Students Diversity Management In Ethiopian Public Universities Practices And Challenges

This study explored the practice and challenges of Ethiopian public universities students‘ rndiversity management by employing convergent parallel mixed method design. To this end, data rnwas collected from 458 quantitative and 24 qualitative study participants the study found out that rnthe campus climate for ethnic and religion diversity in Ethiopian public universities to be rnmoderately positive with the existence of pockets of dominant group of students and ethnic rnrelated conflicts among students. On the other hand, the sampled universities students‘ diversity rnmanagement practice was also found to be good. The study also found out that there is a weak, rnstatistically significant positive relationship between students‘ attitude towards diversity and rntheir sense of belonging towards their university, diversity related policies, leadership rncommitment to promote diversity, and curricular activities practice of the sample universities and rnstudents‘ pluralistic orientation. On the other hand, the study found moderate, statistically rnsignificant positive relationship between co-curricular activities practice of the sample rnuniversities and students‘ pluralistic orientation. The main challenges for Ethiopian public rnuniversities to properly manage their students‘ diversity were also found to be political instances rnof the country, fake news circulating in the social media and political activists/groups focus on rnpublic university students. Moreover, the absence of well-planned strategies including invitation rnof influential figures to discuss sensitive diversity related issues, the inadequacy of the rncurriculum to respond to diversity related issues, and lack of commitment of university leaders to rnpromote diversity and act immediately during conflicts were mentioned as gaps in managing rnstudents diversity at public universities. Based on the above findings, it was concluded that the rncampus climate for diversity in the sampled universities to be moderately positive and students‘ rndiversity management to be good. The study also concluded that challenges of managing rnstudents‘ diversity were associated with external influences like politics and absence of well planned strategies and homogeneity of the universities community in their part. Finally, it was rnrecommended that due attention should be given by MoSHE and respective public universities in rndiversifying the top leadership, academic staff and student body by putting appropriate strategies rnin place to better promote diversity, public universities and MoSHE should work to make the rncurriculum responsive to diversity and strengthen the co-curricular activities that can promote rndiversity. rnKey words: Diversity, Campus Climate for Diversity, Diversity Management, Public Universities

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