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An institutional Diversity Model

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Dr. Fazil T. Najafi Professor Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering University of Florida P.O. Box 116580 Gainesville, FL 32611-6580 Phone: (352) 392-9537 Ext 1493 Fax: (352) 392-3394 Email: fnaja@ce.ufl.edu

Abstract

An important element of a University mission should be to include diversity within its student’s population. The United States population is very diversified and many universities still lack diversity within their student population. This paper presents a model that incorporates minority student’s growth within the existing student population as part of the overall university’s mission.

The proposed model focuses on university’s student enrollment and presents a step-by-step procedure of how to increase the number of minority students within the overall student population. The model incorporates the mission of increased diversity under the main mission of the university. To increase diversity on a university campus, the model looks at existing university student population and sets a target number over a specified future time frame of 10 years by looking at the proportion of the existing minority population and current enrollment trend of the university. A realistic target number can be established by looking at existing minority population within the state and within the surrounding states with potential student minority population. The model can only be successful if it is included within the framework of the university’s overall mission as established by the university’s president as part of his / her diversity strategy and commitment to increase the number of minorities among the student body, faculty and staff. The model includes programs such as recruitment, retention, orientation and professional development workshops.

The allocation of resources plays a vital role in the implementation of Diversity Model. The model includes two parts, one for undergraduate and one for graduate. Both needs to be tackled by undergraduate and graduate program coordinators. The programs need to be actively incorporated and coordinated within each department of various colleges under the main umbrella of the university’s overall mission. The program coordinators work as team with competition to cooperate and successfully implement the diversity mission under the goal of the institution of higher learning. The success of the model requires reasoning abilities to understand the vitality of diversity. And team member’s aggressiveness, motivation, creativity, interpersonal skills, financial support

“Proceedings of the American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright 2003, American Society for Engineering Education”

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Najafi, F. (2004, June), "An Institutional Diversity Model" Paper presented at 2004 Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--12884