Digital Commons @ SPU

Associations between diverse learning environment & ethnic identity: The SPU experience project​

The SPU Experience Project emphasizes multiple aspects of identity development of students in our institution. As part of this project, we developed the Adaptive Measure of Identity Statuses: Ethnicity (AMIS-E) which assesses ethnic identity development and its impact. To understand how ethnic identity impacts the SPU Experience, in particular, we used the Diverse Learning Environment Measure (DLE) to test the fit of SPU’s environment with the ethnic minority identity. The combination of these measures allows us to see the connection between ethnic identity exploration in relation to the presence of a diverse learning environment (e.g., peer interactions, experiences of discrimination, and access to campus resources). This connection is especially important during the Emerging Adulthood stage in which students explore their ethnic identity options to form enduring identity commitments. Data was collected from a sample of SPU's undergraduate students: (N=232; White=31%; POC=50% (Native American=0.9%, Hispanic/Latino=9%, Middle Eastern=0.9%, Asian=19%, Black=6%, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander=0.4%, Multiracial=13%; Missing=19%). Results show that POC students scored higher on the AMIS-E than their White counterparts; indicating higher levels of exploration and commitment to their ethnic identity. However, the negative correlations between the perceived level of diverse learning environment and ethnic identity commitment and exploration indicates that the current state of SPU’s diversity environment may not foster the ethnic identity development of students of color.