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SUCCESSFUL APPROACHES TO EXPANDING DIVERSITY IN A RANGELAND/NATURAL RESOURCES CAPSTONE
Author
Fernandez-Gimenez, Maria
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
2015
Body

In a capstone course, students synthesize and apply the diverse knowledge and skills they have developed during their education, and thereby demonstrate their learning. Frequently the context for synthesis and application is a problem- or project-based learning challenge such as development of a management plan. In rangeland and natural resource management, diversity encompasses multiple disciplines (e.g. soils, hydrology, rangeland ecology, wildlife, forestry, economics, policy and sociology of natural resources) and skills sets (e.g. critical thinking, research, oral and written communication, and teamwork). However, appreciation of and competence in working with other types of diversity (e.g. class, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, ability/disability) is underemphasized in NR capstones, and indeed, throughout NR curricula. Further, facilitating student understanding of and cultivating skills in diverse ways of knowing and thinking is seldom an explicit goal. Yet, cultural and communication competence is an essential ingredient to success in a global workforce, as are systems thinking and logical analytical thought. This presentation draws on personal and professional experiences, coupled with scholarship on successful approaches to enhancing diversity and integrating multiculturalism across the curriculum, to reflect on the what, why and how of expanding diversity in rangeland/NR capstones. I argue that incorporating multiple dimensions of diversity into a capstone class not only creates a more supportive and equitable learning environment for students from traditionally underrepresented groups, but also improves the communication and cultural competence of all students. A successful capstone would help all students to recognize and confront the discrimination and social structures that reinforce existing inequalities in natural resource professions and in management of natural resources more broadly. However, relying on a capstone alone to develop these competencies is unlikely to succeed. Rather, these themes need to be woven throughout the curriculum and understood as an integral part of a range/NR education.

Language
English
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Conference Name
SRM Sacramento, CA
Collection
SRM Annual Meeting Abstracts