Respect Cultural Diversity in the Classroom
by Eileen Baland

The Modern Language Association (MLA) has provided a comprehensive and effective model for dealing with free speech and classroom diversity using a practical methodology. They recognize that creating and sustaining environments that support learning for all members of an increasingly diverse campus community is among the most challenging tasks confronting universities today. According to the MLA Committee on Academic Freedom and Professional Rights and Responsibilities, "developments such as the civil rights movement, the affirmation of women's rights, and the globalization of the economy have resulted in a more heterogeneous campus community, in which no one dominant group holds unquestioned, presumptive cultural authority." Campus communities are increasingly evolving into cosmopolitan worlds, they say, which are occupied by members "with a disparity of personal histories, languages, cultural styles, moral and religious commitments, intellectual convictions, and experiences with the practices of scholarly exchange." The MLA Committee, therefore, produced their model of teaching strategies and conflict resolution specifically to address both the risks and rewards of teaching in such a diverse climate (MLA 158).

The MLA Committee begins by reminding educators that the academic environment, "as part of their long-held commitments to academic freedom, are responsible for creating and implementing policies and practices that support an open and inclusive environment." Educators are responsible for ensuring that their classrooms recognize and respect individuals and encourage individuals to engage in meaningful discussion openly and freely. Everyone should be accorded the same right to express their views openly, without fear of insult, intimidation, ridicule, or retribution. At the same time, everyone may expect their views to be met with critical interrogation, but such interrogations should be done in a mature, reasonable manner. Because educators are expected to be the members of the community with the greatest level of experience and expertise, they have the ultimate responsibility "to foster the free exchange of ideas and to model the exercise of mutual respect, as these form necessary conditions for effective learning." The basic keyword used in this context by the MLA Committee is "courtesy" (MLA 158). Other keywords could be added to the list: “maturity,” as it relates to the approach of reasoned argument, and "mutual respect," as it relates to the treatment of other members of the community who hold opposing views. The term "reasoned argument," while a standard in Rhetoric classrooms, should be emphasized as well.

The MLA model is quick to point out the illegal forms of bigotry, which include sexual harassment; gender discrimination; discrimination because of race, color, or national origin; disability discrimination; harassment based on sexual orientation; religious discrimination; age discrimination; and discrimination based on military status. The Committee holds that all colleges and universities should have rules and procedures in place to protect their members from these acts. At The University of Texas at Dallas, this very non-discrimination policy is written and published both in the student handbook and on the university Web site. Still, some professors, as well as teaching assistants, possibly because of their own ignorance, have violated these rules not merely as a means of promoting their own socio-political agendas, but as a means of discouraging their students from the practice of opposing beliefs. The MLA committee, based on their teaching model, describes this kind of instructor behavior, and possibly that of the administration, as unquestionably bigoted, based on the MLA Task Force Against Campus Bigotry report, which states that bigotry is "an attitude resulting from unexamined stereotypes by which certain groups are stigmatized on the basis of ascribed common characteristics and leading to words and/or actions that create a hostile or intimidating environment" (MLA 159). Combating bigotry begins with the fostering of respect through actions aimed at prevention and mitigation, according to the MLA Committee, and they place this responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the educators in the classroom, when bigotry occurs between students or between a student and the instructor. Their response is both concrete and practical, as outlined below:

Let's look more closely at the ways in which the MLA Committee has set forth its model, beginning with teaching strategies. The Committee recognizes that teaching styles differ widely, and within most universities, professors are allowed wide latitude in terms of how they construct and manage their classrooms. Still, certain guidelines should be adhered to if an instructor wishes to create the kind of safe, respectful environment the MLA Committee believes to be the most effective in terms of both teaching and learning. First, when preparing the syllabus, professors should try to include materials that enhance the understanding of multiple viewpoints and cultural experiences. Including anti-bigotry statements in the syllabus will help to emphasize mutual respect and might also inform students about accommodations provided by campus offices where students can seek help or advice if they do not feel comfortable approaching the instructor. For example, campus Women's Centers or centers providing assistance to students with disabilities can be among the resources listed on the syllabus (MLA 159).

Further, teachers should discuss with their students appropriate ways to express opinions and to challenge differing views without insulting and ridiculing other students, and they should promote a sense of trust in their students, stating that office hours are used for the purpose of allowing students a safe, private consultation with the instructor. Technology can be especially helpful by providing new ways of teaching and conducting research, as well as promoting collaborative projects for students (MLA 160).

In terms of self-education, the MLA Committee advises professors to become informed about campus resources and institutional policies and procedures for handling incidents of bigotry. Teachers should also reflect on pedagogical strategies that can help prevent or alleviate the occurrence of incidents of bigotry, and they should ask themselves honestly about their own role in perpetuating bigotry (MLA 160).

When incidents of bigotry occur in the classroom, teachers should follow a model which determines the motivation of such remarks, addresses the offending party, and follows-up with the offended party, rather than leaving them to wonder if anything was ever done to deal with the incident. One response teachers should never have in these cases is to further inflate the incident, which can be as harmful as discounting the damage done to the offended party. If the teacher is unable to properly handle the incident, for whatever reason, she should refer the students to the next appropriate administrative level, where further action should be taken. One of the key ingredients involved in the successful management of this type of problem in the classroom is confidentiality, according to the MLA Committee. When dealing with specific problems between students, they offer the following guidelines:

When problems arise between instructors and students, the matter immediately becomes more delicate to handle, simply because the instructor may intimidate the student into feeling that she has no recourse but to submit to the ill treatment. In these cases, the MLA Committee suggests that teachers seek advice from their administrators or department head. When the problems are between colleagues, each professor should seek the advice of department heads before taking formal action, in case a resolution can be agreed upon informally. When a teacher is the subject of a complaint, she should listen to the complaint, remain respectful, and avoid defensive responses. Once again, the MLA Committee advises talking with department heads before taking any action. If the teacher is the person bringing the complaint, the Committee suggests that the teacher follow the appropriate line of authority within their department, and exhaust internal resources before taking the matter outside of the university (MLA 163).

The model provided by the MLA Committee is a brief, but timely, effort which should alert both educators and students to the importance of dealing with campus bigotry. Surely in the university environment, we are not only teaching and learning diverse opinions and theories, we are also meant to be teaching and learning the high moral and academic values of open-mindedness, effective oral and written expression, and critical thinking and listening skills. None of these values can be learned or taught in an environment that fosters bigotry. The MLA model should serve as a starting point and important foundation for teachers and students to build on, and these concepts should be addressed in detail, in writing in the course syllabus and in the classroom by all teachers. Fortunately today there are many other organizations promoting these same values, and safeguarding the tenets of free speech and academic freedom. Teachers and students alike would do well do invest some time researching both the ideas and the guidelines offered by such organizations as the MLA and those on the following list:

Works Cited
MLA Committee on Academic Freedom and Professional Rights and Responsibilities. "Advice for Combating Campus Bigotry and Fostering Respect in the Academic Community." Profession. (2003). The Modern Language Association of America.

Provided by:
Eileen Baland, a Ph.D. student at The University of Texas at Dallas where she teaches Rhetoric 1302. She specializes in Christian Literature and History. She earned her Masters degree in Literary Journalism and her Bachelors degree in English Literature and Creative Writing from Southern Methodist University. She has worked as a newspaper reporter, technical writer and freelance writer, and has published approximately 3,000 articles in newspapers and magazines in the United States, and is the winner of numerous local and regional writing competitions. Currently, Eileen teaches in the Rhetoric program at UTD.