{"id":20885,"date":"2014-05-19T14:29:28","date_gmt":"2014-05-19T18:29:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=20885"},"modified":"2016-05-26T12:04:01","modified_gmt":"2016-05-26T16:04:01","slug":"luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/","title":{"rendered":"Luke Hartman: Down with diversity or diversity as gift? Part II"},"content":{"rendered":"
Luke A. Hartman is vice president for enrollment at Eastern Mennonite University, and a member of the\u00a0<\/em>Communities of Hope Team<\/em><\/a>\u00a0for Mennonite Church USA. In August 2012 he presented a paper at the Mennonite Higher Education Faculty Conference titled,\u00a0<\/em>Why \u2018diversity\u2019 is not a choice but a gift and responsibility of faithful living as Christians.\u00a0His paper remains relevant for Mennonite institutions and congregations, especially as trainings on intercultural competency are happening across the country. Due to length, his paper will be presented as a three-part series. This is part one.\u00a0Find part one<\/a>\u00a0here\u00a0and also\u00a0part three<\/a>.<\/em><\/h5>\n

In a 1997 article entitled\u00a0Down with Diversity<\/em>, Keith Denton, from Missouri State University, posited that diversity has the potential to dilute the cultural identity of an organization.[1] It appears that our institutions of higher learning may have that same fear because we sincerely speak politically correct rhetoric but seem hesitant to bring in the very students who threaten historical narratives and cultural values.<\/p>\n

The need to preserve the university\u2019s core values and beliefs makes it difficult for it to fully embrace those who do not look nor believe like the majority of its constituents. Our emphasis on peace and social justice and living in community ought to position us perfectly in the 21st<\/span>\u00a0century to embrace diversity in all its fullness.<\/p>\n

\"Luke<\/a>
Luke Hartman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An additional observation is that, at times, Mennonite colleges tend to be more active in explicitly welcoming and accepting international diversity as compared to domestic diversity. This allows the institution to maintain a sense of segregated pluralism.<\/p>\n

While working at one particular Mennonite institution I noticed the campus was enriched by a large percentage of international students, more than any of the other Mennonite schools at the time. This deserved to be celebrated, and yet it did not equal the full reality of diversity, including all its domestic dimensions.<\/p>\n

I want Mennonite colleges and universities to perceive diversity not in terms of a hierarchical value of cultures, but as an opportunity to create a culture of acceptance. This fosters a sense of belonging among all persons by recognizing and respecting difference and in doing so, promoting a sense of loyalty to the college or university.<\/p>\n

Our diversity cannot just be a diversity of assimilation and acculturation. This suggests that as long as one behaves like the dominant campus group, sheds a particular set of values, norms and\/or beliefs and especially does not over emphasize individual cultural distinctiveness then, and only then, will there be a welcoming and acceptance into the larger community.<\/p>\n

Studies on cognitive development show that critical thinking, problem-solving capacities and cognitive complexity increase for all students exposed to diversity on campus and in the classroom. \u00a0Diversity leads to the possibility of an enriched and engaging environment where greater learning and skill development is possible. It broadens perspectives, it provides increased exposure to alternative viewpoints, and brings more complex discussions and analysis.<\/p>\n

Educational researchers state that attending college in one\u2019s home environment or replicating the home community\u2019s social life and expectations in a homogeneous college impedes the personal struggle and conscious thought that are so important for identity development.<\/p>\n

The biblical text says that a \u201cmixed multitude\u201d came up out of Egypt with Moses.\u00a0 (Exodus 12:27-38).\u00a0The NIV says \u201cmany other people went up with them.\u201d\u00a0 In other words it wasn\u2019t just the descendants of Abraham that came out of Egypt.\u00a0 Many others that the Egyptians had enslaved came out with them.<\/p>\n

The Exodus passage stands in contrast to Ezra and Nehemiah after the Babylonian exile. Those passages told the Israelites to put away their foreign wives and the children they had with them. The Ezra and Nehemiah passages cared more about maintaining ethnic purity and racial exclusiveness than they did about being a light to the Gentiles as the people of God.<\/p>\n

By the end of the Old Testament story, Israel moved from celebrating diversity and inclusion to an exclusive group with a singular narrative. It asserted that God could not work with any more and thus we have the coming of Jesus to start over.<\/p>\n

Jesus celebrates diversity as seen in the twelve disciples he called.\u00a0 Jesus even uses the contextual oxymoron, \u201cthe Good Samaritan.\u201d He treats tax collectors and Roman soldiers with respect. He elevates women in a way unheard of in his day.\u00a0In 1 Corinthians 12:12-22, Paul discusses how the Christian body is composed of a variety of people and that it is this diversity which adds to the effectiveness and giftedness of the body as a whole.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, \u201cI have no need of you\u201d; nor again the head to the feet, \u201cI have no need of you.\u201d (New King James Version)<\/p>\n

Acts 10:34-35 states, \u201cThen Peter replied, \u2018I see very clearly that God doesn\u2019t show partiality.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Luke A. Hartman is vice president for enrollment at Eastern Mennonite University, and a member of the\u00a0Communities of Hope Team\u00a0for Mennonite Church USA. In August 2012 he presented a paper ... read more about Luke Hartman: Down with diversity or diversity as gift? Part II<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5583,14715,5642],"tags":[7226,7280],"feature":[],"class_list":["post-20885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-campus-community","category-campus-life","category-faculty-and-staff","tag-luke-hartman","tag-mennonite-church-usa"],"yoast_head":"\nLuke Hartman: Down with diversity or diversity as gift? Part II - EMU News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Luke Hartman: Down with diversity or diversity as gift? Part II - EMU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Luke A. Hartman is vice president for enrollment at Eastern Mennonite University, and a member of the\u00a0Communities of Hope Team\u00a0for Mennonite Church USA. In August 2012 he presented a paper\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"EMU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/EasternMennonite\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2014-05-19T18:29:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-05-26T16:04:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/is\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2014\/07\/luke_hartman_small_web-11-200x300.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@EMU_News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@EMU_News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/\",\"name\":\"Luke Hartman: Down with diversity or diversity as gift? Part II - EMU News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/is\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2014\/07\/luke_hartman_small_web-11-200x300.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2014-05-19T18:29:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-05-26T16:04:01+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/is\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2014\/07\/luke_hartman_small_web-11-200x300.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/is\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2014\/07\/luke_hartman_small_web-11-200x300.jpg\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Luke Hartman: Down with diversity or diversity as gift? Part II\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/\",\"name\":\"EMU News\",\"description\":\"News from the Eastern Mennonite University community.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Luke Hartman: Down with diversity or diversity as gift? Part II - EMU News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Luke Hartman: Down with diversity or diversity as gift? Part II - EMU News","og_description":"Luke A. Hartman is vice president for enrollment at Eastern Mennonite University, and a member of the\u00a0Communities of Hope Team\u00a0for Mennonite Church USA. In August 2012 he presented a paper","og_url":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/","og_site_name":"EMU News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/EasternMennonite","article_published_time":"2014-05-19T18:29:28+00:00","article_modified_time":"2016-05-26T16:04:01+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/is\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2014\/07\/luke_hartman_small_web-11-200x300.jpg","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@EMU_News","twitter_site":"@EMU_News","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/","url":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/","name":"Luke Hartman: Down with diversity or diversity as gift? Part II - EMU News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/is\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2014\/07\/luke_hartman_small_web-11-200x300.jpg","datePublished":"2014-05-19T18:29:28+00:00","dateModified":"2016-05-26T16:04:01+00:00","author":{"@id":""},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/is\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2014\/07\/luke_hartman_small_web-11-200x300.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/is\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2014\/07\/luke_hartman_small_web-11-200x300.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2014\/luke-hartman-down-with-diversity-or-diversity-as-gift-part-ii\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Luke Hartman: Down with diversity or diversity as gift? Part II"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/","name":"EMU News","description":"News from the Eastern Mennonite University community.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":""}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/112"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20885"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20896,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20885\/revisions\/20896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20885"},{"taxonomy":"feature","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature?post=20885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}