Diversity is a core value of IUPUI, reflected in the Vision for Diversity laid out by the Chancellor in 2000, in our revised mission statement and strategic plan(PDF) , in the performance indicatorsemerging from that plan, and in the structures and initiatives we have put in place to support diversity across the work of the institution. Accordingly, all of the initiatives to enhance student learning, engagement, and persistence already discussed in this self-study have included a strong emphasis on supporting academic success among students from traditionally underserved groups. For example, UC"s Mathematics Assistance Center, while established to support all students, has helped to attract additional funding for initiatives focused on nontraditional students, including a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Trust designated to assist minority, low-income, and first-generation college students. Programs like SLA, the UC learning communities mentor program, Critical Inquiry, and the Gateway Program are in part designed to meet the needs of our students of color, who are disproportionately represented among the ranks of under-prepared and first-generation college students at IUPUI and have already benefited from the enhanced academic support these programs provide.
Assessment of Diversity
Approaches to assessing academic success among students of color and related areas like campus climate have included focus groups, surveys, and analysis of student profiles and of retention and graduation rates. A Campus Climate for Diversity Review , commissioned by the Chancellor in 1997, and including a self-study and evaluation by two outside consultants, contributed substantially to current campus strategies and initiatives to support diversity efforts. The Chancellor"s Diversity Cabinet oversees and monitors these efforts, while the Chancellor reports annually on diversity to the IUPUI and Indianapolis communities in his annual IUPUI State of Diversity Address.
Major issues we are addressing as a result of assessment findings include these:
- Retention and graduation rates among African American students, by far the largest minority group on campus , are lower than those for "all other" students. To some extent, this result is predictable, because a higher percentage of our new African American students are considered under-prepared for college work. Comparisons between "regularly" admitted African American beginning students and "all other" regularly admitted students, however, still show a significant disparity in graduation rates, as do comparisons between "conditionally" admitted African American and all other students. The fact that African American students at IUPUI have significantly heavier outside work commitments than other students may partly explain this gap, but assessment findings suggest that other factors also play a role. (While the Latino student population at IUPUI is growing rapidly, reflecting the demographics of Indianapolis and Central Indiana, the number of Latino students has been too small to make meaningful comparisons of their graduation rates and those of other groups.)
- One-year retention rates for African American students have risen recently, with retention of regularly admitted African American beginners reaching parity with that of all others in Fall 2001 . Retention of conditionally admitted African American students , however, remained seven percentage points lower than retention of all others.
- Student satisfaction survey results show that students feel moderately positive about the campus climate for diversity and believe that race relations on campus are good . But results of the NSSE suggest that, compared to students from other urban universities and from large public research universities, fewer IUPUI students feel that the campus encourages interaction among students from different backgrounds or that they graduate with an understanding of different cultures and ideas . (Since many of our peer urban institutions are on the East and West Coasts, the less diverse Midwest context should be taken into account in interpreting this finding.)
- The Campus Climate for Diversity self-study and consultants" report suggest that some units have begun to realize the campus"s Vision for Diversity , but that other units lack clear plans for incorporating diversity into their core activities of teaching, research, and service. The external consultants" report observes that these units need to mount "a sustained set of activities, motivated by a coherent philosophy and action agenda" and tied to ongoing planning and reporting.
Diversity Initiatives and Actions Taken in Response to Assessment Findings
IUPUI"s new mission statement and strategic plan include a set of goals, indicators , and strategies for diversity. Beginning in 2001-2002, schools have been encouraged to include in their annual reports information about their progress in each area of the campus"s strategic plan, including diversity (Click here for an example.)
In addition to the many student support and engagement efforts already discussed, IUPUI has undertaken a range of initiatives at the campus, school, and department levels to support academic success among diverse undergraduates. These programs fall into several broad categories:
- Pre-college programs geared to encouraging students of color to consider IUPUI and to help prepare them to succeed in college and in various areas of specialization. Such programs are sponsored by a number of units at IUPUI, including UC and the Schools of Education, Engineering and Technology, and Science.
- Financial aid programs designated for students of color. Many IUPUI schools fund scholarships, assistantships, and other financial aid targeted to these students. For example, the Minority Research Scholars Program provides tuition rebates for students in science, engineering, and health professions.
- Academic support programs tailored to the needs of diverse undergraduates. For instance, the Schools of Nursing and Science offer peer mentoring for students of color. The Minority Engineering Advancement Program combines pre-college work with promising minority students in grade 6 and up, help in obtaining financial aid to attend college, and academic support during college to provide students in the program with hands-on instruction and summer work experiences in their chosen field.
- Co-curricular organizations and programs. Many schools, including the Schools of Nursing and Engineering and Technology sponsor co-curricular organizations and activities that bring minority students together with one another and with successful professionals in their fields.
- Initiatives to improve the campus climate for diversity. The role and mission of the Office of Student Life and Diversity are strongly focused on improving the campus climate for diversity. Since its inception, the office has conducted a number of student focus groups and campus-wide forums on diversity issues. Their new strategic plan(PDF) has emerged, in large part, from student input gathered through these activities.
In addition to these efforts, school-based and campus-wide offices and groups like the Office for Multicultural Faculty Development (OMFD) and the Diversity Inquiry Group (DIG) plan and sponsor faculty and staff development programs aimed at ensuring that diversity issues are incorporated into curricula and that faculty are sensitive to and able to manage issues of classroom climate. The Office for Multicultural Faculty Development also provides support programs for faculty and staff of color and consults with departments on recruitment and retention of faculty and staff of color. These aspects of our diversity efforts are discussed more fully in the teaching portion of this self-study.
Go on to: Creating a Supportive Environment for Effective Learning
