Dive Brief:
- As the country’s student population becomes increasingly diverse, many are questioning whether colleges and universities are prepared to fully integrate their schools. Some worry that while access to a college education has increased, inequality has also widened, according to NPR.
- Mamie Voight, the vice president of policy research at the Institute for Higher Education Policy, said African-American, Hispanic and low-income students were more highly concentrated in community colleges and for-profit institutions, which have lower graduation rates than selective institutions.
- The study learned that even when taking into account quality academic performance in high schools, black and Latino students are still attending selective schools at lower rates and are dropping out of school more often in comparison to their white counterparts.
Dive Insight:
The realization that even after controlling for academic achievement, selective schools are still admitting few black and Latino students suggests that the problem is one of troubled admissions practices and a lack of outreach to these previously underrepresented communities. This could extend from working with particular schools, organizations or communities, especially in low-income areas where guidance counselor staffing may be minimal or non-existent. It could also extend to requiring more robust social media presence, with recent research finding that underrepresented minorities tend to rely on social media in the college search process more than other students.
Colleges and universities must also work to ensure that their campuses feel like safe and welcoming places for diverse students. Racial incidents on college campuses have increased on campus. One at American University earlier this month saw bananas hung from ropes shaped like nooses after the election of the school's first black female SGA president. And a Bowie State University student was recently killed on the campus of the University of Maryland in what is being recognized as being a racially-driven attack just days before his graduation. Such occurrences must be swiftly investigated and harshly condemned by university leaders, and a tone of zero-tolerance must be established to help promote an environment which is inclusive of all students. More resources must be put toward preventing and punishing racial intimidation, as institutions' viability will depend on their ability to serve students of the future.