ABSTRACT
The demographic profile of college campuses is more diverse today, in the twenty-first century, than at any other time in higher education history (US Bureau of Census, 2010). In the 2011 Minorities in Higher Education, Kim (2011) reported “the past two decades witnessed a steady rise in college enrollment rates among young people in every racial/ethnic background” (p. 2). As the student population continues to evolve and become more varied, student affairs professionals have worked to keep pace with the knowledge and level of competency required to provide expanded and new multicultural approaches to traditional services. Promoting and cultivating an environment that fosters belonging and inclusion is essential for all student services practitioners. Pope and Mueller (2005) suggest that “the incorporation of multicultural knowledge as well as exploration of multicultural awareness and skills within student personnel preparation programs is vital to the development of student affairs practitioners who are competent to work ethically and effectively with all students” (p. 680). Shuford (2011) echoes, “higher education needs professionals that possess the knowledge, skills, and awareness needed to foster cross-cultural understanding and engagement among diverse student populations on campus” (p. 247).
