Friday, October 14, 2005

More important than learning

As the interim dean, Robin Holmes plans to make cultural competency a primary goal
Holmes, a clinical psychologist, was appointed interim dean of students in June, a position she said will enable her to continue her work preventing student suicide and help her improve the social environment on campus.

Improving campus-wide cultural competency and suicide prevention are her principle aims as interim dean, Holmes said.

Holmes plans to use her position as interim dean of students to further the University’s cultural competency objectives.

“We’re bringing together a committee of student affairs professionals who are going to work on writing our divisional cultural competency plan,” she said. “I think we can lead the charge in bringing cultural competency to campus.”

To define cultural competency, Holmes draws examples from her work as a psychologist.

A culturally competent campus requires that individuals keep biases and backgrounds from hindering relations with others, Holmes said.

Can anyone find the buzzword?

I think that we refer to people like this as a "one trick pony" and she is a classic example of the myopic mission of people who have had job titles such as "diversity coordinator" for multiple years.


Working Definition of Cultural Competence

Cultural competence is a developmental process occurring at individual and system levels that evolves over an extended time period. Cultural competence requires that individuals and organizations:

a.) Have a defined set of values and principals, demonstrated behaviors, attitudes, policies and
structures that enable them to work effectively in a cross-cultural manner.

b.) Demonstrate the capacity to 1.) value diversity, 2.) engage in self-reflection, 3.) manage the
dynamics of difference, 4.) acquire and institutionalize cultural knowledge, and 5.) adapt to the
diversity and the cultural contexts of the communities they serve.

c.) Incorporate and advocate the above in all aspects of leadership, policy making, administration, practice, and service delivery while systematically involved customers, key stakeholders, and communities.

Do you want the U of O to give your kids a "defined set of values?"

5 comments:

MAX Redline said...

Judging by the spam, I'd say your popularity is increasing again, Daniel.

"Cultural competency" seems to be the latest replacement term for "celebrating diversity". In both cases, the idea is to institutionalize racism - among other "isms".

I'd hope, though, that by the time a kid hits the U of O, he or she has enough smarts to see through the hype.

Bob said...

I advised both my kids to out-Chomsky the f@#*ers until they get out of grad school.

It's worked so far.

not specified said...

It's just one of the ways that the profession of psychology went completely off the rails -- the professional psych schools completely brainwash their doctoral students with this crap as a condition of graduation. Very lamentable.

Daniel said...

If any of you want to see the sane side of the University of Oregon make sure you check out Sailor's site.

As for this being "code-word" for the liberal agenda, you guys are absolutely right. It is an umbrella term for gay marriage, affirmative action, open borders, and hating America.

Donnie Herneisen said...

a.) Have a defined set of values and principals, demonstrated behaviors, attitudes, policies and
structures that enable them to work effectively in a cross-cultural manner.


Isn't "having a defined set of values" the complete opposite of working in a "cross-cultural manner". If your values are completely defined (non-maleable), then aren't you pretty much opposed to anything outside of your own (clearly defined) values?