MnSCU official: How diversity plays into workforce development

Whitney Harris, executive director for diversity and equity for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system, told trustees of the value of having a diverse collection of instructors and staffers on MnSCU campuses:

"There was a recent study by the (Association of American) Colleges and Universities, and it (stated) that 96 percent of those who participated in its survey rated students' cultural competency -- the ability to work in a diverse environment -- as one of the highest criteria that they look for in prospective employees.

They do not refer to them, by the way, as 'soft skills.' They refer to them as 'basic skills.'

So as we talk about our workforce and the kind of workforce we need to create, I recommend that we keep those points in mind. So we're not about ... just numbers. We're about creating the kind of workforce that can educate our students and prepare them to work in a diverse and global world."

 

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