The diversity cohort—a professional development program for college faculty

Colleges of education nationwide are recognizing the need to offer training that supports college faculty in their work with increasingly diverse classroom populations. Another secondary, but also critically important benefit, is that faculty members can share their newfound knowledge, skills, and attitudes with their students— prospective and practicing teachers who are also working with an increasingly diverse group of students in the K‐12 setting. This article reports findings from a qualitative study that investigated the effect of a three‐semester‐long diversity cohort experience. Participants in the diversity cohort included college of education, arts and sciences, and K‐12 educators. The findings of the study provide glimpses of the following three key change/diversity‐training factors identified in the review of literature: (a) readiness for change, (b) community building, and (c) utilization of adult learning principles.