Multicultural Programs

Over the years, the Division of Housing and Food Services has developed various programs and initiatives with the intention of creating and fostering a work environment that promotes a climate of caring. Following is a list of past, current, and future initiatives that are the result of our on-going effort and commitment toward recognizing, accepting, and celebrating diversity.

Each of the following programs have been presented, both within our Division and greater University community. It is our intention to make these programs/trainings available to all members of our community. Contact our office for more information.

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Cultural Awareness Training

Launched in the spring of 2005, this initiative provides all new Housing and Food Service employees with one hour of cultural awareness training during their New Employee Orientation. Our approach is simple: engage the audience in interactive dialogue, while sharing with them our philosophy and values, and subsequently encouraging them to take active roles in promoting a climate of caring. Some of the topics covered during this training include: race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, “able-ism,” and educational attainment/status.

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Building a House for Diversity

2006 - Present

Building a House for Diversity is a collaborative effort between a diverse group of students and staff – called Pro-Actors – who have come together to offer various innovative journeys into the fascinating world of cultures. Each team member has been trained in the art of facilitating “interactive theatre for dialogue” workshops for employees and students involving multicultural differences.

Initially launched in the fall of 2004, this workshop has been successfully used as a vehicle in helping people address issues relating to race, class, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, physical ability, religion, among other socially-constructed classifications that often provide tensions in the workplace. This program was adopted from Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas’ book entitled Building a House for Diversity: How a fable about a Giraffe & Elephant offers new strategies for today’s workforce.

Building a House for Diversity has been presented at the following venues:

• Housing and Food Services Administrative / Professional Staff
• School of Education Clerical/Advisory Staff Retreat
• Athletics Department Staff Orientation
• Financial Aid Department Staff Retreat
• Meredith Hall Services Staff Diversity Training
• The Executive VP and Treasurer and his direct reports

Pro-Actors

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Unity Through Diversity

2002 - 2005

Unity Through Diversity was launched in the fall of 2004 in an effort to make diversity training more fun and interactive. A group of facilitators – Pro-Actors – were chosen and trained to facilitate cross-cultural dialogue using theatre techniques. The exercises used while facilitating Unity Through Diversity workshops were incorporated from the initial training these Pro-Actors received from theatre expert, Katherine Burke, during her “Interactive Theatre for Dialogue” training workshop.

The first Unity Through Diversity presentation was performed before a group of nearly 180 HFS administrative and professional staff at Purdue’s Elliott Hall of Music. The impact of this newly-created diversity training sparked a division-wide interest that resulted in a successful three-month road show within the Division of Housing and Food Services. In the end, Unity Through Diversity was presented eighteen different times to over 800 of our Housing and Food Service employees.

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Hispanic Initiatives

2000 - Present

The new millennium brought exciting opportunities for our Division, Purdue University, and our State. The Hispanic/Latino population had become the largest minority ethnic group in our country, and our local communities were reflecting those new changes taking place at the national level. As a result, the Division of Housing and Food Services began a series of programs and initiatives aimed at better serving the needs of our changing population.

Following are some of the initiatives that were implemented at the turn of the new millennium, all of which continue to serve the needs of our employees and customers.

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Workplace English

Workplace English is offered for Purdue employees who speak English as a second language and struggle with English literacy. The course emphasizes pronunciation, literacy, citizenship, and vocabulary specific to food and service workers. The course is offered at no cost to Housing & Food Service personnel.

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Spanish for Supervisors & Support Staff

Spanish for Supervisors is designed to help managers and supervisors connect and communicate with Spanish-speaking employees to improve understanding, operations and productivity. Using the popular Workplace Spanish series, the manual and audio CD contain over 500 ‘bite-size” terms and phrases organized into topics pertinent to supervisors. This class is for English speakers who need to communicate with or supervise Spanish speaking employees.

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What’s in a Name?

Misspelling or mispronouncing someone else’s name can be frustrating and embarrassing for all parties involved. What’s in a Name was designed with the intention of learning meanings behind common names, placing particular emphasis on Spanish names. Additionally, this workshop provides basic computer knowledge to those looking for ways to take advantage of the various international features that can be found in personal computers.

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Signs & Wonders

Through the lens of a young man, Signs of Wonder: A cross-cultural exercise in communication, takes the audience through a series of events that illustrates the frustration and confusion that people from other cultures often experience when they come in contact with ours. This exercise includes idioms, words, phrases, and gestures that can be confusing and even offensive to anyone experiencing U.S. culture from an “outsider” perspective. The overall objective of this exercise is to create awareness on cross-cultural communication, while exploring ways of better assisting people who find themselves transitioning into our culture.

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Diversity Taskforce

Background

Housing and Food Services believes that a diverse workforce is essential to our success at Purdue University. A diverse workforce strengthens our organization by helping us attract the best talent and deliver the highest quality of services. We have a strong commitment to attracting, retaining and promoting staff members of all backgrounds and have made this commitment part of our strategic plan. We actively promote diversity in our recruiting activities and through our emphasis on the mentoring and training of all of our employees.

Charge to Task Force

Time Commitment

Task Force members will meet monthly during the first three months and quarterly thereafter. Members will serve a two-year term.

Committee Members 2005-2007

• Brenda Coulson, Chair
• James Foster, Advisor
• Annette Benson, HFS Language Programs
• Sarah Casares, University Residence
• Gary Goldberg, Purdue Memorial Union

For more information, visit Purdue’s Office of the Executive Vice President and Treasurer’s

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Diversity Workgroup

In July 2005, a workgroup was formed consisting of six individuals chosen from a variety of areas within the division for a year-long study charged with the task of positioning the Division of Housing and Food Services as a model for campus diversity. During this short timeframe, the HFS Diversity Workgroup for Strategic Planning discussed, brainstormed, researched, surveyed, benchmarked, and developed a variety of recommendations to meet the workgroup charge. Following are some of the findings and recommendations.

Brand Identity

• Use of current HFS diversity logo and develop slogan
• Unify approach to marketing and publicizing HFS diversity programs and events
• Create a diversity link of HFS homepage
• Create an on-line master diversity calendar of HFS programs and events
• Develop a committee to plan activities
• Create weekly/monthly emails on upcoming HFS diversity programs and events

Standard Evaluation Form

• Created from current BCC and PSUB forms
• Implement for all HFS diversity programs and events
• Develop monthly and quarterly reports

International Nights

• Assist in the development of PSUB’s Passport Series
• Develop theme menus at the different dining courts
• Invite student organizations to participate and contribute to cultural activities
• Work with RAs to plan additional programs/events around theme

Unified Diversity Training

For RAs, HFS Staff, and Students

• Train the Trainer, NCBI (National Coalition Building Institute)
• Develop student Pro-Actor groups
• Develop training DVDs
• Develop a master list of diversity programs and events for RAs to choose from

Phase II

• Multicultural Student Coalition
• HFS Mentor Program
• Annual Freshmen Diversity Survey

Committee Members 2005 – 2006

• Annette Benson
• Sarah Casares
• James Foster
• Cara Hines-Pham (Project Leader)
• Marjorie Stoltz
• Brenda Coulson (HFS Sponsor)

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