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Developing and Sustaining a Culture of
Diversity & Inclusion on University Campuses
By Dr. Philip M. Orlando
C
Director of Academic Affairs
University of Phoenix, Harrisburg Campus
Civilization’s vanguard is forged by cultures within
societies whose collective fabric is a tapestry of diverse individuals,
concepts, customs, and inclusive relationships. Handed down first
in oral folk traditions, then visually graphic, later written, and now
digitally electronic—the microcosmic primitive anthropological
settings have come full circle in the vast array of global communi-
cations traveling at the speed of light.
One of the greatest challenges or dilemmas facing higher
education and, in particular university campuses, is how to de-
velop and sustain a culture of diversity and inclusion throughout
all elements of campus life. The need for this continual organic
evolution on university campuses necessitates faculty, advisors,
administrators, staff, and executives to deliver strategic plan-
ning and development, leading to an outcome of diversity and
inclusion for all stakeholders. Curriculum, faculty, staffing, and
enrollment are all fertile areas in which we can guarantee the
strategic actions and ongoing training which will ultimately
ensure cultural, curricular, intellectual, generational, gender, and
spiritual diversity and inclusion.
Building bridges among diverse constituencies and stake-
holders is core to our future development as a global society. The
cultural collages of the 1960s-’70s evolved more fully into more
diverse and inclusive tapestries and fabrics of the 1980s-’90s, in
which the diverse constituencies and ideas became interwoven,
and strengthened the institutions in ways that the peaceful, but
objective coexistence of the earlier decades of the Civil Rights
Movement had only initiated.
This divergence of thought, complementary thinking styles,
and pluralistic concepts manifests itself throughout education in
the 21st century through diverse learning modalities, learning
styles, and instructional styles. Of particular note is higher edu-
cation in the 21st century as a paramount example of these three
tenets reflected in the diversity and inclusion of all aspects of the
University of Phoenix in both its real time and virtual campus
settings. At our university campuses, in real and virtual envi-
ronments, the rich diversity of our academic culture is imbued
with the layers of diversity that permeate campus environments,
integrating the lives, roles, and career paths of our students, and
all other stakeholders.
The iconic Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother
Teresa, Caesar Chavez, Dahli Llama, and Dr. Martin Luther King
shine as beacons whose
personal trials, struggles,
and triumphs have impact-
ed humanity in radiated
waves of concentric circles
of diversity. The unmis-
takable symbiotic relationship among diversity, inclusion, and
human rights is evident in the transcendent impact that each of
these individuals continues to have upon our global society, and
civilization epitomized in the sphere of higher education.
Engaging communities in diversity is an implied essential re-
sponsibility of the social mission and outreach of our University.
Modeling diversity through training and active engagement by
faculty, staff, administration, and the student body is essential
to developing the culture of diversity that we, as a University,
continually seek. The mirroring effect that campuses may em-
ploy as they embark upon a continual journey to reflect their
community culture sometimes takes on the converse role of
forging a diverse campus environment as a model for com-
munities. From melting pot of the world to the dynamically
integrated synergistic global nation that we have become, the
United States maintains a social responsibility to model diversity.
The University of Phoenix exists as a diverse microcosm. Unlike
much of the nation’s higher education community, University
of Phoenix looks like America—both in terms of our student
body and our faculty. We stand as a model of diversity for
higher education, as evidenced in the data contained within our
Academic Annual Report 2009. At University of Phoenix, almost
half of our enrollment consists of students from underrepre-
sented racial or ethnic communities, and is above the national
average for colleges and universities. We enroll more women
than the national average as well. The University’s responsibil-
ity to embrace, nurture, and advance diversity and inclusion
is implicit and central to its mission of “social responsibil-
ity,” conceived of, propagated, and modeled by our founder,
Dr. John Sperling.
Ultimately it becomes the strategic solutions that are sought,
identified, and enacted upon that will continue to guarantee
that diversity and inclusion are embraced and championed
throughout all of the campuses of the University of Phoenix,
world-wide. PDJ
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M aY / J u n e 2 0 1 0 61