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Theoretical Frameworks

• Intersectionality

  Coined by legal scholar Kimberlé Crenshaw in 1989, intersectionality is a framework that examines how various aspects of a person's social and political identities (e.g., gender, race, class, sexuality, ability) combine to create unique modes of discrimination and privilege. It emphasizes that individuals experience oppression in varying configurations and degrees of intensity.

  Key Concepts:

  • • Interconnected Identities: Recognizes that individuals hold multiple, overlapping identities that influence their experiences.
    • Systemic Structures: Highlights how systems of power (like racism, sexism, and classism) interrelate and create complex social inequalities.
    • Unique Experiences: Acknowledges that people facing multiple forms of oppression may have experiences that are not fully understood by examining each identity separately.
• Community Cultural Wealth Model (CCWM)

  Developed by Dr. Tara Yosso in 2005, the Community Cultural Wealth Model challenges traditional deficit-based perspectives by recognizing the array of knowledge, skills, abilities, and contacts possessed by marginalized groups. It identifies six forms of capital that communities of color utilize to navigate and succeed within oppressive structures.

  Six Forms of Capital:

  • • Aspirational Capital: The ability to maintain hopes and dreams for the future despite real and perceived barriers.
    • Linguistic Capital: The intellectual and social skills attained through communication experiences in more than one language and/or style.
    • Familial Capital: Cultural knowledges nurtured among family that carry a sense of community history, memory, and cultural intuition.
    • Social Capital: Networks of people and community resources that provide both instrumental and emotional support.
    • Navigational Capital: Skills of maneuvering through social institutions, including those that were not created with communities of color in mind.
    • Resistant Capital: Knowledge and skills fostered through oppositional behavior that challenges inequality.
• Bennett’s Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS)

  Created by Dr. Milton Bennett, the DMIS outlines a framework for understanding how individuals experience and engage with cultural differences. It describes a continuum of six stages, ranging from ethnocentric to ethnorelative worldviews, illustrating the progression toward greater intercultural sensitivity.

  The Six Stages:

  • Denial: Lack of recognition of cultural differences.
  • Defense: Recognition of some differences, but they are perceived as negative.
  • Minimization: Acknowledgment of differences, but underestimation of their significance.
  • Acceptance: Recognition and appreciation of cultural differences.
  • Adaptation: Ability to adapt behavior to different cultural contexts.
  • Integration: Integration of cultural awareness into everyday interactions
• High-Impact Educational Practices (HIPs)

  High-Impact Practices (HIPs) are a set of intentionally designed teaching and learning experiences shown to promote deep learning, student engagement, and higher retention and graduation rates—especially for first-generation students, students of color, and low-income students. Developed by George D. Kuh and widely adopted across colleges and universities, HIPs are effective because they require students to invest significant time and academic effort, encourage meaningful interaction with faculty and peers, provide frequent and constructive feedback, and include opportunities to reflect on learning. They also engage students with diverse perspectives, real-world relevance, and often culminate in a public demonstration of learning. When implemented with equity and care, HIPs transform how students connect classroom learning with personal, social, and professional development.

  The 10 High-Impact Practices

  • • First-Year Seminars and Experiences
      Small, theme-based courses that support students' transition into college through academic skill-building, inquiry, and campus engagement.
    • Common Intellectual Experiences
      Shared curriculum elements such as a core set of courses, themes, or readings that encourage integrative learning across disciplines.
    • Learning Communities
      Groups of students co-enrolled in linked courses that explore a common topic, helping build peer connections and interdisciplinary thinking.
    • Writing-Intensive Courses
      Courses across all disciplines that emphasize writing as a process involving feedback, revision, and reflection to strengthen communication skills.
    • Collaborative Assignments and Projects
      Structured opportunities for teamwork where students solve problems, co-author work, or explore complex questions together.
    • Undergraduate Research
      Faculty-mentored research that allows students to participate in the process of discovery and contribute to scholarly or creative work.
    • Diversity/Global Learning
      Learning experiences that explore cultural differences, global systems, and power dynamics, often involving study abroad or community-based engagement.
    • Service Learning and Community-Based Learning
      Courses that integrate academic content with real-world service, emphasizing civic responsibility and critical reflection.
    • Internships
      Supervised work experiences tied to academic goals, giving students practical skills and insight into professional environments.
    • Capstone Courses and Projects
      Final-year experiences that synthesize learning through projects, portfolios, or presentations, demonstrating mastery and integration of knowledge.