Resources

Wingspread Declaration on Religion and Public Life

The Society for Values in Higher Education (SVHE), whose staff formerly included Diversity & Democracy advisory board member Nancy Thomas, published this declaration in 2005. The declaration applies the principles of deliberative democracy to the study of religion in colleges and universities, and underscores the need to broach the subject of religious difference both intellectually and interpersonally in order to prepare students for proactive engagement with the world. To download the declaration, visit www.svhe.org/node/156.

Project Implicit

As a data tool for ongoing research, Harvard University offers a series of Implicit Association tests free online through its Project Implicit portal. By taking a series of surveys, respondents can identify their own unconscious biases, laying the groundwork for deeper conversations about difference along such axes of difference as race, ethnicity, age, dis/ability, and gender. For more, visit implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/.

Race, Ethnicity, & Religion (Cornell University)

Cornell University Library’s Race, Ethnicity, & Religion project exemplifies one way that colleges and universities can make resources on diversity available to their students through collaborative compilation. While resources listed are not accessible outside of the Cornell library system, the searchable bibliography provides a strong example for institutions wishing to create a Web-based resource. To view the site, visit racereligion.library.cornell.edu/index.php.

E Pluribus Unum: Diversity and Community in the Twenty-first Century

Robert D. Putnam’s article in the Scandanavian Political Studies Journal claims that increased community diversity leads first to reductions in “social capital” (the existence of social bonds, including trust), but ultimately to its resurgence. The full article is available at www.blackwell-synergy.com.

Choosing Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs): A Closer Look at Latino Students’ College Choices

Excelencia in Education’s recent report on Latino/a student’s college choices attempts to explain why nearly one-half of Latino/a undergraduates attend HSIs. Based largely on student interviews, the report finds that Latino/a students, by prioritizing such concerns as cost and proximity to home, “create” HSIs through their college choices. The report is available at www.edexcelencia.org.

College Access for the Working Poor: Overcoming Burdens to Succeed in Higher Education

This Institute for Higher Education Policy report details the unique challenges to degree attainment facing students classified as “working poor.” Despite students’ general recognition of the importance of education, factors such as family obligations and insufficient financial aid prevent these students from completing degrees. The entire report is available at www.ihep.org.