC needed more classes and programs teaching about cultural and ethnic differences; and (3) among employees, 73% of the respondents indicated that working at NSCC had helped them to gain a greater understanding of people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds, while less than 45% agreed or strongly agreed that NSCC was an easy place for students and employees from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds to meet one another. Data tables and sample student and employee narrative responses are included. (PAA)

Microfiche. [Washington D.C.]: ERIC Clearinghouse microfiches : positive.