Collective Vision:
A Faculty Development Plan Utilizing Dialogue Education

by Sharon Fredericks
Education Division Director/Instructor
College of Menominee Nation
Keshena, WI

Introduction
College of Menominee Nation (CMN) is a tribally controlled community college that was chartered by the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin in 1993. In part, CMN’s mission is to infuse education with Menominee culture and values to prepare students for careers in a multi-cultural world. Further, CMN’s mission is to “promote, perpetuate, and nurture Menominee culture” (College of Menominee Nation, 2005). Approximately 85% of its full-time faculty is non-Indian. Therefore, CMN must provide faculty development in the areas of leadership, culture, discrimination, and diversity in order to support faculty in fulfilling this mission.

Authentic leadership can assist in addressing issues of diversity in today’s educational settings. Cashman (1998), described five touchstones to authentic leadership. These touchstones include:  authentic self-knowledge, authentic listening, authentic expression, authentic appreciation, and authentic service. By exploring these touchstones, an individual will develop a clear personal mastery that will allow relationships to develop. These relationships are key components of any successful team environment. Through group unity, faculty can develop a common vision and purpose. This vision unites them and drives their collective behavior, which leads to the best results for students. This process begins with an individual. Therefore, this plan begins with introspection and moves outward to examining and appreciating differences.
     
A statement of the problem
CMN’s mission is to infuse the curriculum with Menominee culture and values. This responsibility falls primarily on faculty.  Since 85% of CMN’s faculty are non-Indian, this is an especially difficult task.

Methodology

A qualitative design consisting of 3 phases of inservice will be conducted to fulfill the objectives of this plan.
The Dialogue Education model will be used for each phase of the training. In most faculty inservices, experts are brought in to present information on a particular topic. Dialogue Education is different in that the facilitator is involved with the group in helping them move toward understanding. Dialogue Education uses discussion and participation as a means of active engagement with content.
(Vella, Berardinelli & Burrow, 1998)

Dialogue Education is more interested in what participants do with the knowledge than what the presenter says about the topic (Global Learning Partners, 2005). “It takes advantage of the fact that adult learners are professionals and decision makers in their learning process while providing enough rigor in the design so that everyone can clearly evaluate what they have learned” (Global Learning Partners). It is effective because it promotes leadership from within each individual. It assumes that adults learn material through their interaction with it (Global Learning Partners, 2005). One of the facilitator’s responsibilities is to provide a safe atmosphere where each group member feels comfortable and motivated to contribute. It further works to foster interactions that either strengthen or challenge understanding until each member develops a solid set of skills and beliefs about the material and themselves. The experience is more enriching than listening to a lecture from an expert. The added bonus for teams is that rapport and deep connections can be formed from the process of sharing insights and understandings.

This plan consists of three phases, which include: self-discovery and cultural awareness, racial and cultural bias, and Menominee culture and values. In the first phase, Dialogue Education will be utilized to build trust and a sense of community within the group. Trust and respect will provide the necessary foundation for the rest of the trainings. Once the group is functioning as a cohesive unit, they will begin to explore the role culture and values have played in their own lives. During this part of the training, faculty will examine the following questions, “who am I,?” and “why am I here?” The answers to these questions will begin the journey toward effective leadership. Leadership development as a personal experience that begins with the identification of purpose will be explored. The personal insights gained throughout this step of the plan are necessary prerequisites for the remaining components.

During the second phase, the faculty will begin an exploration of racial bias and discrimination. They will be introduced to the idea of cultural identity development and white privilege. During this part of the plan, it will be important to provide information and continue to support open and safe dialogue that promotes personal growth and provides opportunities for each faculty member to discuss their experiences and understandings. This growth will provide a new perspective that allows each person to develop an appreciation of the influence of race and culture in their lives. They will explore their own biases as well as biases they have encountered from others. Again, dialogue education will be used to make connections between the first trainings and this new information. Since leadership in Native American communities is defined by service to the community, Servant Leadership and Action Research will also be introduced.
  
Finally, Menominee culture and values will be introduced and explored. This progression will result in the most favorable outcomes for faculty. Beginning with an introspection on the role of culture may prevent some of the defensiveness that often accompanies this sensitive material. By approaching faculty development through leadership and utilizing Dialogue Education, faculty will be open to the process.

Plan goals

1. Faculty will develop an awareness and appreciation for the role of culture in their own lives and in the lives of others.
2. To give faculty an introduction to cultural bias, cultural identity development, and white privilege.
3. To provide an opportunity for open and honest dialogue among faculty in order to develop a deep understanding of CMN students and the community.
4. To promote leadership skills among faculty by utilizing Dialogue Education.
5. To give faculty members a working knowledge of Menominee culture and values and their importance to CMN students.

Assessment methods
Inservice training will be conducted with a cohort model. Each cohort will consist of three faculty members. The cohorts will remain constant throughout the three years of the project. Cohorts will meet during small group time during the trainings. They will also meet as a group between trainings to further discuss the issues and how to use the knowledge gained to improve practice. During each session, each faculty member will keep a reflective journal to document their experiences. The journals will serve as a means for critical reflection and will be utilized to assess the success of the plan.

The Dialogue Education model provides a framework for assessment. Assessment should include a needs assessment before training (Vella, Berardinelli & Burrow, 1998). Before the trainings begin, faculty members will be introduced to the objectives and methods of the plan. Then they will be asked to complete a survey identifying which objectives seem the most relevant. The survey will also ask how faculty plan to use the knowledge they will gain to improve practice. Dialogue Education also requires evaluation after training. So Faculty will be asked to complete another survey that again asks them how they will use the knowledge gained. Besides faculty evaluation, student input is an important aspect of assessment. Currently, students evaluate each course and instructor at the end of each semester. A set of questions will be added to the course evaluations to validate whether faculty is using this knowledge to improve practice.

Literature Review

Introduction
Educational settings should represent the diversity found in society. However, there is a lack of diversity among faculty in higher education. The majority of college faculty consists of white males (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2005). The literature supports several methods for improving diversity on college campuses. Recruiting and retaining minority faculty is one of the reported methods. Diversity can also be addressed through multicultural education. Faculty development can begin to address multicultural education through self-awareness. By becoming aware of their own biases, assumptions, and experiences, teachers can begin the process of viewing education from multiple cultural perspectives. This ability forms the foundation for providing culturally relevant curriculum. Viewing education from multiple cultural perspectives is a necessary skill for empowering students to embrace diversity and act on social injustices. Finally, leadership within the context of culture must be examined. Teachers are often viewed as leaders in many communities. Therefore, it is vital for teachers to understand the connection between culture and leadership. This is especially true in tribal colleges since Native American communities view leadership as service to others.
     
Lack of minority faculty
There is a discrepancy between the number of minority students and minority faculty members in higher education. The lack of minority college faculty is well documented in the literature (Guy, 1999; Johnson, Benham & VanAlstine, 2003; Voorhees & Adams, 2003). In 2003, 24-36% of college students identified themselves as minorities but only 15% of faculty were minorities (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2005). Similarly, Voorhees & Adams (2003) conducted a survey of faculty at 35 tribal colleges and universities (TCUs). They found that 61% of TCU faculty identified themselves as white and 37% identified themselves as American Indian. The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (1999) name high turnover rates, poor pay, and geographical isolation as factors in the lack of Native faculty at TCUs. Many authors have explored recruitment and retention of minority faculty as a way to promote diversity on college campuses (Dumas, 2001; Sleeter, 1993; Turner, 2002; Voorhees & Adams, 2004). However, this method does not meet the immediate need of colleges to increase diversity. Therefore, other methods of promoting diversity must be explored.
     
Multicultural education
Another approach to address the lack of diversity among college faculty is to promote multicultural education. “Multicultural education is a field of study designed to increase educational equity for all students that incorporates, for this purpose, content, concepts, principles, theories, and paradigms from history, the social and behavioral sciences, and particularly from ethnic studies and women studies” (Banks & Banks, 1995, p. ix). Sleeter (1993) introduced 5 ways to approach multicultural education. The first approach, “teaching the exceptional and culturally different” includes helping students “assimilate” and includes ways of teaching students how to succeed in current society. The second approach, “human relations” focuses on exposing students to diversity through relationships among diverse groups. The third approach, “single-group studies” involves studying a particular group to raise consciousness about the group. The fourth “muliticultural” approach, models diversity by reorganizing curriculum and hiring faculty to represent the diversity found in society. Finally, the “multicultural and social reconstructionist” approach builds on previous methods by teaching and encouraging students to take action against social injustices that cut across diverse groups. Although it may not be reasonable to hire faculty that is representative of society, several of the methods offered by Sleeter could be utilized through faculty development.
     
Self-awareness
Several authors agree that the first step in improving cross-cultural teaching is self-awareness (Dilg, 1999; Freire, 1998; Guy, 1999; Howard 1999; Marchisani & Adams, 1992; Ramsey, 1998; Sleeter, 1993). Guy (1999) states, “cultural values and beliefs and practices are at the core of group life and identity and are powerful factors that shape or influence individual attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors” (p. 7). He argues that culturally relevant education is important in empowering learners from marginalized cultural backgrounds. Until individuals examine their assumptions and understandings regarding culture and race, they cannot begin to understand others. Guy also asserts that once an individual begins to understand the role of culture in their own lives, they must examine the social systems of dominance and oppression that affect all races. He proposes that culturally relevant adult education means using education to dissolve the cycle of domination and oppression in American society.

Marchisani & Adams (1992) describe the utilization of faculty development to understand and promote diversity. They offer a model for viewing the learning environment through a cultural perspective. They assert that by viewing four key elements through the lens of culture, teachers can improve instruction and support diversity. The four elements include: instructor’s cultural identity, learner’s cultural identity, the curriculum, and instructional methods and processes. First, by examining their own personal beliefs, expectations, and assumptions, teachers are able to view learning opportunities from students' perspectives. Second, teachers  need to understand the culture of the learner. By spending time in the community and knowing their students within a cultural context, teachers will feel comfortable with cultural backgrounds that differ from their own. But having information about the traditions of a cultural group is not enough. In order to be effective, teachers must utilize this cultural knowledge during instruction. Third, teachers must also examine curriculum from a cultural perspective. In doing this, they will recognize stereotypical material as well as curriculum that does not fit in with students’ frames of reference. Finally, it is important for teachers and students to share the responsibility for learning and power. Marchisani & Adams conclude that the sharing of power and responsibility are vital components in culturally diverse classrooms. 
     
Howard (1999) also emphasizes the importance of self-awareness as the first step in cross-cultural teaching. He states, “too often we place White teachers in multicultural settings and expect them to behave in ways that are not consistent with their own life experiences, socialization patterns, worldviews, and levels of racial identity development.” (p. 4). Howard emphasizes the importance of inner work to begin the process of personal and social transformation. He identifies five areas of learning that involve multicultural education. They include: racial and cultural self knowledge, learning about and valuing different cultures, viewing social reality through multicultural perspectives, understanding history and the dynamics of dominance, and nurturing passion and skills for social action in students and teachers.
     
Once educators have developed the ability to view education through multiple cultural perspectives, they must follow up with examining the systems of dominance and oppression. Then they can begin to take action against them. Education is the key to understanding and ending discriminatory practices, (Freire, 1998; Guy, 1999; Howard, 1999) and any attempt to offer multicultural education must include an exploration of it. Freire (1998) discusses the consequences if teachers fail to explore their own cultural assumptions and beliefs before attempting to understand others. He defines intolerance as “starting from the belief that our way of being is not only good but better than that of others who are different from us.” Further, “it is the irresistible preference to reject differences” (p. 71). Howard (1999) explains that educators in diverse settings must examine the nature of dominance and oppression. They must then “struggle and work together to create healing responses” (p. 68). The next logical step for faculty development programs is utilizing cultural knowledge to foster leadership skills.
     
Culture and leadership
Interestingly, leadership development progresses in the same way as multicultural education. Cashman (1998) defines leadership as “authentic self-expression that creates value” (p.20). He further states that there are several ways to express and create value. This value can be  expressed and created through ideas, systems, or people. Teaching includes all of these. Cashman describes leadership as a process rather than a skill and begins from within an individual. He asserts that authentic leadership can assist in addressing issues of diversity in today’s educational settings. He further describes five touchstones to authentic leadership. These touchstones include:  know yourself authentically, authentic listening, authentic expression, authentic appreciation, and authentic service. By exploring these touchstones, an individual will develop a clear personal mastery that will allow relationships to develop. These relationships are key components of any successful team environment. Through group unity, faculty can develop a common vision and purpose. This vision unites them and drives their collective behavior, which leads to the best results for students. This process begins with an individual and each faculty member must examine his/her own beliefs and values first. An effective faculty development plan to address diversity must begin with introspection regarding culture and leadership and move outward toward examining differences that eventually leads to social action.

Leadership in native communities
Leadership in education is beginning to reflect the way Native Americans have always viewed leadership. Johhnson, Benham & VanAlstine (2003) state “Leadership as it is practiced among the native people of the Americas, is grounded on the principles of community, shared responsibility, and cultural appropriateness” (p. 153). They further state, that “although native communities today continue to grow in the their diversity, willingness to serve is an attribute that many tribal colleges share” (p. 153).
     
Johnson (1997) interviewed effective tribal college leaders and developed a model based on their responses. The model identifies five themes shared by all the leaders. First, they all show a commitment to learning by serving the community through the creation of positive social change. They see that community service gives meaning to their lives. Second, tribal college leaders use their experiences to gain the courage to act on their beliefs. This resilience allowed them to use adversity to fuel their passion to act for social justice and improve the lives of all people. Third, they all believe that education is the key to cultural survival. They understand that their college degrees alone do not make them leaders in the eyes of their community. But they  find ways to use their education to serve the community, as this is the true measure of their leadership.  Fourth, tribal college leaders travel across physical and cultural boundaries to promote cross-cultural understanding. This perspective allowed them to understand themselves and their community within a larger context. The final trait shared by all effective tribal college leaders is the ability to nurture their inner spirit to find balance between their professional and inner lives. Developing a collective vision in any group of people is a difficulty task. However, by utilizing an appropriate training model, leadership and culture can be addressed to improve practice in any institution.

 

Conclusion
Utilizing a multicultural approach is the most well documented solution for addressing the lack of diversity among faculty on college campuses. The development of multicultural educational practices and leadership follow the same path and begin with self-awareness. This progression must be considered in faculty development plans. Ultimately, faculty must see their role as educational leaders through the lens of culture. They will need to develop their own skills in order to take social action and empower others. While current research clearly identifies the importance of recruiting and retaining minority faculty, more research needs to be conducted to identify methods of training current faculty to promote cultural awareness. Developing a collective vision in any group of people is a difficulty task. However, by utilizing an appropriate training model, leadership and culture can be addressed to improve practice in any institution.
     
     
References
Banks, J. & Banks, C. (Eds.). (1995). Handbook of research on multicultural education. New
      York: MacMillan.
     
Cashman, K. (1998). Leadership from the inside out. Minneapolis, MN: TGLG.

College of Menominee Nation. [Retrieved December 1, 2005 from website: http: www.menominee.edu].

Dilg, M. (1999). Race and culture in the classroom: Teaching and learning through multicultural education. New York: Teachers College Press.

Dumas. (2001). Promoting diversity: Recommendations for recruitment and retention of minorities in higher education. College Student Journal, 35 (3), 433-442.

Freire, P. (1998). (Macedo, D., Koike, D., & Oliveira, A., Trans.). In Teachers as cultural workers: Letters to those who dare teach. Colorado: Westview Press.

Global Learning Partners. [Retrieved November 28, 2005 from website: http://www.globalearning.com].

Guy, T. (1999). Culture as context for adult education: The need for culturally relevant adult education. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 1999 (82), 5-18.

Howard. (1999). We can't teach what we don't know. New York: Teacher's College Press.

Johnson, J., Benham, M., & VanAlstine, M. (2003). Native leadership: Advocacy for transformation, culture, community, and sovereignty. In Benham & Stein (Eds.), The renaissance of American Indian higher education: Capturing the dream. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Johnson, V. (1997). Weavers of change: Portraits of Native American women educational leaders. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.

Marchisani, L., & Adams, M. (1992). The Dynamics of diversity in the teaching and learning process: A faculty development model for analysis and action. In Marchisani, L. & Adams, M. (Eds.), Promoting diversity in college classrooms. San Francisco: Bass.

National Center for Educational Statistics. (2005). Retrieved November 19, 2005, from National Center for Educational Statistics Web site: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2005/section5/indicator31.asp

Ramsey, P. (1998). Teaching and learning in a diverse world (2nd ed.). Teachers College Press: New York.

Sleeter, C. (1993). Multicultural education: Five views. Education Digest, 58 (7), 53-58.

Turner, C. (2002). Looking at diversity. Retrieved November 7, 2005, from American Association of University Professors Web site: http://www.aaup.org/Issues/Affirmative Action/Articles/aalookingat.htm

Vella, J., Berardinelli, P., & Burrow, J. (1998). How Do They Know They Know: Evaluating Adult Learning. San Francisco: Bass.

Voorhees, R., & Adams, N. (2004). Tribal college faculty survey. Tribal College Journal, 15 (3), 20-21.

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