College classrooms and universities have always had environments of diverse
groups of people and ideas. The Penn State Diversity video series
addresses issues such as racism, sexism, gender issues, and sexual
orientation. These topical videos, created as training tools, were not
designed to provide comprehensive answers, but rather to provoke further
group discussion and thought. Video titles include OUTlook, Diversity
Issues in the Classroom, Diversity Issues in Higher Education, and Sexual
Harassment: A New Look at an Old Problem.
Filmed by six students, OUTlook offers a cinema verite look at the lives
of several undergraduate members of the Penn State Lesbian, Gay and
Bisexual community. Candid interviews help to highlight some of the issues
that effect these students on a daily basis, including violence,
harassment, and discrimination.
Diversity Issues in the Classroom (winner of the 1996 NUCEA Region II
Faculty and Staff Development Award) consists of four case studies
including racism, gender bias, diversity as a subject matter, and an
instructor with a language bias. Short dramatic vignettes are followed by
panel discussions.
Diversity Issues in Higher Education depicts five case studies each
dealing with a different aspect of diversity. The vignettes include
International students, Lesbian, Gay and bisexuals, Learning Disability,
Adult Learners, and Multicultural education issues. A panel discussion
follows that explores the issues in greater detail.
Sexual Harassment: A New Look At an Old Problem (winner of the 1996 NUCEA
Division for Women: Creative Programming, Short-Term Award) consists of 5
vignettes illustrating typical cases that may be reported to an Affirmative
Action office on a large University campus. The incidents include, overt,
conscious harassment initiated by both male and females.
The Penn State Diversity series was produced by the Office of Educational
Equity, Penn State Affirmative Action Office, and WPSX-TV The Penn State
Diversity Series is being distributed through Penn State Media Sales. For
more information on the series, please call 1-800-770-2111.
Sue Oram
<sko2@psu.edu>