Inclusion

Inclusion is the active, intentional and ongoing engagement with diversity—in people, in the curriculum, in the co-curriculum, and in communities (intellectual, social, cultural, geographical) with which individuals might connect—in ways that increase one’s awareness, content knowledge, cognitive sophistication and empathic understanding of the complex ways individuals interact within (and change) systems and institutions.

The CSU and Cal Poly Pomona are dedicated to promoting inclusiveness and cultural competence. Cultural competence is the state of having and applying knowledge and skill in four areas: awareness of one’s own cultural worldview; recognition of one’s attitudes toward cultural differences; realization of different cultural practices and worldviews; and thoughtfulness in cross-cultural interaction. Over an extended period of time, individuals and organizations develop the wisdom and capability to: 1) Examine critically how cultural worldviews influence perceptions of power, dominance and inequality; and 2) Behave honorably within the complex dynamics of differences and commonalities among humans, groups and systems.