**Co-published with
**For new professionals in multicultural student services (MSS), this
book constitutes a thorough introduction to the structure, organization,
and scope of the services and educational mission of these units. For
senior practitioners it offers insights for re-evaluating their
strategies, and inspiration to explore new possibilities.
The book discusses the history and philosophy of MSS units; describes
their operation; asserts the need for integration and coherence across
the multiple facets of their work and how their role is influenced by
the character and type of their institutions; and considers the
challenges and opportunities ahead.
The theme Building Bridges, Re-Visioning Community reflects the dual
role of MSS. They "build bridges" between underrepresented student
populations and the broader institutional environment, between different
groups of student populations, and across differences in cultural values
and traditions. At a time of increasing diversity on campus, their role
is also to champion the "re-visioning" or redefinition of what
constitutes community in higher education - in other words to reach
beyond serving their traditional constituencies to educate for
multicultural competence, and advocate for social justice across the
campus commons.
This book is organized in four sections moving the reader from the past
to the present to the future, and from a service mission to an
educational one. Part One reviews the purposes for which MSS were
created, and the evolution of their vision, concluding an overview of
how units perceive their needs and challenges today.
Part Two addresses a range of issues - such as race/ethnicity, sexual
orientation / gender identity, and religion/faith diversity - commonly
addressed by MSS, and, in recognizing the tensions inherent in serving
such disparate constituencies, advances ideas for bringing greater
integration and coherence to their work.
Part Three considers how institutional context influences the structure
and organization of MSS, and addresses such questions as: Who are they
serving? What kind of support services and educational programming can
they provide? How broadly or narrowly should they define their role, and
can they extend their influence through alliances with other campus
units?
The book concludes by looking at how MSS can re-vision community to
ensure their continued relevance to the college or university community.
An ACPA Publication
