“Diversity.”
We’ve all heard this buzzword promoting different companies or services. Specifically, universities and colleges love to throw around this word on their websites and events promoting their school. They use it in an attempt to prove to new students that their campus is a safe space and a, well, diverse community.
Diversity is something that society seems to have learned to want to value. However, wanting and claiming to be diverse are different than taking the steps to put this preached acceptance into action. Simply “being” diverse is not enough if minority students are not given the resources and support they need to have a successful college career. Diversity should not be treated as an end-goal, so much as it should be a constant process, always reevaluating the campus atmosphere, listening to students, keeping what is working and changing what isn’t.
People around the world have been protesting police brutality and systemic racism that is ingrained in how the United States operates. We cannot stand and accept systemic racism as part of daily operations anymore. No one should be killed at the hands of cops, especially if they are unarmed. No student should feel frustrated because they are stuck in a school environment that does not serve their needs. Laws, businesses, schools, individuals, all need to be reviewed to see what roles they play in perpetuating this system, or passively letting it continue to oppress.
This is especially true for universities. In the past few weeks, many universities have put out statements claiming to stand with the Black Lives Matter movement. They claim that they’re working to improve the safety and diversity of their campus culture. But many of these statements are empty words? How many of these statements are released in order to be on the right side of history?
In 2018, Penn State claimed they had 113 Black faculty members, which would have been an 2.8 % increase from 2012. Gary King, a professor at Penn State, wrote a report showing that these numbers are skewed, and classified post-doctoral students as faculty, though they do not teach classes. Counting only Black professors (not post-doctoral students), the number is 103 which is a decrease.
College Factual estimates that Arcadia University has about 9% Black faculty members and 9% Latino/Hispanic faculty members. According to them, 65% of the faculty is white. This scored Arcadia University on the side of “More Diverse” on their diversity scale. I can say from personal experience, that it took until my junior year for a class of mine to be taught by a Black professor, who was only brought in because the original professor was unable to teach. Other than that, the only professor of color I’ve had was a professor from India. This means that, out of the 30 classes I have taken thus far, 28 of them were taught by white professors.
The bottom line is this: universities will promote diverse statistics when it benefits them but will hide the ones that show where effort still needs to be made. Many schools will boast about their male to female ratio or percentage of LGBTQ+ students, while hiding their diversity statistics of faculty. The diversity of a university is not solely determined by students. Faculty and staff members play a large role in the culture and experience of a college, and those numbers need to be transparent so community members can hold the school accountable when they are not living up to their promise of diversity. If colleges are truly proud of their diversity statistics, they would make them easily accesible.
Moving forward, there needs to be more of a focus on having a diverse teaching staff. People of different ethnicities, sexualities, gender identities, religions, and even socioeconomic class have very different experiences in our society, and it’s important for students to see and learn from these different world views just as much as it is to read a textbook. If universities are going to promote a diverse student body, it is their responsibility to make sure students of all backgrounds can see themselves reflected in the faculty.
Students in minority groups face more challenges than students in the majority that need to be recognized and addressed. Equal opportunity is not enough because society has already given minority groups a disadvantage. If minority students are given the same opportunities as majority students, they are still facing more challenges simply because they are of a minority. As John Berger theorized, minority groups are othered in society, therefore facing some level of prejudice and/or oppression. If this othering is not recognized and confronted, universities are not giving minority students an equal chance for success.
If institutions truly want a diverse student body, then it is the responsibility of the institution that every student has all the support and resources to do so. This could be in the form of support groups, counselors specializing in race and ethnicity, etc. Diversity is not about numbers and statistics. It’s about creating an environment where every student, no matter what challenges they face in society, are given the tools needed to succeed.
One of the most important ways universities can achieve this environment is having an intolerance for hatred, prejudice, and oppression. I have heard a lot of stories coming out recently of hate crimes and hate speech that went practically unpunished. An article in RNB Philly tells the story of a few years ago, the baseball team held a racist hazing ritual on Martin Luther King Day. The season was suspended, but no students got expelled or suspended. A slap on the wrist is not a proper consequence for attacking another student with a slur or any other prejudice-motivated attack. It is not fair or just for minority students to be in a learning environment knowing that if another student committed that kind of assault, the perpetrator’s life would be largely unaffected. Universities cannot claim diversity if they will not commit to a zero-tolerance policy on hate crimes. It does not matter if the student who is guilty of the violation has good grades, is part of clubs or athletics, or anything.
If young adults want to attend college, their school of choice needs to place emphasis on educating all students on racial injustice, inside and outside the classroom. Institutions of higher learning should make education on systemic oppression a main priority so that ignorance can no longer be an excuse.
In conclusion, claiming diversity on their websites is not the same as achieving diversity. The statistics mean nothing if the prejudices in their own communities are not addressed. Places of higher education have the responsibility to create productive, safe, and supportive atmospheres for their students of color as well as other minorities. Universities and colleges need to ensure that the mission of diversity does not stop with the students but extends to both faculty and staff. Anyone who violates these policies should not be permitted in the community.
This is not the extent of actions that should be taken. This is the tip of the iceberg. Real change needs to happen now, in our government and in our other communities.
