Tackling the advising profession with a homogeneous approach would be like offering only vanilla or chocolate at the local ice cream shop. Sure, there will be customers who want one or the other but serving more choices would help to satisfy everyone. Similarly, approaching advising relationships with the adviser’s own ethnocentricity as the sole guiding force will lead to a one-dimensional relationship. The importance of academic advising cannot be overstated. As Gordon (2002) suggested, “academic advising is one of the most important services for helping students become aware of their intellectual and emotional growth, in particular, and for helping them monitor the progress in their development” (p.240). This integral role in the development of another’s “self” must not be guided solely by the adviser’s “self.” As advisers, broadening our worldview to appreciate all identities for their uniqueness and not holding them to our own strictly defined experiences will contribute to increasing student success. According to Levine and Cureton (1992), “half of all colleges and universities have multicultural advising programs” (p. 26). This number is continuing to grow and rightfully so. Current and future advisers need to become equipped with all of the necessary tools to meet this demand. The goal of this article is to help readers define a number of multicultural advising terms and identify institutional biases; their own cultural viewpoint; viewpoints of other cultural groups based on race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, religion, and age; and ways to advise these multicultural students.

Understanding Culture and Multicultural Terminology

Culture as defined by Tylor (1871) is “that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society” (p.1). Aspects of an individual’s culture are both static and dynamic. The groundwork of our culture is laid before we are born into this world. Cultural characteristics such as socioeconomic status, geography, language, religion, literacy, and customs help to identify us initially, but our life experiences can alter many of these significantly. Other cultural characteristics, such as gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation, remain identifiers forever. Being able to successfully incorporate a multicultural approach to advising requires understanding certain key terms, including multicultural competence, multicultural awareness, multicultural knowledge, multicultural skills, and multicultural sensitivity.

Multicultural Competence

Sue et al. (1982) defined multicultural competence as a three-part model that included awareness, knowledge, and skills. Pope, Reynolds, and Mueller (2004) applied the Sue et al. (1982) model of multicultural competence to higher education “as the awareness, knowledge, and skills needed to work with others who are culturally different from self in meaningful, relevant, and productive ways” (p. 13). Having this ability or competence to work and interact with people from cultures different than one’s own is paramount in becoming a well-rounded adviser prepared for the multicultural world.

Multicultural Awareness

Multicultural awareness is a key component of most definitions of multicultural competence. It is defined as a general understanding of another group—what it is like and how it functions—without forming a stereotype (Pedersen & Connerley, 2005, p. 92). Becoming self-aware of one’s own culture through attitudes, beliefs, and values is equally important, as it impacts perceptions and interactions with those who are culturally different. “If the awareness stage is overlooked in multicultural leadership training, then the knowledge and skills—however accurate and effective—may be based on false assumptions” (Pedersen & Connerley, 2005, p. 78). When this awareness is absent, assumptions of homogeneity are made that can lead to a breakdown of trust and respect and thus negate any positivity that could have arisen from the relationship.

Multicultural Knowledge

Advisers who work diligently to broaden their knowledge do a valuable service to their profession and those served by it. “Knowledge provides the documentation and factual information necessary to move beyond awareness toward effective and appropriate change in multicultural settings” (Pedersen & Connerley, 2005, p. 78). There are many ways to broaden multicultural knowledge, and each offers significant value. Increasing the informed understanding of cultures different from one’s own, including knowledge of their histories, traditions, values, and practices, is vital in developing multicultural competence. Equally important is knowledge of self. Advisers “must also recognize themselves as cultural creatures and realize that they must first know themselves to appreciate the cultural lenses through which they interpret others” (Cornett-DeVito & Reeves, 1999, p. 39).

Multicultural Skills

“Skill provides the ability to build on awareness and apply knowledge toward effective change in multicultural settings” (Pedersen & Connerley, 2005, p. 78). Developing the skills to identify differences and the ability to discuss those differences with those of varying cultural backgrounds is critical in a dyadic adviser-advisee multiculturally competent relationship. Some skills used to engage effectively with those who are culturally different include cross-cultural communication (verbal and non-verbal), empathic listening, critical thinking (utilizing multicultural knowledge to deduce perspectives), and ability to gain the trust and respect of individuals who are culturally different from oneself (Pope et al., 2004, p. 18).

Multicultural Sensitivity/Desire

“We must have the desire to be continually working to look beyond our world view and the dedication to gaining the knowledge and developing the skills that will aid us in doing so” (Cunningham, 2003). The desire to become and maintain a heightened level of multicultural competence must exist in order to serve all students with their myriad cultural backgrounds.  Advisers should accept and respect the differences between cultures without judging them as good or bad, right or wrong.

Identifying What’s Been There All Along

Many roadblocks stand in the way of complete multicultural competence and its effectiveness in advising. “At the individual level, the obstacles are biases, prejudices, and misinformation manifested via discrimination … at the organizational level, they are monocultural policies, practices, programs, and structures .…” (Sue, 2001, p. 802). Whether looking inward at our own cultural viewpoint, outward at the viewpoints of others, or at institutional biases, defining these roadblocks is the first step in overcoming them.

Identify Institutional Cultural Biases

It is important to identify and acknowledge any institutional biases that exist that may make it more difficult for diverse student populations to succeed. Isolating any biases and working to correct them can improve the student’s perspective of belonging. As Kuh, Kinzie, Schuh, Whitt, and Associates (2005) suggested, “feelings of belonging help students connect with their peers and the institution, relationships that, in turn, are associated with persistence and satisfaction” (p.119). Since our overarching goal as advisers is contributing to this persistence and satisfaction, anything that can be done to minimize a bias is essential. One place to consider reviewing is in the advising office itself. What do office accessories and furnishings say about your cultural awareness of people of different ages, abilities, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and economic backgrounds? Do administration, faculty, and student populations consist of homogenous or heterogeneous representations of cultural identifiers? Or does this history of the institution lend itself to a cultural bias or the perception of one? It would be hard to change these aspects of the institution, but acknowledgement of their existence can help to inform an adviser about what a student might be feeling.

Identify Your Own Cultural Viewpoint

As individuals, we must look at how we define ourselves culturally. In what groups do we place ourselves and in what groups might others place us? Aspects of our individual cultures unfortunately bias and prejudice us. It is with much practice that these feelings must be unlearned, so as to not unknowingly discriminate against others. One way to do this is to identify common body movements or gestures that you make and determine their potential multicultural perception. Another is to have others inform you of their perceptions of you. Some of this feedback will come packaged with its own biases, but with open minds and a willingness to develop multicultural competence, we can all benefit from worthy advice.

Identify Cultural Viewpoints of Others

Spending time with culturally different others is an excellent way to identify and understand their viewpoints. What past or present culturally experienced discrimination comes to mind that might have contributed to cultural perspective? Is it right or wrong that something occurring hundreds of years ago can still affect cultural viewpoints? The answer is that it doesn’t matter.  Take right or wrong out of the equation and accept the culture for what it is. Another aspect of cultures different from your own might be the physical distance and gestures used during social interactions that are varied and can negatively impact the interaction. These can also be identified by spending time with culturally different others. It is also important to avoid cultural stereotypes, including factual ones, as the “individual” must be considered in relation to the group.