Making the Invisible Visible: Exploring Cultural Differences of Faculty Working on a Multicultural Team

Sevinj Iskandarova; Oris Griffin

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Conference: 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Publication Date: June 24, 2017
Start Date: June 24, 2017
End Date: June 28, 2017
Conference Session: Action on Diversity - Engineering Workforce & Faculty Training
Tagged Topics: Diversity and ASEE Diversity Committee
Page Count: 19
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--28645
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/28645
Download Count: 570

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Paper Authors

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Sevinj Iskandarova James Madison University orcid.org/0000-0002-2941-0033

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Sevinj Iskandarova is a Ph.D. student at James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, USA. She received her MS.Ed. in Adult Education/Human Resource Development from James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, USA in May 2016. Her main research interests include Human-Computer Interface, Information Technology, International Education, Leadership, Learner-centered Education and Multicultural Education. In 2016, she was awarded a prize for Outstanding Thesis Award in Education, Social Sciences, and Humanities at the Graduate School, James Madison University. She has advanced experience on the educational system in Caucasus and Central Asia regions. She has presented at more than 30 international conferences, and seminars thought USA, Europe, and Asia.

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Oris Griffin James Madison University

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I am a professor in the Adult Education/Human Resource Development (AHRD) Program in the Learning Technology and Leadership Education Department at James Madison University.
I have been on the faculty for over 26 years. My areas of interest are Diversity, Leadership and Adult Learning. My commitment to student learning is exemplified by my long-term involvement with community service-learning, having served as faculty liason and a Professor in Residence (PIR) for several inner city schools in Richmond, VA for over six years, I also served as the Director of the PIR Program for three years.

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Abstract

In an educational environment, where many cultures are represented, it is essential that the environment is inclusive and every culture is embraced. Training programs for faculty members on how to cope in a new diverse environment in ways that develop strong, culturally relevant interpersonal skills have been missing in many educational institutions. The purpose of this mixed method study was two- fold. First, the researchers examined faculty member’s reactions to working in a culturally diverse environment. Secondly, the researchers wanted to uncover best practices or strategies that might improve cultural awareness in workforce development in terms of navigating daily life within an educational institution.

This study delved into the experiences faculty members reported having in their workplace. The study involved 224 faculty members across various departments and career statuses working at a public coeducational research institution in the United States of America. The survey and interview responses to a predetermined set of questions were analyzed in order to draw out commonalities and to address the research questions.

The results of the study revealed that an intensive cultural orientation training program is needed to help faculty members develop effective communication skills in order to work more collaboratively in an educational institution.

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Iskandarova, S., & Griffin, O. (2017, June), Making the Invisible Visible: Exploring Cultural Differences of Faculty Working on a Multicultural Team Paper presented at 2017 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Columbus, Ohio. 10.18260/1-2--28645