Most people believe diversity in our society is a worthy goal. It seems a particularly sensible one for a nation established and built by individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds. But how to achieve and sustain it?
The Old Boy Network
A bit of history. For centuries the privileged class took steps to ensure their success and those of their male offspring.
The well-established old boy network was in many ways an efficient system that worked for those who ran it, primarily WASPS (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants).
Admission to college, employment offers and promotion opportunities were heavily influenced by who you knew, who recommend you.
But the well-oiled network had fatal flaws. It was insular, extremely restrictive and self-serving. It was great for those connected males, and in the past, males were the preferred gender for sure. But what about everybody else? Vast numbers of under-served ethnic, religious or national groups didn’t have a chance. The playing field was painfully uneven. The cards were stacked against hundreds of thousands of Americans if not millions be it for education or employment opportunities.
Finally, in the 1960s affirmative action was formally launched for our schools and our society. Expected opposition bubbled forth from the very beginning. Others struggled to secure equal benefits.
What Works?
The popular belief is that affirmative action has aided primarily blacks and Hispanics. That is a myth. Caucasian women have benefitted the most. Their enrollments have soared in most colleges, and their presence in graduate schools and the world beyond has been even more impressive. Before affirmative action female enrollment at law and medical schools was less than 10%. Today, it is more than 50% at both. Multiple glass ceilings have been shattered.
Diversity success at colleges is predicated on dedicated individuals committed to bringing about change.
First the board has to agree or at least not sabotage the effort.
Secondly, either the president or the chief academic officer has to be fully committed to diversity goals, which includes consistently monitoring its progress.
As Dr. Steven Rose, president of Passaic County Community College wrote me:
“Institutional culture is a powerful force on college campuses. Culture forms over a long period of time and does not change easily. Diversity is part of the culture of an institution. A culture supportive of diversity sets a compass for the institution. This will determine if an institution is truly welcoming or just pretending. If diversity is seen as strength, then those involved with hiring will lean toward diverse hiring. Leadership from the top is essential for this culture to develop. This leadership needs to be clear and consistent.”
Enrollment Realities
Many colleges face serious enrollment problems. Why? There is more than one reason.
First, let’s discuss demographics. The baby boomers, 1946-1964, are grandparents. The boomlet their children created was much smaller. Gone are large families. Many couples limit themselves to a child or two. Elementary schools began closing a decade ago; now high schools are consolidating or closing.
Second, many students and their parents question the costs and benefits of attending college. High tuition, unemployed or underemployed graduates invariably saddled with enormous debt have chilled the nation’s appetite for higher education. These are but two reasons why freshmen applications are shrinking. Those limiting factors are not going to change any time soon.
On the other hand, Hispanic births, although declining in some segments, are still flourishing. Both native born Hispanics and recent immigrants have larger than normal families. More importantly, many believe the American Dream is best attained by going to college. Many male and female youngsters join the Armed Services to secure support to attend college.
How Can Colleges Attract More Hispanics?
Very simply hire Hispanic teachers and administrators. Going to college is stressful. Some colleges lose some 25% of their freshmen class. The feeling of alienation is even worse if Hispanics do not see people similar to them as teachers or administrators.
Many colleges hire Hispanic teachers or counsellors on an adjunct basis. They serve the students well and become goodwill ambassadors for the institution at their regular place of employment. Of course, it is better to hire full timers, but that isn’t always feasible.
Steps To Be Taken
As noted above, institutions need a president or a dean committed to diversity. That is the essential spark plug to change an institution. I have heard many pontificate ever so eloquently on diversity but then slip into the comfort of the old boy network.
Colleges must do more than just hire—they have to incorporate procedures to ensure the newcomer has a fighting chance to succeed.
To prepare for this column I spoke to colleagues in five states. They all independently emphasized the necessity of retaining diversity staff.
All too often, they reported, recently hired faculty are overwhelmed with assignments, which are peripheral to their main duties. They are appointed to numerous hiring committees, endless in-house evaluation teams and ever evolving student or faculty diversity task forces. Stretched beyond their ability, many fail to hone their teaching skills or conduct research necessary to earn tenure. That has to change.
Bottom Line
Every college should pursue diversity. It is the right thing to do, and further, it is in their best long-term interest. Many institutions have vibrant working programs. Find one and adapt it to your college.
The President of George Mason University, Anne Holton, my former place of employment noted, “For Mason, diversity is more than a goal, it is at the very core of our mission of delivering Access to Excellence. Mason has become one of the Commonwealth’s leading public research universities as well as the place where students from all backgrounds find pathways to life success. We recently welcomed our largest incoming class.”
Colleges are not mythical ideal perfect organizations. They are human institutions with all of the heartaches and victories of non-academic institutions. Problems exist; solutions do as well.
Colleges also have the obligation to lead, to be good examples. •
