CFS Diversity seeks to positon the College for excellence in diversity and inclusiveness throughout all its academic programs. CFS commits to providing equal access and opportunity to all of its constituents.

The mission of CFS Diversity is to create, maintain, and encourage an environment where every person is shown respect, value, and appreciation. The College provides and actively supports diversity programs for students, faculty, and staff in order to prepare and equip these individuals with both the knowledge and skills needed to function effectively in a diverse academic and work setting and in a global society.

• Diversity in the College of Consumer and Family Sciences 2007–09 (PDF)
• Multicultural Advisory Committee
• Celebrate Your Diversity Event
• Champions for Diversity
• Student Organizations
• Diversity in the Classroom
• Learning Community
• CFS Courses
• Study Abroad

Leadership
CFS Diversity is led by the CFS Multicultural Advisory Committee (MAC), which is coordinated directly by the Office of the Dean. Initiated in 2003, MAC has been pivotal in guiding and directing CFS in adhering to CFS vision and mission for diversity. MAC develops innovative and workable strategies to advance diversity at all levels. MAC is in the forefront for assessing diversity competency and developing diversity programs on a continuing basis. MAC is currently working to integrate CFS international programs as a unique dimension of CFS Diversity.

Programs and Activities
In an effort to create and maintain an environment that values and promotes diversity, CFS encourages involvement by CFS students, faculty, and staff in a variety of programs and activities.

Celebrate Your Diversity Annual Event (back to top)
CFS holds an annual Celebrate Your Diversity event, in conjunction with the college’s faculty and staff meeting. In April 2006, CFS faculty, staff, and students explored the meaning of diversity at the first-ever Celebrate Your Diversity event. Sponsored by the CFS Multicultural Advisory Committee, the event featured foods from around the world, live entertainment, and hands-on diversity activities. This diversity celebration was organized by students in enrolled in a Hospitality and Tourism Management course. Participating students gained valuable practical experience in organizing a relatively large-scale social event. The event was a huge success and a great opportunity for CFS faculty and staff to come together and celebrate diverseness represented throughout the college. In April 2007, the CFS Multicultural Advisory Committee hosted a second similar event. This time the college wide celebration had a global diversity focus. The even was planned and staged by the student organization, National Society of Minorities in Hospitality. The third CFS Celebrate Your Diversity event will take place April 23, 2008. Again, students in the college, along with the Multicultural Advisory Committee, will plan and execute the gathering. The 2008 event will invite other campus-wide cultural centers.

See photos from previous Celebrate Your Diversity events!

• 2007 Celebrate Your Diversity
• 2006 Celebrate Your Diversity

Champions for Diversity (back to top)
“Champions for Diversity” is a CFS program that was created to help faculty and staff to learn how to live and work in the increasingly diverse society of the 21st century. Through the program, CFS faculty and staff attend multicultural and diversity forums or workshops. After attending these forums, faculty and staff are encouraged to champion multicultural and diversity initiatives in their respective department or office. They serve as role models in their specific areas or work. Some Champions for Diversity integrate their understanding of diversity into the classroom setting and/or developed individual diversity opportunities for students, faculty, and staff; and participating in the college’s diversity initiatives. See list of those CFS faculty and staff who have attended the forums.

Student Organizations (back to top)
Student organizations are an important part of the overall college experience for students. CFS Diversity supports two student organizations in their diversity goals and activities.

• Multicultural Society for Excellence (MSFE)
  MSFE’s goal is to develop students of excellence, who will assume roles in the global marketplace and society. This organization also serves as a support system for multicultural students in CFS and is a liaison between students and the administration. An emphasis on excellence in academics, leadership, and the fostering of cultural understanding are goals among members in the organization.

• National Society of Minorities in Hospitality (NSMH)
  NSMH is the premier professional organization for minority hospitality/tourism students. The Purdue chapter of NSMH addresses diversity and multiculturalism, as well as career development of its student members.

Teaching and Learning Environments
By creating and maintaining a multicultural environment of learning, CFS Diversity aids the College in graduating students who both value diversity and are equipped to succeed in a global community. CFS programs accentuating diversity in teaching, learning, and research and include Diversity in the Classroom, Learning Community classes and other CFS classes:

Diversity in the Classroom (back to top)
A collaborative and interdisciplinary initiative, Diversity in the Classroom provides opportunities for faculty across the university to share best practices for incorporating diversity into the classroom and curriculum. CFS participates in this program, which focuses on teaching to diversity and teaching diversity through a variety of workshops and discussions. The goal is to create student diversity competencies in behavior and knowledge through classroom practices and curriculum development.

Learning Community (back to top)
CFS Diversity is integrated in Learning Community classes. In additional to department-led courses, MAC has created a special college-wide course, CFS120: Marketplace 2050 (formerly named Marketplace 2020). This unique futuristic Learning Community was developed and designed to teach first-year students about innovative technology and diversity in the marketplace and workplace. Students are taught by both domestic and international faculty members, as well as faculty from diverse ethnic origins and age groups. Students gain knowledge that will help them succeed in the global workforce. The learning community, which has a residence component, fosters the exchange of perspectives from students of different cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. Visit the Marketplace 2050 Web site.

CFS Courses (back to top)
Diversity is highlighted and reinforced in the learning experiences and contents of numerous CFS courses. There are several CFS courses dedicated to examining multicultural issues in consumer and family sciences. These courses and a brief description for them are present below.

• CDFS 301: FAMILIES IN A MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY. The course introduces students to family life in the context of diverse cultures, particularly racially and/or ethnically diverse families in the United States. The nature of relationships between dominant and minority cultures is considered. Research on multicultural families helps students to better understand the true reality of families in the world. Implications of diversity for practice with diverse populations are emphasized.

• CFS 120: MARKETPLACE 2050. This course presents the future of cultural diversity in the world and marketplace in year 2050. Emphasis is placed on the development of cultural competence for successful functioning with divergent consumers, workers, and families.

• CSR 332: CROSS-CULTURAL MARKETING AND INTERNATIONAL RETAILING. This course examines marketing/retail practices used to target domestic and global consumer market segments. Culture and marketing principles and concepts are used together to develop successful retail and marketing strategies.

• F&N 330: DIET SELECTION AND PLANNING. This course focuses on diet selection for health maintenance, in culturally diverse populations, based on current dietary guides (established through research on these diverse populations).

• HTM 372: GLOBAL TOURISM GEOGRAPHY. This course analyzes U.S. and world travel destinations, including the exploration of principal geographic features, population centers and attractions, customs and traditions, habits, festivals, and events, as these relate to the hospitality and travel industry.

Study Abroad (back to top)
Understanding that traveling and studying abroad can greatly enhance the cultural understanding of students, their appreciation of differences and their ability to function in a global environment, CFS provides a variety of study-abroad opportunities for cultural immersion in over 25 different countries.

Study Abroad Programs
CFS study abroad programs are offered for fall, spring, and summer semesters. Travel opportunities include short-term programs (i.e., during the week of spring break) and long-term programs (i.e., duration of a semester). CFS students can choose from more than 50 CFS study abroad programs in over 25 countries. Study abroad is a unique diversity program that provides the rare opportunity for the immersion of students in various cultures around the world, as they live, study, and even work. Through exchange programs, students from other countries can also come to West Lafayette to study in the College of Consumer and Family Sciences. Visit the CFS Study Abroad pages on this Web site.

Study Abroad Fair and Forum
The CFS study abroad fair provides students with an opportunity to gain information, talk with faculty and students who have participated in a study abroad trip. With an understanding that the study abroad experience does not end when students return to the campus, CFS students traveling abroad are encouraged to discuss their experiences during the study abroad forum. The study abroad forum is an event, which occurs during the fair, and it recognizes CFS students who have traveled abroad with previous programs. Participants have an opportunity to share their global experiences with others, prepare a cultural exhibit, and display it at the study abroad fair. Students who demonstrate the greatest excellence during the exhibit presentation receive scholarships.