Program Participation and Requirements

This process is illustrated in a Flow Chart.

Eligibility

In order to participate in the Diversity Infusion Program, a faculty member has to first possess the desire to infuse a particular course with diversity issues and perspectives. Both full-time faculty and adjunct faculty are eligible to apply for this Program. All applicants must be scheduled to teach the selected course they wish to infuse in both the Fall Semester and the Spring Semester of the academic year in which they are applying.

To Apply

An application is submitted to the Program Coordinator. From these applications, faculty are chosen by a committee of Program members to participate in the year-long infusion cycle.

Directions For Completing The Application

Please complete the application in as much detail as possible. Although we do not expect that you have a fully finalized plan for infusing your course, we would like to know some of your ideas for infusion, even though they may change after you enter the Program. Part of what the Program will do is provide you with information and knowledge about the infusion model and how to infuse your courses, as well as to present various ideas which you can use to accomplish your infusions. In light of these facts, we are looking for faculty who have an interest in infusing their courses with diversity and a desire to learn more about diversity as a significant topic in education as well as in life. In addition, we look for faculty who may already have some ideas in this direction.

Committments and Responsibilities

Participation in the program entails a one-year commitment beginning in the Summer and ending in the Spring of each academic year. During this time you will be infusing diversity issues and perspectives into a course that you already teach. Mentors and resources are available to help you throughout the program.

There are approximately 6-8 scheduled meetings – called “seminars” – during the entire year. Generally, we meet on Friday afternoons starting at approximately 2:00pm. It is important that faculty attend these “seminars” (meetings) because they are useful opportunities for colleagues to exchange information and it is at these times that decisions are made regarding the Program (including activities and requirements).

During the Summer, chosen participants do research and development to plan how they will infuse their courses with diversity, including the use of specific activities, readings, projects, or videos.

In the Fall Semester, faculty teach their courses using the infused materials and the activities they selected / created during the summer. At the end of the Fall semester, both faculty and students complete evaluation instruments to assess the outcomes of the courses, and faculty assess their own experiences teaching the courses. (Faculty may use their own evaluation instruments or one's that are already developed by the infusion program.) Based on these evaluations, faculty spend the Winter Break modifying and refining their courses.

During the following Spring Semester, faculty present their infused courses for a second time, and they, with their students, assess outcomes once more. During this semester, each faculty member compiles information to create a web page. This web page documents and details how the faculty member infused his/her course. Note that faculty do not have to have any skills in creating or developing web pages as this is done for them by the Executive Director. An Accountability Check Sheet is provided to assist in the preparation of participants' documentation.

A summary of the complete process for participating in the Program can be seen in the Diversity Infusion Program Flowchart.

Remuneration

The money received by faculty for participating in the program is considered a “stipend” rather than a salary. The Program has limited funds and can not afford to pay faculty for all the hours they may put into their courses. Rather, the money (equivalent to teaching a 3-load-hour course) is provided to help support faculty efforts in infusing their courses.

Mentorship

After faculty have completed the Program, they are eligible to serve as mentors to future faculty participating in the Program. The mentoring process provides new members with the expertise and experiences of colleagues who have already gone through the process and allows for continuity of the Program.

Results

Both faculty and student evaluations of the Program have been overwhelmingly positive. One hundred faculty, from some twenty different disciplines have infused more than a hundred and fifty courses since the Program's inception in 1998. Student evaluations of the faculty's infusions of their courses have indicated that the Program has been extremely successful. In addition, faculty member's evaluations of their own experiences in infusing their courses have been very positive. More and more full-time faculty and adjunct faculty, are expressing interest in the Program. We look forward to seeing you soon!

To obtain additional information about the MCCCD Diversity Infusion Program,
please contact either the Diversity Helpline at (480) 731-8868 or
contact Dr. Bonnie A. Gray
(480) 423-6777

We can also provide names of individuals who have participated in our Program whom you can contact and ask questions or obtain additional information.