Group Members:

Mike Antoine, Becky Rose, Nolan Theodore

Office:
Office of Student Engagement, University at Buffalo
Mission statement of OSE:
The Office of Student Engagement develops in students an understanding and appreciation of
self, others, and community by inspiring students to explore a life of active citizenship. Through
our programs, services, and the process of leadership development, students cultivate a personal
philosophy to make a positive change within a group, community, or global society.
Target of Assessment:
The Office of Student Engagement focuses on two main topics: Community Engagement and
Leadership Development. Community Engagement is led by Rachel DiDomizio and includes
programming such as Saturday of Service (a monthly community service opportunity) and
Alternative Spring Break (a community service oriented spring break opportunity in many
different communities). Leadership Development is led by Jude Butch, and includes the TORCH
& PEAK Programs (a curriculum-based leadership program, involving course requirements and
experience requirements) and Leadership Advocates (a leadership-focused mentorship program).
Our target is to assess the multicultural competence of Leadership Development based on a
variety of levels, including:

Artifacts of Office/divisions

Demographics of staff

Programming topic areas

Mission statement

Demographics of student participating in programming

Staff policies

Assessment Tools:

MCDA Continuum

The Grieger Checklist (1993)

Interviews with staff and students

Our Strategic Plan:

For this strategic plan Nolan, Michael, and Becky each investigated a major program of the
Leadership section of the Office of Student Engagement. These programs are Leadership House
is a year-long living and learning community run by the OSE, the Leadership Training Camp is a
day-long workshop for students to better understand leadership and group dynamics, REALM
(Real Experience and Leadership Mentoring) is a day-long event where students can spend time

with a professional who is in their intended career field. These three programs were chosen
because they are the largest leadership programs run by the office and they each focus on
different ways to expose students to leadership. Our assessment came from adapting questions
from The Grieger Checklist (1993) to fit the kind of information we wanted to know about the
programs. In the following sections each program is broken down into the checklist assessment
for each program, a description of the office dynamics, and a conclusion with recommendations
for improvements in the future.
Becky: Leadership House
Description:Leadership House is a unique program that teaches first year students about
leadership & community engagement through participation in a living-learning community.
Living-learning communities shape students' academic and social experience, and enhance
personal development by building a community through curricular and co-curricular
experiences.
1. 1. Does this program match the mission of our office/ institution?
a. Yes, this program helps students better understand who they are, learn how to work and live with
their classmates, and become more engaged in the Buffalo and UB communities.
2. Does this program address diversity or multiculturalism? If so, how?
a. Yes, the students have to attend a leadership UBE course that talks about multiculturalism and
leadership. The students also volunteer at the Gloria J. Parks organization where they work with
inner city youth.
3. Do the students in this program come from diverse backgrounds and/or add to the diversity of
the group?
a. Yes, the living and learning community has students from across the United States while also
including International students.
4. How are students recruited for this program? Are students clubs notified of these opportunities?
a. Information about the community is given to any first year student who has indicated that they
want to live on campus .
5. Are there student leaders in these programs that represent the diverse population at UB?
a. Yes, the first year students work with student mentors who are the previous student who lived in
the community in years past.
6. Is the office/programs physically accessible?
a. Generally yes, the main office space is mostly accessible but the living space is located on the
3rd floor of a residential hall so if the elevator ever broke down a student will mobility
limitations could have an issue getting to their bedroom. Overall accessibility is good with some
potential for issues that could be addressed.
Mike: REALM
1. Does this program match the mission of our office/ institution?
Yes, the REALM program works to build an appreciation of self and others. Students learn about
individuals who are working in areas that the students are interested in down the road. The
program offers diverse site locations in both the Buffalo and New York City communities. This
program works to build relationships between students and University at Buffalo Alumni.

2. Does this program address diversity or multiculturalism? If so, how?

No, the program lacks the reflection time at the end that many of the offices other programs
have. This reflection time is typically used to examine the students cultural lens and how they
make meaning of their experiences during their time in the program. While the program offers
diverse site locations, multicultural diversity is not thoroughly addressed.
3. Do the students in this program come from diverse backgrounds and/or add to the diversity of
the group?
Yes, while a wide net is cast in student recruitment, the office works to get as many students to
participate in the program as possible. The diversity of the institution is typically reflected in the
student participation in this program.
4. How are students recruited for this program? Are students clubs notified of these
opportunities?
The office works to get as many students involved in this program as possible. A wide net is cast
in student recruitment efforts but there is not really any intentional efforts to reach out to
underrepresented populations on campus. The Undergraduate Student Association is notified of
the application deadlines but a better effort could be made to advertise to student groups that
represent underrepresented student populations on campus.
5. Are there student leaders in these programs that represent the diverse population at UB?
Yes, the REALM program has a very large international student participation. In comparison to
other local schools the University at Buffalo has a large international student population on
campus and this is represented in REALM participation.
6. Is the office/programs physically accessible?
While most of the program takes place offsite the accessibility of the program really depends on
the placement of the student. The office is happy to ensure that accessibility needs are met upon
request but it is not ideal to put the responsibility on the student to seek out these
accommodations.
REALM overview: Good: Diversity representation among student participation. The program
reflects the mission and vision of the office and the institution.
Room for improvement: No real time for reflection upon the student's cultural background.
More intentional recruitment efforts can be made towards students of underrepresented

populations on campus. Program does not seem to have appreciation for historical awareness.
Better efforts can be made to ensure that the program and site locations are accessible to all. It is
important not to let students with accessibility needs feel unwelcome at this program but it is also
important to work to encourage the student to work towards self advocacy.

Nolan: Leadership Training Camp

Description: Whether you're a professional sports player or an astronaut, everyone goes to
camp. Leadership Training Camp is a hands-on, experiential learning activity that will equip
students with the fundamental skills of team work, problem solving, collaboration, goal setting,
leadership and followership.
1. Does this program match the mission of our office/ institution?
a. It can be said that the Leadership Training Camps description meets the mission of the
office, as the Offices does indeed have a focus on the leadership development of University at
Buffalo students.
2. Does this program address diversity or multiculturalism? If so, how?
a. A review of the agenda and activity descriptions for Leadership Training Camp
indicate that diversity or multiculturalism are not discussed within the program. The teambuilding exercises mentioned within the agenda are focused on skill-building surrounding topics
of collaboration, teamwork, problem-solving, and so on, yet there is no mention of diversity or
multiculturalism as a topic. Furthermore, the reflection questions at the end of each activity do
not acknowledge diversity.
3. Do the students in this program come from diverse backgrounds and/or add to the diversity of
the group?
a. At a glance, the demographic information of the student attendees of the Leadership
Training Camp 2015 represent the spectrum of racial and ethnic backgrounds the University at
Buffalo prides itself in. Over 50% of the 30 participants identified as Asian, 10% identified as
white, roughly 7% identified as South American, and 7% identified as Black. The ratio of nonwhite to white students represented in this program exceeds the Universitys, where roughly 36%
of students identify as non-white. It should also be noted that there was a 50-50 split of domestic
and international students, as well.
4. How are students recruited for this program? Are students clubs notified of these
opportunities?
a. Much like the rest of Leadership programs, broad marketing techniques are utilized to
focus on gathering large amounts of students as opposed to students of specific backgrounds or
identities. For Leadership Training Camp specifically, students can apply for the program online
using UBLinked.
5. Are there student leaders in these programs that represent the diverse population at UB?

a. There are no student leaders that facilitate this program. Activities were led by one
professional staff member and three graduate assistantships.
6. Is the office/programs physically accessible?
a. Many of the leadership activities on the Leadership Training Camp agenda required
students to be quite mobile. Further, some activities asked students to pretend to have significant
disabilities for the sake of an exercise, such as to pretend to be blind or deaf.
Office Dynamics
1. Is the office physically accessible?
a. The Office of Student Engagement is somewhat accessible for individuals with motor
disabilities, insofar that such individuals can access our office (elevator on the 2nd floor) but the
actual space is not optimally designed for the spectrum of students with motor disabilities. For
examples, staff offices and cubicles have narrow door frames that may prove a challenge for
individuals with motor disabilities and the welcome desk is substantially higher than individuals
that use wheelchairs.
2. Are student affairs professional supporting events/activities surrounding diversity and
multiculturalism?
a. In general, the staff culture acknowledges and promotes the importance of diversity. For
instance, the Leadership sector of the Office of Student Engagement states that it incorporates
diversity into its programming and events. The Office of Student Engagement often collaborates
with and supports programming of the Intercultural and Diversity Center as well. The mission
statement of the Office of Student Engagement also states the importance of relating leadership
and community engagement to the notion of understanding self, others, and community on
students path to becoming global citizens.
3. Is there artworks or posters that display an appreciation for diversity?
a. Yes, there are quotes from many different people all around the office. There are photos of their
programs where there is a wide range of people.
4. Which social identity categories does OSE assess for?
a. Limited to HUB demographics so students are not allowed to self-identify gender. Assess for
race and ethnicity in attendance demographics. The office casts a wide net when recruiting for
leadership programing to get the greatest student turnout. Efforts are made in the interview
process to maintain a diverse group of participants for programs that have an interview process.
5. What are the staff's demographics?
a. Assessing the demographics of the Office of Student Engagements staff can only be done so by
making general inferences, as we only know as much about their identities as what has been
openly shared. The professional staff has a 1:1 ratio of men to women, whereas the graduate
assistant and unpaid intern ratio is roughly 2:1, favoring women. In general, the Office of
Student Engagement is largely white, with the professional staff identifying unanimously as
white. However, the student assistants for the Office of Student Engagement come from an array
of cultural and racial backgrounds (information on the biological sex make-up was not readily
available).
Some staff members claim marginalized identities but maintain otherwise
identities that are attributed to certain privileges. Examples include a pro staff

member identifying as Jewish, a graduate assistant identifying as queer, and

another graduate assistant identifying as Cherokee.
Conclusion:
Based on the three Leadership programs we have reviewed, we are given a glimpse of
how the Leadership division of the Office of Student Engagement addresses topics of diversity
and multiculturalism. To be fair, this a mere snapshot of the programs produced by the
Leadership division. Given more time and resources, it would be wise to further investigate how
the Leadership division addresses diversity and multiculturalism more holistically.
Our assessment of the Leadership division of the Office of Student Engagement leads us
to believe that the division is varies between the stages of compliance and affirmative on the
Continuum of Multicultural Organizational Development (Pope et al, 2014). We argue for a
division-wide acknowledgement of diversity and multiculturalism, such that the Leadership
divisions programming is inclusive of students of a variety of identities and infuses this
inclusivity into its content. The following recommendations are aimed to assist the Leadership
division of the Office of Student Engagement to make progress along the Continuum of
Multicultural Organizational Development.
First, it is well-documented in all three programs that students of many different racial
and ethnic backgrounds participate in Leadership programming. However, there is some
demographic data that is not gathered by the Leadership division when enrolling students in its
programs. Data such as students sexual orientation, ability, economic status, and so on may
reveal patterns as to what groups of students do or do not participate in Leadership programs.
Such data could also inform Leadership programming to address the identities of these students
and how leadership relates to them.
We also recommend that marketing techniques be revised to include a targeted campaign
to advertise Leadership programs to underrepresented student groups at the University at
Buffalo. This could manifest in several ways. For example, this may include contacting
functional areas such as Wellness Education Services to distribute information on Leadership
programming to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning students. The
Leadership division could also directly market to student clubs and organizations that center on
underrepresented student identities, such as the Black Student Union, Latin American Student
Association, or UB Society of Feminists. However, this shift in marketing must include a shift in
programming, such that the increased variety of students of multiple backgrounds address their
needs.
A common thread we found was a correlation between the length of time students spend
in a program and amount of time in which diversity and multiculturalism is discussed.
Leadership House, for instance, discusses these topics frequently throughout the year as students
are enrolled in Leadership House for the duration of the academic year. Meanwhile, short
programs such as REALM and Leadership Training Camp fail to discuss these topics. According
to the professional staff member who organizes Leadership programming, this is attributed to not
having enough time to fully address these topics. However, we argue that there is an opportunity
to briefly acknowledge and affirm the importance of diversity and multiculturalism in Leadership
programming, such as Leadership Training Camp and REALM. We will now provide a brief list

of possible recommendations in how to fully infuse the importance of diversity and

multiculturalism into the Leadership division:
Leadership House
We recommend that Leadership House should have gender neutral bathrooms, as should each
UB building on campus.
We recommend having the Leadership House living and learning community located on the first
floor for increased accessibility.
REALM
We found that interviewers for REALM applicants experienced difficulty in determining whether
to admit international students with less English proficiency than domestic students. We
recommend a policy on how to address this issue such that each interviewer can give students a
fair application process.
We recommend a discussion regarding cultural lens during the mandatory orientation session
REALM students must attend.
We recommend that the Leadership division make an effort to recruit mentors for the REALM
program that represent the substantial spectrum of diverse identities in the Western New York
region.
We recommend an addition of a required Life and Learning Workshop for REALM students to
attend that comes from the Intercultural and Diversity Center, due to the fact that as a leader in
the workplace, students must be aware that they will come in contact with people of many
different backgrounds and beliefs. Therefore, these students should have the awareness,
knowledge, and skills to work with their colleagues towards a common goal.
We recommend the Leadership division create a list of mentorship sites that describes the level
of accessibility each site has, determining if a site has gender neutral bathrooms, and ensuring
that each site has an equal opportunity employment policy.
We recommend a post-REALM meeting in which students discuss their experience during the
one-day mentoring experience, led by a facilitator.
Leadership Training Camp
We recommend that Leadership Training Camp has a broader range of activities that
acknowledge the spectrum of physical abilities UB students have, such that all UB students have
access to building their leadership skills.
We recommend the elimination of activities that make light of physical disabilities that impair
human senses, such as pretending to be blind or deaf, as this marginalizes the experiences of
students with such abilities.
We recommend that professional staff organize the Leadership Training Camp, while peer
mentors of a diverse set of backgrounds and identities lead the skill-building activities.
We recommend the inclusion of activities that directly addresses the vast diversity of students at
UB, along with reflection periods on how diversity is related to leadership.
References
Grieger, I. (1996). A multicultural organizational development checklist for student affairs.
Journal of College Student Development, 37, 561-573.

Pope, R. L., Reynolds, A. L., & Mueller, J. A. (2014). Creating multicultural change on campus.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.