PROMOTING DIVERSITY AT DREW
In his inaugural address, on April 28, 2006, President Robert Weisbuch set out a vision for the university’s future: “We want Drew’s population to mirror more fully the streets and cities of a multi-racial, multi-ethnic America; and we wish for Drew to bring more students from other continents and cultures.” He also challenged the community not to see the promotion of diversity as just increasing the number of people of underrepresented backgrounds. The real test, he argued, was to foster an environment where people from different backgrounds, perspectives, and lifestyles could work together to reenergize and advance Drew University’s mission.
Weisbuch’s words reflect the growing recognition among leaders in higher education that increasing diversity will enhance students’ personal and educational experiences. Countless studies suggest that by increasing the number of underrepresented students and faculty, and by making diversity an important part of the curriculum, students learn from others’ views and experiences, while also fostering new ways of thinking that challenge stereotypes and promote multicultural understanding. In this way, graduating students have the capabilities to operate in an America that is becoming more diverse and in a world that is becoming even more complex. Even though several national studies confirm that residential liberal arts institutions like Drew are in a very strong position to promote these values and integrate them into their fabric, these types of institutions often have difficulties recruiting students, faculty, administrators, and staff from diverse backgrounds.
In the last years, Drew’s faculty, administrators, students and staff have arduously worked to promote diversity in the campus. Many changes have recently taken place. For instance, a task force, set up by President Thomas Kean before his retirement, developed Drew’s Diversity Statement, which guides the institutions’ efforts. President Weisbuch, in line with this task force’s recommendations, established a new cabinet-level position and a university-wide Diversity Committee to oversee diversity efforts and to suggest new strategies. Drew has also increased funding for applicants of lower income families, while the Admissions Office has doubled its efforts to recruit students from urban high schools.
These changes have energized the College of Liberal Art’s (CLA) diversity efforts and supported the Theological School’s strong commitment to diversity. Indeed, one of the Theological School’s most defining characteristics is the diversity of its faculty and student body. For more than a decade over a third of the full time Theological faculty is of a diverse background, while minorities have represented more than a quarter of the student body. This emphasis on diversity has also fostered new ways of thinking that have enhanced the Theological School’s course offerings.
In the last four years, the CLA has undergone some noteworthy changes. In 2004, the percentage of minority students stood at 15 percent. Today, this figure has increased to 21 percent. Most impressively, the CLA has been able to increase the number of African American students from three percent in 2005 to 7.4 percent in 2008. Today, one-fifth of the faculty is of diverse backgrounds. In a more recent development, the CLA, as part of its revision of the general studies curriculum, established a diversity requirement, asking each student to take two courses: “one with a focus on diversity within the United States, and one with a focus on diversity in at least one country outside of the United States.”
All these changes are strengthening Drew’s commitment to a liberal arts education, while giving our students an opportunity to appreciate the importance of diversity in their personal and educational experiences. No doubt that more has to be done to further promote diversity, but it is important to take a minute to appreciate the many positive changes that have taken place in the last few ye