2008 Woodie Awards
RSSA diversity of ideas
Editorial
By Edit Board
Issue date: 10/23/07 Section: Opinion
We've had our climate survey, the administration created some new positions and a Town Hall meeting with President Gast is scheduled for November 8 at noon in Packard Lab 101.
Undoubtedly at this and subsequent meetings there will be the usual emphasis on how to increase racial diversity through minority recruitment, scholarships and diversity weekends - all of which will be vital to improving diversity on campus.
But the larger, and often overlooked, aspect of diversity is increasing the diversity of ideas people have on campus. It's troubling to consistently meet new people and find them to be slightly different iterations of the same person in their ideas, mannerisms and interests.
The challenges of recruiting, encouraging and retaining more personalities and ideas will be more difficult than simply bringing in more racial minorities because race is hardly an indication of personality.
Increasing geographic diversity is a promising way of diversifying the student body, as residents of the Midwest, South and West hold noticeably different ideas and personalities than their Northeastern counterparts. A big part of the challenge to geographic diversity, however, is that Lehigh isn't a big name for most high school seniors. We don't have the nationally recognized sports or Ivy League name that can get students across the country excited about Lehigh.
This can change. Most people only fall in love with Lehigh when they get on campus and feel the college atmosphere - historic buildings, beautiful scenery, fraternity parties and all. The best way to market this aspect of Lehigh to prospective seniors will be two fold: by creating programs that entice campus visits, and by getting geographically distant students who are already students to advertise Lehigh back at home.
Geographic recruiting is not the only tool admissions can use. Creating new essay questions and tailoring interviews to find students with ideas and personalities outside of the mainstream can also help.
Undoubtedly at this and subsequent meetings there will be the usual emphasis on how to increase racial diversity through minority recruitment, scholarships and diversity weekends - all of which will be vital to improving diversity on campus.
But the larger, and often overlooked, aspect of diversity is increasing the diversity of ideas people have on campus. It's troubling to consistently meet new people and find them to be slightly different iterations of the same person in their ideas, mannerisms and interests.
The challenges of recruiting, encouraging and retaining more personalities and ideas will be more difficult than simply bringing in more racial minorities because race is hardly an indication of personality.
Increasing geographic diversity is a promising way of diversifying the student body, as residents of the Midwest, South and West hold noticeably different ideas and personalities than their Northeastern counterparts. A big part of the challenge to geographic diversity, however, is that Lehigh isn't a big name for most high school seniors. We don't have the nationally recognized sports or Ivy League name that can get students across the country excited about Lehigh.
This can change. Most people only fall in love with Lehigh when they get on campus and feel the college atmosphere - historic buildings, beautiful scenery, fraternity parties and all. The best way to market this aspect of Lehigh to prospective seniors will be two fold: by creating programs that entice campus visits, and by getting geographically distant students who are already students to advertise Lehigh back at home.
Geographic recruiting is not the only tool admissions can use. Creating new essay questions and tailoring interviews to find students with ideas and personalities outside of the mainstream can also help.
