Editor's Note: This is the second in a three-part column by Special Assistant to the President Erek Perry outlining Ohio University's diversity initiatives and explaining the historical context of increasing diversity at OU.
What else does diversity count for?
Diversity means more than just simply counting bodies. One of the critical points of diversity is to have an educational experience that broaden perspectives, open minds and prepares one to function in an ever changing national and international political economy. As a result of improved transportation, technological advances, information systems and the desire to trade goods, services and cultural tastes, we are truly becoming a global village. This village is incredibly diverse, bringing with it cultural differences and various perspectives, languages, customs, worldviews and needs.
Most of us who travel to metropolitan areas today witness that people in some parts of the country simply coexist rather than cross cultural boundaries. This can be a rather interesting situation to observe because there are so many opportunities to be enriched by diversity in meaningful ways. The point I want to make here is that having a large diverse population does not necessarily generate a natural willingness to seek opportunities that would be inter-culturally enriching. Although we have a relatively small minority population, this should not prohibit members of our community from crossing cultural boundaries, engaging in conversation and developing meaningful relationships with people from different racial, ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds.
Such engagements and educational experiences will prepare us for the real world and workforce by expanding and enriching our perspectives, lives, humanity, global point-of-view, political philosophy, economic awareness and workforce readiness. Census 2000 data, national demographic trends, commerce and international affairs clearly suggest to us that intercultural engagements are and will increasingly become a way of life for us all. The question is — will we be able to negotiate and function effectively in such a society?
Take every opportunity you can to learn something new inside and outside of the classroom from someone who may have a different cultural perspective than you do. All we need is an open mind, respect for cultural differences and the courage to step outside of our comfort zones in order to experience the diversity already present on campus. This is one of the chief purposes of higher education and a chance to develop knowledge and skills for life application.
Why is it such a challenge to increase diversity at Ohio University? There are many answers to this complex question and I will highlight a few key challenges. The first is that competition is keen for the relatively small pool of students that meet admissions criteria. All Ohio public, private and two-year colleges desire to enroll good students. In addition, historically black, Hispanic, and tribal colleges as well as universities across the country are very interested in attracting students of color to their campuses.
The second is cost for the families. Ohio University attracts most students of color from the state. Some families find it most cost effective to choose to attend an in-state school, whether the family is from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois or Maryland. Because families have to consider out-of-state costs as a factor, it makes it a challenge to expand the pool of eligible students beyond those from the state of Ohio.
The third is cost to the university. Let's say that we wanted to double the enrollment of students of color in the next two or three years. Well, that would require an increase in staff (salaries, benefits, insurance), financial aid (scholarships, grants, out-of-state costs), recruitment in and out of state (costs for off and on campus programming, travel expenses), administrative costs (paperwork, processing, technology, tracking, communications, postage), market and demographic research costs, costs for college fairs and cost related to cultivating new markets. This is not to suggest that the cost is not worth the benefits, but to acknowledge that significant spending would have to occur.
The fourth is location. Some students of color coming from urban centers think that personally important elements are missing from rural locations that can be easily located in urban areas. These elements come in the form of cultural interests and tastes as well as goods and services.
— Perry is a special assistant to the president at Ohio University. Send him an e-mail at perrye@ohiou.edu.
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