The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 37, No. 2 - 40

Vanessa D. Johnson • Young-Shin Kang • George F. Thompson

cessing their feelings from encounters with residents of cultural groups other than their own, thus rendering RA training in the area of cultural diversity important (Villalpando, 2002). Such training should aid RAs in their understanding of cultural diversity, in being able to relate to residents of diverse backgrounds, and in being able to cultivate cultural understanding among their residents. Studies of the racial climate in residence halls, using the Perception of Racial Climate in Residence Halls Questionnaire (PRCQ), have shown that the perceptions residents have of residence hall staff are an important indicator of the sense of acceptance felt by cultural groups in the residence halls (Johnson, 2003; Johnson-Durgans, 1994). For example, an earlier study at a predominantly White university with a predominantly White resident assistant hall staff found that African American residents had more negative perceptions of the residence hall staff than did White residents (Johnson-Durgans). A later study at a different institution with a predominantly White residence hall staff, which included students of other cultural minority groups, found that Asian American, followed by African American, residents had the most negative perceptions of the residence hall staff. White residents again had the most positive perceptions (Johnson). These findings have contributed to housing personnel’s understanding of how residents are relating culturally to their residence hall staffs. Previous studies using the PRCQ shed light on how residents from various cultural groups perceive their relationships with residence hall staff. However, little is known about how RAs perceive their own role in promoting cultural
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understanding in the residence halls. Most RAs are undergraduates barely out of high school and may be just a few years older than their residents; or, in some cases, they are the same age yet are expected to facilitate student development while being undergraduates themselves (Johnson & Kang, 2006). They are charged with engaging residents in ways that contribute to a positive experience in residence halls and thus impacting the residents’ overall college experience. There is an expectation that RAs on predominantly White campuses should foster cultural understanding among residents and create an environment in which residents of various cultures feel welcome. To assist RAs in fostering cultural understanding among residents, it seems reasonable that housing personnel must first assess RAs’ level of readiness to be agents of cultural understanding. Gaining an understanding of RAs’ prior cultural experiences can help to assess their level of confidence in addressing issues related to cultural diversity (Johnson & Kang, 2006). The Resident Assistant Cultural Diversity questionnaire (RACD) was developed to address such an understanding. It is based on the results of previous studies revealing that cultural groups may have different perceptions of the residence hall staff in terms of diversity (Johnson, 2003; Johnson-Durgans, 1994); on a review of the literature on residence hall environments, campus climates, and cultural diversity on campuses and in residence halls; on a professional review of the items (Johnson & Kang, 2006); and on one researcher’s experience as a residence hall director and a diversity trainer in residence halls. The RACD was designed to measure resident assistant confi-

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 37, No. 2

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