A presentation by Patrick J. Ashton, Ph.D.A presentation by Patrick J. Ashton, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of SociologyAssociate Professor of SociologyDirector, Peace and Conflict StudiesDirector, Peace and Conflict StudiesIndiana University Purdue University Fort WayneIndiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne

The demographics of diversity at IPFWThe demographics of diversity at IPFW Handout: demographic profile, 1995-2005Handout: demographic profile, 1995-2005 Conclusions:Conclusions:

• % White declined by 4 percentage points% White declined by 4 percentage points• Black population jumped in late 90s; remained Black population jumped in late 90s; remained

steady since 2001steady since 2001• Hispanic population increased dramatically Hispanic population increased dramatically

since mid 90ssince mid 90s• Asian population lower than in mid 90sAsian population lower than in mid 90s• Foreign population dramatically lowerForeign population dramatically lower• Gender ratio has remained constantGender ratio has remained constant

Diversity in context: IPFW and the Diversity in context: IPFW and the regionregion

% Black% Black % Hispanic% Hispanic

IPFWIPFW 5.1 5.1 2.62.6

NE IndianaNE Indiana 5.75.7 3.23.2

Allen CountyAllen County 11.011.0 4.24.2

Fort WayneFort Wayne 17.017.0 5.95.9

Emerging recognitionEmerging recognition

The real benefit of diversity comes from the The real benefit of diversity comes from the engagement engagement of students with one anotherof students with one another

““The thing being made in a university is humanity.The thing being made in a university is humanity.” ” Wendell BerryWendell Berry

The success of diversity depends upon campus The success of diversity depends upon campus and classroom climateand classroom climate

Both require organizational changeBoth require organizational change

How to make this organizational How to make this organizational change?change?

The answer: The answer:

Knowledge Management to foster diversityKnowledge Management to foster diversity

Organizational Change through Organizational Change through Knowledge ManagementKnowledge Management

Information managementInformation management Knowledge TransferKnowledge Transfer Knowledge ManagementKnowledge Management

Primary Primary focusfocus

Storing and retrieving information

Communicating and distributing knowledge

Changing organizational outcomes thru systemic learning

Vehicle Vehicle Technical systemsExperts; established knowledge banks

Reciprocal human relationships; creation of new knowledge through dialogue, storytelling

MetaphorMetaphor Fine-tuning a machineReplicating a complex structure

Nurturing a living system

Logic Logic Linear Multilinear Fuzzy

Primary type Primary type of knowledge of knowledge

Explicit Explicit Implicit, tacit

Model Model Hierarchical, based on technical expertise

Hierarchical, based on didactic expertise

Web-based networks based on collaboration and reciprocity

Treatment of Treatment of mistakes mistakes

Exclusion of mistakes Avoidance of mistakesSharing & learning from mistakes

Knowledge Management: Knowledge Management: The Learning OrganizationThe Learning Organization

Components/Disciplines Components/Disciplines (Peter Senge)(Peter Senge)

• Personal mastery – Personal mastery – continual learningcontinual learning

• Mental models – Mental models – open & fluid; develop in communityopen & fluid; develop in community

• Shared vision – Shared vision – shared images of the futureshared images of the future

• Team learning – Team learning – thinking together through dialogue; thinking together through dialogue; communities of practice; tap tacit knowledgecommunities of practice; tap tacit knowledge

• Systems thinking – Systems thinking – organizing complexity into a organizing complexity into a coherent storycoherent story

Knowledge Management ModelKnowledge Management Model

Sociotechnical Design Sociotechnical Design (Albert Cherns)(Albert Cherns)

• Compatibility – Compatibility – must satisfy an array of objectives; must satisfy an array of objectives; therefore must be arrived at through consensustherefore must be arrived at through consensus

• Minimal critical specification – Minimal critical specification – as little pre-as little pre-specification as possiblespecification as possible

• Variance control – Variance control – make key decisions as close as make key decisions as close as possible to where they are implementedpossible to where they are implemented

Knowledge Management ModelKnowledge Management Model

Sociotechnical Design Sociotechnical Design (continued)(continued)

• Information flow – Information flow – information is freely shared; information is freely shared; boundaries should not impede the flow of boundaries should not impede the flow of informationinformation

• Multifunction principle – Multifunction principle – take account of both the take account of both the external and internal environmentsexternal and internal environments

• Power and authority – Power and authority – work teams must work teams must command the necessary resourcescommand the necessary resources

Knowledge Management ModelKnowledge Management Model

Sociotechnical Design Sociotechnical Design (continued)(continued)

• Support congruence – Support congruence – reward people for what reward people for what they know and are willing to learnthey know and are willing to learn

• Transitional organization – Transitional organization – it is more complex it is more complex than what it was or is becomingthan what it was or is becoming

• Principle of incompletion – Principle of incompletion – all periods of stability all periods of stability are only temporary lulls between changes; redesign are only temporary lulls between changes; redesign should be continuousshould be continuous

A Brief History of Diversity at IPFWA Brief History of Diversity at IPFW

Key leadership changes in the 1990sKey leadership changes in the 1990s

• Chancellor: Michael Wartell - 1994Chancellor: Michael Wartell - 1994

• Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs: Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs: Susan Hannah - 1998Susan Hannah - 1998

• Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs: Jeanette Clausen- 1997Affairs: Jeanette Clausen- 1997

Key Diversity Initiatives at IPFW 1994-Key Diversity Initiatives at IPFW 1994-20062006

• Diversity CouncilDiversity Council Established 1994; includes all stakeholders: Established 1994; includes all stakeholders:

faculty, staff, administrators, studentsfaculty, staff, administrators, students

• Strategic PlanningStrategic Planning 11stst plan: 1996; 5-yr. revisions: 2001, 2006 plan: 1996; 5-yr. revisions: 2001, 2006

• Diversity Leadership TeamsDiversity Leadership Teams Part of a 2000-2002 IU systemwide diversity leadership Part of a 2000-2002 IU systemwide diversity leadership

initiativeinitiative 3 five-member faculty/administrative action teams trained 3 five-member faculty/administrative action teams trained

over 3 years over 3 years (some overlapping membership)(some overlapping membership)

• Associate Vice Chancellor for DiversityAssociate Vice Chancellor for Diversity Created Fall 2005Created Fall 2005

• Enrollment Management TeamEnrollment Management Team Troika of Associate Vice Chancellors from Student Affairs, Troika of Associate Vice Chancellors from Student Affairs,

Academic Affairs, Multicultural Services (2005)Academic Affairs, Multicultural Services (2005)

Diversity and the Learning Diversity and the Learning OrganizationOrganization

The Strategic PlansThe Strategic Plans• A result of systems thinking – use of metrics, timelines; A result of systems thinking – use of metrics, timelines;

Deans responsible for meeting diversity strategic goalsDeans responsible for meeting diversity strategic goals

• Product of team learning; developed shared vision and Product of team learning; developed shared vision and mental models – e.g., focus groupsmental models – e.g., focus groups

• Compatibility – satisfied multiple constituencies; Compatibility – satisfied multiple constituencies; developed by consensusdeveloped by consensus

• Information flow – draft plans widely publishedInformation flow – draft plans widely published

• Multifunction principle – used internal data; looked at Multifunction principle – used internal data; looked at comparable institutions elsewherecomparable institutions elsewhere

Diversity and the Learning Diversity and the Learning OrganizationOrganization

Diversity Council and Diversity Leadership Diversity Council and Diversity Leadership TeamsTeams• Personal mastery – for themselves and others through Personal mastery – for themselves and others through

training, workshops, institutes; curriculum transformation training, workshops, institutes; curriculum transformation grants for faculty grants for faculty

• Mental models, team learning – developed through Mental models, team learning – developed through institutes, workshopsinstitutes, workshops

• Shared vision – dialogue through book discussions (12 Shared vision – dialogue through book discussions (12 books, 200 faculty and staff), Study Circlesbooks, 200 faculty and staff), Study Circles

Diversity and the Learning Diversity and the Learning OrganizationOrganization

Diversity Council and Diversity Leadership Diversity Council and Diversity Leadership TeamsTeams• Systems thinking – moving from funding events to Systems thinking – moving from funding events to

organizational transformation, culminating in the Diversity organizational transformation, culminating in the Diversity Showcase; development of Diversity Strategic Plan, Showcase; development of Diversity Strategic Plan, diversity general ed requirementdiversity general ed requirement

• Compatibility, tapping tacit knowledge – curriculum Compatibility, tapping tacit knowledge – curriculum transformation focus groups, gen ed diversity focus groupstransformation focus groups, gen ed diversity focus groups

• Multifunction principle – training by nationally-recognized Multifunction principle – training by nationally-recognized experts at workshops, institutesexperts at workshops, institutes

• Support congruence – grants to faculty, staffSupport congruence – grants to faculty, staff

Diversity and the Learning Diversity and the Learning OrganizationOrganization

Diversity Council and Diversity Leadership Diversity Council and Diversity Leadership TeamsTeams• Minimal critical specification, variance control, power and Minimal critical specification, variance control, power and

authority – empowered by top administrators to make authority – empowered by top administrators to make their own plans; resources from all top administratorstheir own plans; resources from all top administrators

• Information flow – DC has representation of all Information flow – DC has representation of all stakeholders; DLTs sought representation, input, proposals stakeholders; DLTs sought representation, input, proposals from key schools and departments; draft gen ed from key schools and departments; draft gen ed requirement widely publicizedrequirement widely publicized

• Acknowledgment of mistakes – discussion of problems Acknowledgment of mistakes – discussion of problems with diversity college fairs, recruitment and retention, gen with diversity college fairs, recruitment and retention, gen ed diversity requiremented diversity requirement

Recap: Knowledge Management and Recap: Knowledge Management and the Learning Organizationthe Learning Organization

People continually learning how to learn People continually learning how to learn togethertogether

Where new and expansive patterns of thinking Where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurturedare nurtured

It is a living system – nurturing it is like raising It is a living system – nurturing it is like raising healthy plants or childrenhealthy plants or children

Diversity and the Learning Diversity and the Learning OrganizationOrganization

Current challenges:Current challenges:• Team learningTeam learning

Record and make explicit the tacit knowledge of key Record and make explicit the tacit knowledge of key staff who will be retiring or leavingstaff who will be retiring or leaving

• Support congruence – reward people for what they Support congruence – reward people for what they know and are willing to learnknow and are willing to learn Rewards for those doing diversity work???Rewards for those doing diversity work???

Diversity and the Learning Diversity and the Learning OrganizationOrganization

Current challenges:Current challenges:

• Multifunction principle – Connect with the external Multifunction principle – Connect with the external environment by redesigning the internal environmentenvironment by redesigning the internal environment Assign walls or display cases on campus to various cultural groups Assign walls or display cases on campus to various cultural groups

in the communityin the community They decide how to decorate and explain the meaning (campus They decide how to decorate and explain the meaning (campus

experts can facilitate process and artistic judgments, if asked)experts can facilitate process and artistic judgments, if asked) The community group raises funds for decorating and scholarshipsThe community group raises funds for decorating and scholarships

• Important diversity outcomes of this initiative:Important diversity outcomes of this initiative:The learners become educators and the educators become The learners become educators and the educators become

learners.learners.The display says “We were thinking about and appreciating you The display says “We were thinking about and appreciating you

even when you weren’t here.”even when you weren’t here.”Becomes a focal point to draw diverse communities onto campusBecomes a focal point to draw diverse communities onto campus

Diversity and the Learning Diversity and the Learning OrganizationOrganization

Current challenges:Current challenges:

• Transitional organization –Transitional organization – more complex than the more complex than the past or the future organizationpast or the future organization Uncertainty, debate over the gen ed diversity Uncertainty, debate over the gen ed diversity

requirementrequirement

• Principle of incompletionPrinciple of incompletion New Strategic Plan – 2006 New Strategic Plan – 2006 New diversity requirement?New diversity requirement? Implement the Goals of the IPFW Baccalaureate Implement the Goals of the IPFW Baccalaureate

Campus Diversity Audit 2006-07Campus Diversity Audit 2006-07• Peer evaluation with IU NorthwestPeer evaluation with IU Northwest

Assessment of the Knowledge Assessment of the Knowledge Management ModelManagement Model

Useful analytical tool for past practicesUseful analytical tool for past practicesPoints to crucial present challengesPoints to crucial present challengesProvides strategic guidelines for the Provides strategic guidelines for the

futurefuture

Offers best chance of embedding Offers best chance of embedding diversity practicesdiversity practices