In this discussion on instructional problems in multicultural higher education classrooms, it is argued that while educators recognize that equitable treatment for all students is their responsibility, they often do not know which attitudes, behaviors, expectations and teaching strategies may be misunderstood by ethnic and/or minority students, thereby negatively affecting their teaching effectiveness in multicultural classrooms. Several factors which tend to influence the academic success of minority students, as well as faculty attitudes and behaviors which may communicate uneasiness and differential student learning are analyzed, including: motivation in the multicultural classroom; student/professor interaction; limited English proficiency; cultural variations in oral/written logic; and the understanding of diverse world views. Various strategies for checking understanding in the multicultural classroom are also suggested. It is concluded that universities with interest in and commitment to the academic success of diverse students should: (1) initiate faculty development in pedagogical skills that will provide equal access to learning in the classroom; (2) weave minority students into the essential fabric of the institution; and (3) meaningfully integrate minority scholarship into the curriculum. Included are 38 references. (LPT)