EIU Making Excellence Inclusive

Passport to Diversity

The curricular/co-curricular subcommittee, of MEI proposed in 2015, a guided process of enrichment that would culminate in an Inclusive Leadership Certificate for students called “Passport to Diversity.”  The certificate would be awarded through MEI upon documentation, in D2L, of the completion of specific requirements such as coursework, conferences, workshops, experiential learning and written essays/reflections. The program was based on a model developed at Wake Forest School of Business, designed to develop ethical leaders in the workplace. Each activity is overtly tied to an objective that reflects the university’s undergraduate learning goals. A pilot orientation of the new project was offered on January 22, 2018 and the first students were enrolled in D2L to begin their “Passport to Diversity.” The project was led by Dr. Jeanne Lord and Dr. Mona Davenport.

The program learning outcomes for students are:

• Increase self-awareness of intercultural competence through assessment and feedback
• Gain knowledge of global mindset competencies and guidance for self-improvement
• Increase understanding of cultural complexities related to major area of study
• Improve communication skills for engaging dialogue on diversity topics
• Possess a better understanding of the individual, group, and organizational factors that contribute to an inclusive work environment
• Develop a process for lifelong learning and development of inclusive leadership skills.