CEHD News

by Todd Wetzel

The College of Education and Human Development wants to treat diversity as more than just a buzzword. That’s why the college named Thaddeus Dumas to the post of assistant dean of diversity. Dumas is also a professor in the leadership, foundations and human resource education department.

Dumas’ charge is to ensure the college meets diversity standards and addresses other diversity-related issues.

Dean Robert Felner says the position was created to help further the college’s goals for equity in education. “The college has a fundamental commitment to diversity, social justice and equity in the attainment of education,” Felner says. “We needed someone to help lead those efforts to make sure everything we do and develop addresses those issues.”

Dumas says his top priority is to make sure the college’s diversity initiatives meet the standards set by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The council is the leading accrediting organization for teacher education programs. The college has been NCATE-accredited for more than 50 years.

To receive NCATE accreditation, education schools must follow and improve upon several curricular and administrative standards. These include incorporating diversity into curriculum and teacher education programs, among others.

In addition, Dumas works closely with Mordean Taylor-Archer, the university’s vice provost for diversity and equal opportunity, to keep the college’s diversity mission and goals in line with those of the university.

“Aligning our diversity goals helps everyone at the college know if we are reaching out and fulfilling our mission in tandem with the university,” Dumas says.

To ensure students know the diversity policies, updated mission statements of diversity and accessibility for those who need special accommodations are included by CEHD professors in all course syllabi.

Dumas says diversity goes well beyond skin color, although that is the issue on which people tend to focus most. “Diversity is not just about race,” he says. “There are many other issues to consider, including gender, equity and accessibility for those with disabilities.”

For example, when hiring faculty or staff, the college considers where candidates are from to bring a diverse knowledge base. “As we look to hire new faculty, we want to be mindful that we get the best people from all across the country to bring in different perspectives,” Dumas says. “We don’t want to have a single-minded faculty.”

The college also plans to increase professional development opportunities for faculty and staff to let them know the roles they play in addressing diversity issues.

Dumas says he hopes to revive the now-dormant college’s diversity committee, made up of representatives from each department, to help gather input from throughout the college to move goals along.

The college is involved in many programs devoted to improving diversity among its students and, consequently, the education workforce as well. This includes the Counselors for the New Millennium program, which aims to increase the number of minorities who want to become school counselors. The college is enrolling its fifth cohort. More than 40 students have gone through the program so far.

Dumas also works with Lohelen Hambrick, director of the college’s Minority Teacher Recruitment Program, to increase minority enrollment in teacher preparation degree programs.

“Our goal is to get the graduation rate up for all students, including students of color,” he says. “We are looking for what would ensure quality.”

The college plans to solicit student input on diversity issues in the classroom through end-of-semester course evaluations.

“Adding questions to the evaluations will help us gain student perceptions of how diversity is handled in the classroom,” Dumas says. “This information will help us be more cognizant of things we may be missing and need to be aware of.”

These steps will help the college prepare its students to be sensitive to diversity issues when they become teachers, Dumas says.

An example of what teachers may face was offered in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, he explains. Displaced children from Louisiana and Mississippi enrolled at schools across the nation, which caused some problems for some ill-prepared adoptive school systems.

“These children come from a different culture,” Dumas says. “We need to instill in our students the skills they need as teachers to be sensitive to the needs of the children and their parents to help them bridge any differences between the local culture and their native culture.”

In addition to reviewing policies and programs, Dumas makes himself available to personally help anyone with diversity-related questions and concerns.

“We don’t want faculty, staff or students to feel there is nowhere to turn to resolve problems or answer questions,” he says.

Dumas says the college has already gone far in handling diversity, but he says it must continue to strive for improvement.

“We are looking to lead the way for other schools in addressing diversity,” he says.