DigitalCommons@Linfield

Framing Diversity: Multiculturalism in College and University Student Handbooks

Jereld R. Nicholson Library

The purpose of this study is to examine how student handbooks from four private liberal arts colleges and universities located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley communicate to students that their campuses provide a safe and comfortable environment for diverse students. Content analysis is used to examine the welcoming nature of the language, the intergroup opportunities and the opportunity for students to provide back feedback about diversity as represented within each handbook. Building on a foundation of scholarly work from the past, the research finds that diversity is best encouraged in purpose statements that acknowledge and validate the worth of all students.