As the educational landscape of America continues to evolve and
diversify, college faculty and administrators must be cutting edge in
their approaches to create a variety of educational experiences with a
greater level of multicultural cognizance. Unlike in previous
generations, higher education in the 21st Century is no
longer a luxury reserved for the elite and wealthy, but is an increasing
necessity for access to labor markets. Community colleges and
universities are working hard to respond to the demands of the labor
market, by attempting to provide skills for jobs that may not yet exist.
Colleges and universities should aim to make all of their students feel
welcome and a part of the campus being committed to celebrating
differences. Additionally, filling faculty seats with varied races,
cultures, perspectives and identities will aid in providing mentors and
role models everyone can relate to. These are some of the vital steps
toward building a campus community that helps students develop a sense
of belonging that allows them to persist and thrive in college.
The scholarship in this volume illustrates the state of multicultural
education on college and university campuses. The authors bridge
foundational knowledge with contemporary understandings; making the work
both accessible for novices and beneficial for the authorities on
multicultural education. This volume provides thoughtful discourse on
issues ranging from the racial and ethnic diversity of the student and
faculty bodies, and important topics like disability issues, to
different educational contexts such as community colleges, HBCUs and HSI
institutions.
