Cultural and Individual Diversity Training

Cultural and individual diversity are critical elements of training for all psychologists. Our program provides a structure for didactic, experiential, and self-directed methods of acquiring expertise in diversity. We use an integrative model for didactic training in which all required courses are to incorporate dimensions of individual diversity, as appropriate, into the course material. We have chosen not to add a separate course in multicultural or diversity issues in order to avoid a structure that might compartmentalize these issues to a single course or a limited set of courses. Individual courses may focus more on specific aspects of cultural or individual diversity (e.g., age, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation), but over the course of the curriculum students should acquire significant exposure to didactic material related to all major facets of individual diversity. Our faculty have expertise in a number or aspects of diversity that are reflected in faculty research and teaching (see our program description). This expertise provides additional diversity training opportunities for students through their research apprenticeships and advanced seminars offered by faculty.

All students participate in department- and community-based practica. Given the nature of the practica and the demographics of the Columbia metropolitan area students will obtain exposure in their applied activities to clients with a range of characteristics that reflect major dimensions of diversity. The metro area includes a substantial population of individuals of African-American ethnicity and a growing population of individuals of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. Students also work with clients that vary along dimensions such as age, income levels, and type of residence (rural, urban, suburban) that reflect the Columbia metro area. Students regularly track the extent of diversity among the clients they have worked with to insure exposure to a broad range of clients over the course of their training.

The Department also has developed several structures that allow students to engage in more self-directed methods of diversity training. Since 1989 the Department has co-sponsored an annual symposium organized by the Black Psychology Graduate Student Association. The Black Psychology Graduate Student Association has identified areas of interest to the association’s members and invited distinguished African-American scholars and leaders from across the country to our campus for both formal workshops on the topic and informal interactions with students. In 1996 the Diversity/Cultural Competence Committee was organized, which is a student led group that organizes regular guest speakers on issues of diversity, organizes panel discussions at regional conferences, developed a newsletter for the department on diversity training issues, and routinely work with faculty to assess the status and needs of the program in terms of diversity training.

Finally, The University of South Carolina is an affirmative action, equal opportunity institution. The Department of Psychology and the Clinical-Community Doctoral Program are committed to these principles and strive to have a student body and faculty that reflect the diversity in our local community, state, and nation.

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