Results of the study suggest that if an institution is committed to preparing people to live and work in the larger society, providing for positive intercultural experiences on campus would seem to be a necessary and appropriate function. (Author)

An anonymous poll assessing attitudes and demographic variables associated with interracial contact was administered to 1,391 University of Maryland students. Responses of whites (84%), blacks (4%), Orientals (1%) and Spanish surname students are compared and discussed. Some American Indian, black, Spanish surname, white and Oriental students felt…

An approach used in two different Maryland school systems for working with racism is discussed and evaluated in this article. (JC)

The Cultural Study Center at the University of Maryland, College Park, has developed an approach for eliminating racism in white-oriented educational institutions by changing the attitudes and behaviors of those who control the system. The model is designed to be implemented as a conference consisting of six stages, each with its own particular…

Two examples cited here show how research at the University of Maryland's Cultural Study Center influenced controversial issues within the university. In one case research results influenced university admission policies (by showing that admission criteria were unfair to blacks). In the second instance research showing the existence of prejudice…

The same Situational Attitude Scale (SAS) social and personal situations and items used in Sedlacek and Brooks' (1970a,b) study were used in the current study. Four forms, neutral (A1), black (B1), white (A2) and Negro (B2) were administered to a sample (N=653) of prospective University of Maryland students attending a summer orientation program…

This procedural model includes progressive stages which must be worked through by an individual or institution in the process of change. These are: (1) Cultural and Racial Differences; (2) Racism and How It Operates; (3) Examining Racial Attitudes; (4) Sources of Racial Attitudes; (5) Behavior; What Should Be Done?; and (6) Behavior; How Should It…

The purpose of this study was to determine if white university students were aware of any peer group attitudes toward blacks. Student respondents to a questionnaire felt that college students do not like racists, but a similar group of college students made negative racial responses when their attitudes were measured. The findings provided some…

This book provides a practical approach or model for eliminating racism in education. The model has been developed over several years and is based on research and direct experience in various types and levels of educational settings. This model for change is aimed primarily at whites and/or white-oriented institutions. The book deals with the…

As the present tools for assessing attitudes of white toward blacks are methodologically flawed, a Situational Attitude Scale (S.A.S.) was developed. Such a test both provides a racial context and makes psychological withdrawal difficult. Ten personal and social situations with some relevance to a racial response were created. For each situation…

If universities and colleges are to provide an optimal education for students from all cultures and backgrounds they should examine the relationships among their students. Since there has been an increase in black freshman enrollment at large universities from three percent in 1969 to four percent in 1970 and institutions are preparing students…

In earlier research, Sedlacek and Brooks provided evidence for the validity of a measure of attitudes of whites towards blacks. In developing the Situational Attitude Scale (SAS) one of their major methodological points was that an appropriate measure of racial attitudes would provide a racial context to make difficult the psychological withdrawal…

The attitudes of 1114 white university students toward blacks were compared by sex, using the Situational Attitude Scale (SAS). The SAS contains 10 personal or social situations where race might be a variable in reacting to the situations. For each situation, ten bipolar Semantic Differential scales were written. The SAS was administered…