Students‘ Diversity Management in Ethiopian Public Universities: Practices and Challenges
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2020-10
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study explored the practice and challenges of Ethiopian public universities students‘
diversity management by employing convergent parallel mixed method design. To this end, data
was collected from 458 quantitative and 24 qualitative study participants the study found out that
the campus climate for ethnic and religion diversity in Ethiopian public universities to be
moderately positive with the existence of pockets of dominant group of students and ethnic
related conflicts among students. On the other hand, the sampled universities students‘ diversity
management practice was also found to be good. The study also found out that there is a weak,
statistically significant positive relationship between students‘ attitude towards diversity and
their sense of belonging towards their university, diversity related policies, leadership
commitment to promote diversity, and curricular activities practice of the sample universities and
students‘ pluralistic orientation. On the other hand, the study found moderate, statistically
significant positive relationship between co-curricular activities practice of the sample
universities and students‘ pluralistic orientation. The main challenges for Ethiopian public
universities to properly manage their students‘ diversity were also found to be political instances
of the country, fake news circulating in the social media and political activists/groups focus on
public university students. Moreover, the absence of well-planned strategies including invitation
of influential figures to discuss sensitive diversity related issues, the inadequacy of the
curriculum to respond to diversity related issues, and lack of commitment of university leaders to
promote diversity and act immediately during conflicts were mentioned as gaps in managing
students diversity at public universities. Based on the above findings, it was concluded that the
campus climate for diversity in the sampled universities to be moderately positive and students‘
diversity management to be good. The study also concluded that challenges of managing
students‘ diversity were associated with external influences like politics and absence of well planned strategies and homogeneity of the universities community in their part. Finally, it was
recommended that due attention should be given by MoSHE and respective public universities in
diversifying the top leadership, academic staff and student body by putting appropriate strategies
in place to better promote diversity, public universities and MoSHE should work to make the
curriculum responsive to diversity and strengthen the co-curricular activities that can promote
diversity.
Key words: Diversity, Campus Climate for Diversity, Diversity Management, Public Universities
Description
Keywords
Diversity,, Campus Climate for Diversity,, Diversity Management,, Public Universities