Term Paper on "College Diversity"
Term Paper 4 pages (1257 words) Sources: 1+
[EXCERPT] . . . .
MulticulturalismDiversity has been an element that is widely considered these days in many institutions, whether it is in school, in a community, or at work. If in the past, racial discrimination is rampant, differences in cultural background and origin is no longer a big issue these days. We can now see people of different races and colors who go along together very well, such as at work or in school. We can even now see people of different ethnicity who get married.
The principle of the Lehigh University to promote diversity in its educational institution is one measure that can present advantages and disadvantages to its students, faculty, and parents of the students. Though the reasons to the desire of the school to promote multiculturalism is straightforward, the fact that not all people already accepts diversity can still be considered as sources that may cause issues and problems.
The question of whether diversity is a measure that works or not is a challenge that involves sensible issues requiring deep understanding and consideration. Diversity is not a matter of acceptance or rejection of others' origin, race, religion, and culture. Rather, it is a matter of understanding the advantages and disadvantages that it can bring to an individual. As what the article indicates,
Of course, diversity is not just about people, it is also about thinking and attitudes. Our goal is a community not a collection. Open doors are essential, but if they lead to closed minds, they lead nowhere.
In the Lehigh University, the attitude of emphasizing on diversity is being promoted to everyone. That is, both the students
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If we can round out a class to include people from a broad range of backgrounds, we provide a learning environment that enables our graduates to be effective in the kind of world in which they'll be living and working."
Diversity in Lehigh University, if not supported by a continuous promotion, will not have the possibility to work well. The attitude of everyone in the campus regarding differences in race and color cannot be totally changed or altered. It is a fact that even with an unremitting reminder and endorsement to respect and maintain diversity, still, we do not know how an individual's mind thinks behind his actions. However, with strategies and techniques that can cause an individual to change his viewpoint about people with diverse culture and origin, such as by providing incidences that ends to positive results and benefits to the other race, opening one's about diversity is an objective to achieve.
Adaptation is one major step to diversity and multiculturalism. For a group to be able to completely become diverse, everybody must know how to accustom himself of the others' culture, religion, or characteristics. As in the Lehigh University, though the school upholds admission of students and faculty staff who are of diverse origin, the need for everybody's adaptation to everyone's ethnicity is still essential. If this goal is achieved, then we… READ MORE
Quoted Instructions for "College Diversity" Assignment:
The President of Lehigh University has called for an
increase in diversity (multiculturalism) at Lehigh. Become familiar with the
particulars of recent diversity measures. Then argue whether you think these
measures are working or not.
Introduction and Principles
It is essential for Lehigh¡¯s future that we achieve greater diversity among
our student body, faculty, and staff and maintain a campus environment in which
all people may interact with each other openly, confidently and creatively.
The reasons are straightforward. First, diversity is consistent with the
core values of the university. The Lehigh Mission Statement clearly articulates
our commitment to diversity and pluralism. We should live it. Our students will
live in a diverse world; their Lehigh experience should help prepare them for
it.
Diversity is essential to ensure that Lehigh is educationally and
intellectually vibrant. Creativity thrives in an atmosphere of diverse
perspectives and viewpoints and is inhibited in a restricted world of
predictable thinking and homogeneity.
Diversity is also a pragmatic issue. The national pool of new students,
faculty and staff is becoming more and more diverse. We must be attractive to
students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds, or we will find it difficult to
attract the best and our academic quality will suffer.
This challenge is not new. The decision made over thirty years ago to
transform Lehigh into a fully coeducational university was an obvious step
toward diversity. Had it not been taken, it is doubtful that Lehigh would enjoy
the success it does today. Lehigh affirmed its commitment to diversity under the
leadership of President Peter Likins, and we must continue to make that
commitment a reality. Our success in doing so will directly affect Lehigh¡¯s
level of academic distinction in the coming decades and even its survival.
It is important to emphasize that achieving a diverse Lehigh is a continuing
challenge rather than a fixed goal. We should indeed make steady progress, but
the effort is one that will be ongoing. Diversity may not be a matter simply of
numbers, but numbers do count because a community must have sufficient people
from different backgrounds to retain them and attract others.
Diversity is multifaceted. It relates to women and men; people of different
races, ethnicity, and religions; people from different intellectual perspectives
and socioeconomic backgrounds; those from the U.S. and those from other
countries; people of different sexual orientation; and persons with
disabilities. It is not a matter to be taken piecemeal by deciding that some are
welcome but others are not, but a commitment that must be embraced as a whole.
Of course, diversity is not just about people, it is also about thinking and
attitudes. Our goal is a community not a collection. Open doors are essential,
but if they lead to closed minds, they lead nowhere. An organization may be
highly diverse in statistical terms, but if it sums only to a collection of
isolated groups and not an interactive and supportive community in which diverse
individuals feel part of a greater whole, then it misses the point.
From an institutional standpoint, our commitment to diversity is not a
matter that can be left to one person or one office. It cannot be patched onto
this organization; rather, it must permeate all aspects of Lehigh. One person
alone cannot be responsible for achieving a diverse community; we all must be.
That said, without goals, accountability, and regular assessment, the
anticipation of progress will fade into an exercise of good intentions.
Therefore, accountability must be built into each of the initiatives we
undertake.
It also is important to emphasize that many of the steps needed to increase
Lehigh¡¯s diversity, particularly of its faculty and staff, must be taken by
colleagues at the departmental level. The president, provost, vice presidents
and deans can lead, but success or failure will be largely determined in local
interactions and individual departmental climates.
This document briefly reviews the state of diversity at Lehigh today,
summarizes major steps taken to achieve and support greater diversity during
recent years, and identifies specific initiatives that will be taken during AY03
and individuals responsible for leading or coordinating each initiative.
Specific Actions Planned or Underway for AY 02-03
Admissions
In the past several years, minority student recruiting in the Office of
Admissions has been considerably less successful than it should have been. This
area of student recruitment is even more competitive than it is for the general
population. Bruce Gardiner, interim dean of admissions and financial aid, has
made or plans the following changes for AY03 to increase our effectiveness.
Bruce has overall responsibility and accountability for progress in this effort.
Minority Recruiting Esther Gonzalez has been hired as director of the minority
recruitment program and Roobhenn Smith ¡¯02 as the assistant director.
Admissions Officers Training All of the admissions staff have been charged with
the responsibility of achieving greater diversity among the entering class of
students. Admissions officers have been informed that they will be evaluated on
their success in increasing the diversity of their applicants/matriculants.
Naturally, some are responsible for regions that have fewer potential candidates
than others, but the goal will be to increase the numbers within the context of
the area regardless of the volume. The entire admissions staff will have a
formal program of diversity training before they begin their fall travel.
Admissions Lobby The lobby area of admissions is being remodeled to include
pictures that will more accurately reflect Lehigh¡¯s vibrancy and commitment to
diversity.
Literature Admissions literature and Web site have been redesigned to provide
more comprehensive imagery and messages about diversity at Lehigh. The applicant
view book, in particular, has undergone a rather dramatic redesign. A specific
Web page dealing with multicultural admissions issues is currently being
created.
Coordination Bruce Gardiner and Esther Gonzalez will work with the Office of
Multicultural Affairs to develop more effective strategies to recruit students
from diverse backgrounds.
Best Practices Bruce Gardiner and Esther Gonzalez are reviewing best practices
at other institutions regarding diversity in admissions and also review
Lehigh¡¯s current financial aid policies as they relate to effectiveness in
achieving diversity.
West Coast Recruiting John Leiner ¡¯01 has been hired as Lehigh¡¯s first
full-time west coast student admissions representative. He is based in San
Francisco and will cover the western states. California, in particular, has a
large and growing population of prospective students of Latino and
Asian-American backgrounds.
International Recruiting Eric Weinhold was hired in AY01 as Lehigh¡¯s first
full-time international student recruiter. He will continue his efforts this
year with principal focus on student recruiting in the Far East, Middle East,
and Europe, with growing attention to Latin and South America.
Faculty Recruiting
Lehigh¡¯s record of hiring and promoting women faculty in the humanities,
social sciences, and education is comparable to that of other institutions. In
contrast, our effectiveness in attracting and retaining women faculty in
engineering, science, and business needs to be improved. Too often hiring pools
for faculty positions in these areas do not include women and minorities, and
too often talented and successful women and minority faculty are wooed away by
other institutions.
Fortunately, the coming 5-10 years present a great opportunity for
addressing these problems. A large fraction of current Lehigh science and
engineering faculty members are likely to retire during that time, so many new
faculty will be hired. In addition, the numbers of new women and minority Ph.D.
recipients should increase during this period. The combination of our clear
commitment, the available positions, and the growing pool of minority and female
candidates should make for real progress over the next 5-10 years.
There are already signs of progress, preliminary to be sure, but
encouraging. As mentioned earlier, among the 11 new faculty hired in RCEAS
during AY02, five are women. Certain areas of engineering are known to produce
greater numbers of women as graduates. Included are computer science and
engineering, systems engineering, and bioengineering. We have chosen to invest
in new faculty in all three areas, a move that involved creating Lehigh¡¯s first
program in bioengineering in AY03.
However, attracting new women and minority faculty is only part of the
challenge. They must be effectively mentored and guided toward success, and
welcomed and integrated into the life of the institution. Alas, those who are
successful in launching academic careers will always attract offers from other
institutions, so we must work hard to make Lehigh so attractive that any faculty
member who is wooed by another institution will be reluctant to leave. To do so,
we must ensure that Lehigh is a vibrant intellectual community with the highest
standards, support new faculty effectively, and integrate new faculty into the
leadership of Lehigh at all levels, starting with departmental leadership.
To achieve our goal of increasing the hiring, success and retention of women
and minority faculty with particular focus on engineering, science, and
business, we will take the following steps. Overall responsibility and
accountability for progress in this area lies with Provost Yoshida with the
active commitment of the four college deans. Specific steps that are already
underway or will be taken in this academic year include the following.
Hiring Pools Faculty search committees will be required to demonstrate that they
have actively sought and considered appropriately diverse pools of candidates.
Searches that fail to do so will be closed. Responsibility for certifying that
searches are comprehensive lies with Provost Yoshida.
University-wide Faculty Mentoring An important perspective on the status of
women faculty at Lehigh, particularly those who have left for other positions,
has been provided by a group of Lehigh faculty who are preparing a proposal to
the NSF regarding the status of women faculty in science and engineering
("ADVANCE" project). The group includes Gail Cooper, associate professor of
history; Diane Hyland, professor of psychology; Patricia Ingham, associate
professor of English and director, women¡¯s studies; and Hannah Stewart-Gambino,
professor of political science and associate dean of the College of Arts and
Sciences. Drawing on the insight gained from the ADVANCE proposal, Provost
Yoshida will work with faculty and others to design a university-wide program
for the mentoring of faculty in their early years at Lehigh.
Nonexempt Staff Hiring
The human resources (HR) office has responsibility for the hiring of
nonexempt staff with the close participation of the hiring department. In order
to maintain a continuous pool of qualified candidates for a variety of positions
on campus, the university participates in two annual job fairs in the region,
one is sponsored by the Council on Spanish Speaking Organizations of the Lehigh
Valley in Bethlehem and the other is the PA Career Link Job Fair held in
Allentown. In addition to the job fairs, other initiatives undertaken in AY02 to
encourage minority job applicants include sending open job notices to the
Council on Spanish Speaking Organizations of the Lehigh Valley, the Hispanic
American Organization of Allentown, the NAACP, the Governor¡¯s Veteran Outreach
and Assistance Center and the Good Shepherd Vocational Services; using the
Pacareerlinks, Jobquest, and Pennsylvaniajobs.com websites; and pursuing
personal contacts with council candidates, NAACP officers, and C!
hamber of Commerce representatives. HR will continue to pursue these strategies
to recruit a diverse pool of applicants to support the needs of the hiring
departments.
Exempt Staff Hiring
The hiring of exempt staff is more decentralized and more directly
controlled by individual departments. Specific steps taken in AY02 to encourage
applicants from under-represented groups included sending all job postings to
the Hispanic American Organization and the Council on Spanish Speaking
Organizations of the Lehigh Valley; and providing an advertising directory to
hiring supervisors which includes listings for "Black Issues in Higher Ed,"
"Outlook," Indobase.com and the Hispanic website, Saludos.
Actions Planned: In the coming year, the HR office will strengthen its efforts
to encourage the hiring of under-represented groups, in particular by beginning
each search with a discussion with the hiring supervisor about the diversity and
composition of his/her department, prior recruiting efforts, results, the
university¡¯s commitment to emphasizing diversity in all job searches,
appropriate advertising strategies for each position, and, when appropriate, an
orientation program for search committees that includes important elements of
the hiring process that support diversity efforts.
In addition, the office will be preparing proposals regarding additional
advertising strategies. Efforts to recruit diverse pools of applicants are most
effective when they occur early in the hiring process. This is where HR can
continue to be of assistance to the hiring supervisor.
Campus Climate
Following, in brief, is a summary of initiatives that will be undertaken
this year by the Office of Student Affairs to continue to improve the campus
climate for diversity. The individuals responsible for each initiative are
listed as well.
Hiring Pools Continue to actively recruit, hire and retain diverse professional
staff (John Smeaton).
Student Engagement Increase engagement of diverse students in campus life
(Sharon Basso, Kristin Handler, Karen Huang).
Student Programs Increase number and awareness of culturally diverse programs
offered ¨C social, educational, service learning, etc. (Tom Dubreuil, Maureen
Sheridan, Kristin Handler); create cross-cultural programming partnerships among
student clubs and organizations (Maureen Sheridan).
Environment Create more culturally sensitive and welcoming physical environments
in student facilities ¨C University Center, Ulrich Student Center, Lamberton
(Maureen Sheridan, ***** Samuels).
Excel Program Evaluate and enhance Excel Program (Cecilia Stanton).
Safe Space Revitalize Safe Space Program (Cecilia Stanton).
Student Support Increase level of demonstrable support for students of color,
women, GLBT students and other culturally diverse students (Sharon Basso,
Kristin Handler, Karen Huang, ***** Samuels, Tom Dubreuil).
Diversity Training Expand diversity training for student leaders and
professional staff in student affairs (John Smeaton, Sharon Basso, Tom Dubreuil,
***** Samuels).
Special Interest Housing Enhance residential options in support of culturally
diverse themes (Tom Dubreuil).
Mentoring Develop and implement mentoring program for incoming first-year
students of color (Cecilia Stanton).
Academic Support Enhance and expand academic support services for students from
diverse backgrounds (Susan Lantz).
Diversity Awareness Incorporate diversity-related programs in Orientation and
the First Year Student Program (Lori Bolden).
Admissions Working with admissions office, improve effectiveness of
multicultural recruitment (***** Samuels, Cecilia Stanton).
Alumni of Color Launch revitalized Alumni of Color outreach initiative (Cecilia
Stanton).
Compensation Link merit increases to staff contribution to diversity goals (John
Smeaton).
Board/Volunteer Leadership
The principles of diversity outlined in this document also extend beyond
students, faculty and staff to one of the university¡¯s most important
resources, its volunteer leadership. Lehigh has been fortunate to attract
outstanding leaders willing to give generously of their time, talents and
resources as trustees of the university. Membership on the Board of Trustees is
considered for those individuals who demonstrate a deep commitment to Lehigh.
Accordingly, the Nominating Committee, the standing trustee committee
responsible for the identification of potential members, has developed a process
to identify, evaluate and encourage participation by a broad pool of candidates
whose experience and expertise bring diverse perspectives and viewpoints to
board leadership roles; and continually monitors its progress towards such
goals. Likewise, the Lehigh University Alumni Association, college advisory
boards, and other volunteer leadership groups on campus will continue to striv!
e to live up to Lehigh¡¯s commitment to diversity and pluralism.
Structural/Organizational Changes in the University
Ombudsperson We will appoint Lehigh¡¯s first ombudsperson in the 2002-03
academic year. An ombudsperson works independently, objectively, and
confidentially to assist in mediating and resolving misunderstandings and
disagreements relating to the official activities of the university.
Equal Opportunity/Harassment Policy Officer In accordance with the new
harassment policy drafted by the EOHP Task Force, which has been endorsed by the
faculty as well as by student and staff representatives, we will appoint a
formal equal opportunity/harassment policy officer who will be responsible for
investigating any formal harassment complaint against any faculty member,
working in concert with a faculty member selected from a three-member committee
appointed for this purpose. The investigator will also work with the manager of
employee relations in investigating any formal complaints against a staff
member, and will serve as one of many "input points" for informal complaints.
Harassment Policy Implementation A multi-tiered communication and training
program is underway to implement the new harassment policy campus wide. The
planning will include: e-mail communication to all students, faculty and staff
providing a brief description of the new policy and a link to the web posting;
inclusion of the harassment policy in the new student (first year and transfer)
orientation for all undergraduates at the start of the fall semester; inclusion
of the harassment policy in the RA/TA/GA training provided at the start of the
fall semester to all graduate students who will be serving in any of those
roles; a presentation during the fall semester by an outside legal expert (and
open to all faculty) on the policy and its underlying legal requirements;
training for the individuals identified as informal entry points in the policy
(roughly 80-90 faculty and staff on campus); training for informal problem
solvers, a much smaller set taken from the 80-90 entry poin!
ts, in mediation skills, communication skills, etc; and training for formal
investigators (11 faculty and staff) on the specifics of performing and
documenting an appropriate formal investigation.
Overall Coordination Responsibility for overall assessment of progress in
matters related to diversity will be assumed by the Office of the President and
Office of the Provost under the staff leadership of Vice President Mark Erickson
and Assistant to the Provost Stacy Stainbrook.
Campus Report We will present a full summary of progress on the various
initiatives outlined in this report to the campus at the end of this academic
year.
Accountability to Board of Trustees Diversity at Lehigh will become a regular
agenda item for the report of the provost to the Academic Affairs Committee, the
report of the vice provost for student affairs to the Student Affairs Committee,
and the report of the president and provost to the Executive Committee of the
Board of Trustees. This report was presented to the Executive Committee of the
Board of Trustees at their meeting on September 17th, 2002, and will be
presented to the full Board on October 11th, 2002.
How to Reference "College Diversity" Term Paper in a Bibliography
“College Diversity.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2005, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/multiculturalism-diversity-been/617941. Accessed 3 Jul 2024.
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