ARE STUDENTS BENEFITING FROM CULTURAL DIVERSITY ON ISUS CAMPUS?
In the Summary Report on racial climate, the case was made that ISU presents many students with opportunities for their first substantive interactions with people from different cultures and racial backgrounds. Under half of white U.S. students indicate that they had rare or no contact with people from different backgrounds before coming to ISU. However, only 12.9% percent indicate they have rare or no contact with people of different backgrounds since coming to ISU. The conclusion based on this, and other information, is that students are benefitting from diversity on ISU’s campus. However, in the case of international students, the conclusion is a bit different. While a majority of students report enhancing their multicultural experiences with minorities, the evidence suggests that such interaction is not occurring with international students. Although white American students indicate they feel relatively comfortable with international students, only 48.5% indicate they often engage
