How is Kyoto Seika University Doing? Uncovering Marginalization and Next Steps: A Four-Part Project on Equity,
Diversity, and Inclusion

Society for Intercultural Training, Education and Research

Sophia University

This presentation explains a four-part project that seeks to determine the real needs of marginalized students so as to affect bottom-up change. In support of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals: 5 (Gender Equality), 10 (Reduce Inequality), and 16 (Peace), this project focuses on equity for women, diverse racial/ethnic groups, and LGBTQXAI-identified students in the context of Kyoto Seika University. We will share preliminary findings from a survey targeting all students at the university in the first term of 2019. Mirroring a study conducted at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto, the survey asks qualitative and quantitative questions in areas of equity and accessibility, including gender, sexuality, race/ethnicity, dis/ability, family responsibilities, physical safety, and more. Although most respondents of the OISE survey felt the university was doing well at accommodating marginalized students, students who felt marginalized did not feel supported; we hypothesize the current research project will reveal similar findings. The findings at OISE led to fruitful conversations resulting in students themselves providing potential solutions to improve their on-campus experiences which the researchers presented to the school administration in a special session; this is also our intention. The methodology and results shared in this presentation will further highlight the importance of equity/diversity research and motivate other stakeholders to modify it for their own environment. The presentation will also briefly discuss the latter parts of the project: 1) in-depth interviews with students who identify as being marginalized; 2) the dissemination of research through equity workshops and seminars; and 3) a student-led movie discussion club on diversity.