Report of the Presidential Task Force on Diversity - History

Report on the Presidential Task Force on Diversity
May 2004

History

Although implicit in our charge, we wish to emphasize that the work of our Task Force has not taken place within a vacuum. Rather, it should be viewed in the context of a 15-year history of institutional endeavors with regard to diversity, a history marked by both accomplishments and disappointments.

A source of some encouragement as we propose contemporary strategies in support of enhanced diversity at Gustavus are both a steady institutional desire for greater diversity, as well as an increasing community consensus with regard to its importance.

Identifying as institutional goals a diverse campus constituency and an environment in which diverse constituents could feel secure and comfortable, President John Kendall initiated an assessment of the campus climate with respect to race and gender in 1987 (Parks, p.1).

Joyce Parks, a consultant who conducted the assessment, noted as one of the most positive findings in her review the significant degree of interest in enhancing the campus climate and for improving the college experience for people of color (Parks, pp. 1-3).

Thirteen years later, the Teagle survey of racial/ethnic diversity at Gustavus showed broadly held sentiments of a similar nature. Seventy-five percent of survey respondents indicated that it was important that "the college communicate institutional values that strongly support diversity (Teagle, p.3)."

Likewise, the results of the Community Conversation held in February, 2003 clearly demonstrated the high priority the Gustavus community places upon the enhancement of diversity. When asked about "ways or areas in which Gustavus could improve" or what "programs, services or activities" the College should add or strengthen, student, faculty and administrative participants listed "diversity" among their top five responses in each case.

In view of expressed community interest in and commitment to diversity, it should come as no surprise that some progress with regard to diversity has been made at Gustavus over the past 15 years. Some of the initiatives that have taken place during this time include the following:

  • Creation of a Committee on the Status of Women;
  • Hiring a Special Assistant to the President/Associate Dean for Multicultural Affairs;
  • Establishment of a peer-mentoring system for students of color;
  • Hosting groups on campus that are composed largely of under-represented students: Chicago/Latino Mother-Daughter Program; Chicano-Latino Youth Leadership Institute; middle school outreach programs; the YMCA Black Achievers Program;
  • Creation of an early-warning system for students with special needs;
  • Community forums to encourage dialogue about diversity;
  • Establishment of a diversity representative system for faculty searches;
  • Bringing students to campus from the Minority Excellence Program and the California Fulfillment Fund.
  • The sponsorship of three Joyce Dissertation Fellows of color;
  • Hiring more diverse faculty;
  • Establishing fly-in programs for minority students and counselors;
  • Establishment of the Diversity Center;
  • Expanded diversity-related student programming such as "Building Bridges," the "Our Story Conference," and Asian Cultures celebrations;
  • Development of admission materials for parents in both Hmong and Spanish;
  • Participation in a four-school collaboration (Teagle) focused on diversity assessment and cultural immersion experiences;
  • Making translators available for financial aid presentations at New Student Registration and Orientation;
  • Hiring additional staff for the academic advisement of students with special needs;
  • Creation of a Committee on Diversity and Affirmation; and
  • Hiring of under-represented admission counselors.

Some of these initiatives have met with varying degrees of success, most notably in the areas of student support and co-curricular programming. Some were intentionally short-term, such as the Joyce Dissertation Fellowships and the Teagle Collaboration. Others, like the Diversity and Affirmation Committee, the Committee on the Status of Women and the Diversity Representative system, have lapsed or been discontinued.

In all cases, however, progress towards identified goals has regrettably been neither adequately measured nor celebrated where appropriate. Of equal concern is the absence of ongoing assessment, focused and coordinated planning and sustained follow-through, recommendations explicitly made by both Joyce Parks and Bob Weisenfeld in their respective reports (Parks, pp. 9-10) (Weisenfeld, p. 5). As a result, in our view, we have not realized progress commensurate with our collective goals and investments in diversity-related efforts.


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