https://moakleyarchive.omeka.net/files/show/3180

• From which database did you find this document? What keywords did you use? Please provide a link to both documents or attach them on your website.

I found this document on the Monkey Library and Institute website, as a part of the digital collection. I used the keyword “diversity”, as suggested from Michael Iacono, in the search bar on the left. 

• Who wrote the document?

The author is the Suffolk University Office of Public Relations.

• When was the document written?

This document is published in 1994. 

• What prompted the document written? (optional) Were there social, political, economic or historical reasons that may have influenced the writer and the contents?

I do not know if there is a particular global event that might have prompted the document, however there seemed to be a “September conference on diversity in the Suffolk community” around that time, and its list of newly formed members of the Diversity Task Force’s names have been published in the box below the article.

• What audience was this written for? Does this document set a particular agenda?

This was meant for the general public, more specifically the international students, non-permanent residents, everyone who is planning on obtaining a student visa for the United States, as well as the students of Suffolk University, along with the professors, and staff, as well as everybody who reads the “SUN 2” newspaper. The agenda is to inform the news paper’s readers about the new goal that the university has – to create a welcoming multicultural multiracial diverse community.

• What are the contents, the language and terms used and the key message(s)? What is the ideological position of the author?

The language is very simple – it is written so that every reader can understand the news. Some of the critical terms and key words are Suffolk University, multicultural, multiracial, gender-balanced, community, cultural diversity, welcoming climate, culture and more. The ideological position of the author cannot be determined, as this is a newspaper article and being objective is a must.

• What other archival materials do you need to locate in order to further your analysis?

I would look for more documents about the “September conference on diversity in the Suffolk community”, as well as some data to compare whether the implementation of this new policy had an effect.

• How does this document relate to your revised topic? How may it answer your research question?

I am in the U.S. with a non-immigrant student visa. As an International student, I know that it can be very difficult to get into certain universities, as they are not that welcoming of foreigners. A friendly and welcoming environment is nothing less that every International student deserves on every campus. It brings a lot more acceptance, positivity, and it brings people closer.

• What does this document add to your public policy document analysis and personal document analysis?

It is related very closely to my topic, as it promotes the welcoming environment that every International student needs in a foreign country. This archival material can serve as an example, as it talks about not only a diverse student body, but also for diverse faculty members and staff. The people who can help the best with dealing with culture shock on campus are the people who have gone through it – in this case it could be not only a fellow student, but also a professor that teaches a couple of classes.

https://moakleyarchive.omeka.net/files/show/1737

• From which database did you find this document? What keywords did you use? Please provide a link to both documents or attach them on your website.

I found this document on the Monkey Library and Institute website, as a part of the digital collection. I used the keyword “diversity”, as suggested from Michael Iacono, in the search bar on the left. 

• Who wrote the document?

The photographer, I believe, is unknown.

• When was the document written?

This photograph was taken in 1987. 

• What audience was this written for? Does this document set a particular agenda?

This was meant for the general public. It looks like a photo that could be published in a Suffolk newspaper, so I guess the audience would be the Suffolk community, faculty, staff members, parents of Suffolk’s students, as well as the readers of the Suffolk newspaper. This photo shows two students from very diverse backgrounds having a friendly conversation. The girl has her notebook open, so my best guess is that they are talking about a class they are in together.

• What are the contents, the language and terms used and the key message(s)? What is the ideological position of the author?

This is a photograph so there is no language used, as well as no key terms. However, some of the crucial aspects of this photograph are the people. It is visible they are different races, but they are interacting with each other in a friendly manner. They might be talking about a class or they might be exchanging notes. If this was a written document, some of the key words or terms would be used are Suffolk University, multicultural, multiracial, cultural diversity, welcoming climate, college students, classroom, classroom diversity, student life.

• What other archival materials do you need to locate in order to further your analysis?

I would try to find some statistics about the classroom diversity – I want to know (on average) how diverse were the classes in 1987. Afterwards I would like to find out how diverse they had become after the implementation of the new policy as a result from the “September conference on diversity in the Suffolk community”.

• How does this document relate to your revised topic? How may it answer your research question?

This photograph can serve as an example to illustrate the tendency of culturally diverse people to interact and befriend other culturally diverse people. International students, in a lot of cases, feel the closest to other International students, as the college experience they share, is similar, compared to the experience that the American students have. The fact that foreign students identify as such, gives a lot of common ground to International students, as well as a lot of topics, concerning that internationality to talk about.

• What does this document add to your public policy document analysis and personal document analysis?

This photograph got me thinking about the idea that, although not every International student knows other students, with the same nationality as them, they can still connect with other people from different backgrounds and still help each other to get through the cultural shock. This photo could build my counterargument – although it might be much easier to connect with a person from your own home country, that is going through the same changes, people from other nationalities can help you enrich your point of view about other cultures, which can be just as  valuable as preserving one’s own culture.