Cultural & Linguistic Competence - IHE | National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments (NCSSLE)

Higher Education

Institutions of higher education (IHEs) can honor college students’ identities, communicate in ways that make sense to them, and support and promote equitable policies and practices.

Acknowledging and respecting cultural, linguistic, and community identities of students and their families can help optimize educational experiences and attainment for students of all backgrounds. IHEs can bring awareness of diverse cultural identities and an understanding about differences among students to create culturally responsive learning environments. Institutional policies can explicitly build in supports and practices that seek to eliminate disparities and barriers that students may face related to their cultural identities.

Ethnically and racially diverse students represent almost half of U.S. students enrolled in IHEs.

Cultural competence is an important factor in enabling IHEs to serve students from all cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

References

Featured Resources

Advancing Black Student Success and Elevating Black Excellence in the California State University: A Call to Action

In fall 2022, Interim Chancellor Jolene Koester charged the CSU leadership to redouble efforts in supporting and advancing Black student success. A strategic workgroup developed both an approach that centered the student experience and voice as well as recommendations that challenge the CSU to think broadly and act boldly. The resulting report articulates 13 systemwide recommendations designed to catalyze the cultural change urgently needed to advance Black student success and create a potential model for other institutions of higher education.

Illinois Latino College Landscape Study: Bringing the Dream of a Higher Education Within Reach for Latino Students

This report highlights the challenges and opportunities that Latino students encounter as they pursue higher education. It also outlines six key factors that influence Latino college preparation, access, and degree completion, as well as postgraduate achievement.

Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education

Explains the rights and responsibilities of students with disabilities who are preparing to attend postsecondary schools, and the obligations of a postsecondary school to provide academic adjustments, including auxiliary aids and services.

Equity Toolkit: A Research-based Guide to Operationalizing Equity

Provides research, tools, and resources to help college design and implement equity-centered approaches in all aspects of the college system.

From Barriers to Bridges: Expanding Access to Higher Education and Workforce Training in Georgia

Addresses the structural inequalities with higher education and the workforce that delay and block opportunities to reach economic security, and provides recommendations on how to address these inequalities.