Perceptions of cultural competency skills among professional housing and residential life staff at postsecondary institutions

Student demographics on college campuses continues to change. The globalization of the student population brings challenges to providing optimal services from staff throughout higher education and particularly from professional housing and residential life (HRL) staff, who may be the first level of support for many students. The purpose of this quantitative study was to understand HRL staffs’ perceptions about their ability to support diverse students. Responses to the Multicultural Competence for Student Affairs Preliminary 2 scale (MCSA-P2) survey instrument provided a basis to compare the level of cultural competence of HRL staff across six demographic variables: gender, age, ethnicity, professional status, international experience, and formal development. Findings revealed that HRL staff participants perceived themselves to be culturally competent and that the majority of HRL staff take opportunities to increase their cultural competency awareness, knowledge, and skills through formal education. Future studies could expand on the limited research in the exploration of multicultural issues to strengthen the curriculum in preparation programs for student affairs careers and in the broader academic curriculum