Purdue News

Purdue diversity report completed

"From Barriers to Bridges: The Purdue University Plan for Enhancing Diversity" was sent this week to deans and vice presidents for review and comment. The plan, also available for review by faculty, staff, students and the public, will serve as the foundation for enhancing recruitment and retention efforts in the future.

The project was funded by the Lilly Endowment, and a copy of the finished version has been sent to Lilly Endowment officials.

"The report now is in final form," said Judith Gappa, the university's vice president for human relations. "The next step is for campus leaders to continue to work with our project advisory team to prepare universitywide action plans.

"The report will serve as a catalyst for further enhancing the climate for diversity at Purdue."

Gappa completed an earlier draft of the report prepared by Myra D. Mason, former director of the Diversity Resource Office, a division of the Office of Human Relations.

The 95-page report is the result of more than two years of work, including a student survey, focus-group discussions and an assessment of all recruitment, retention and student-service programs for minority students throughout the campus.

A cover letter from President Steven C. Beering accompanied the report. In it, he stressed the need for a continuing effort to diversify the campus community to prepare students to work and live in a global society.

"Purdue has much to be proud of in its efforts to recruit, retain and graduate minority students and to build a campus community that values diversity, civility and respect among its members," Beering said in his letter. "At the same time, we draw strength from our ability to assess our performance and commit ourselves to improvement."

The survey highlighted accomplishments, problems and suggested solutions.

Accomplishments include:

• More than 70 programs at Purdue are helping minorities and women succeed.
  
• Purdue has the highest graduation rates for African-American and Asian-American students of any Indiana public institution.
  
• Purdue attracts high-caliber minority students. Seventy-two percent of the African-Americans, for example, were in the upper third of their high school class.
  
• The university is building a new Black Cultural Center.
  
• The university's antiharassment policy, which makes it clear Purdue does not tolerate harassment or discrimination of any member of its community, is known throughout the campus and well used.
  
• The School of Liberal Arts Curriculum 2000 has adopted a required core of courses in diversity for all its undergraduates.
  
• Two campus units -- the university police and the residence halls -- received high marks for a strong commitment to diversity and their implementation of programs.
  
• A significant majority of students who completed the survey appeared open to diversity and agreed that learning about people from different cultures is an important part of a college education.

Examples of problems include:

• While the university as a whole has produced some outstanding results, its decentralized nature also has led to fragmentation of efforts in programs aimed at minority recruitment and retention. This has created a sense among campus constituencies that it is time to look at diversity efforts from a campuswide perspective and to consider the benefits that might accrue from collaborative efforts.
  
• While formal minority student programs exist throughout the institution, funding and staffing for these programs vary widely, and directors generally would like to have greater funding and administrative support.
  Of 647 students surveyed, a large majority are open to the concept of diversity, but most do not believe the West Lafayette campus has yet achieved a positive climate for diversity.
  
• Black students experience a predominantly white campus differently from other groups; many minority students often feel isolated in the community.
  
• There is a need to recruit and hire larger numbers of minority faculty and staff.

Recommendations focused on five main themes:

• Enhance Purdue's environment (campus climate) to improve the experiences of minority students, staff and faculty.
  
• Provide centralized resources, services and assistance to enhance decentralized programs and activities.
  
• Increase the number of minority students, staff and faculty until a critical mass is achieved.
  
• Educate all students about diversity through academic programs and student life.
  
• Assess and evaluate the university's programs and activities on an ongoing basis.

Members of the Project Advisory Committee are: Joan R. Marshall, associate dean of the School of Liberal Arts; Harry A. Morrison, dean of the School of Science; Christian Y. Oseto, head of the Department of Entomology; David Rollock, associate professor of psychological sciences; and Marlesa A. Roney, registrar.

A copy of the report is available at the Office of Human Relation's Web site: <http://www.purdue.edu/humanrel>.

Source: Judith Gappa, (765) 494-5830
Writer: Jeanne Norberg, (765) 494-2096; e-mail, jeanne_norberg@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: A paper copy of the report is available from Purdue News Service, (765) 494-2096. The report also is available on the Internet at: <http://www.purdue.edu/humanrel>.

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