Eric Amsel
WSU students are expected to learn about, appreciate, and respect diversity. Valuing diversity is part of the mission of the university, there is a university diversity class graduation requirement, and there is a general educational expectation that students will learn to respect, and act ethically with regard to diverse people, ideas, and cultures. To assess whether the campus community is living up to these goals, the present research will assess minority students’ experiences at Weber State. Minority student status is defined broadly, and includes students who are in the minority relative to the rest of the WSU population with respect to ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, politics, disability status, and nontraditional status. Students will be interviewed and complete questionnaires to assess their experience as a minority student on campus. Specific attention will be given to situations where the students feel that negative campus experiences could be directly attributed to their minority status. Analysis will focus on whether such experiences are based on students’ relations with other students, faculty, and university staff. Attention will be given to whether certain minority students experience intolerance because of their status and whether the experience of perceived intolerance decreases as students move from under- to upper-class status.