WASHINGTON – An intentional and campus wide approach and a holistic evaluation of underrepresented students in the admissions process can help graduate schools cultivate a diverse and inclusive student body and produce degree-holders who are culturally competent.
That was a key takeaway from a panel discussion Friday at the 58th annual meeting of the Council of Graduate Schools. Hosted by Education Testing Service and moderated by Diverse Executive Editor Dr. Jamal Eric Watson, “Diversity in Graduate Education: Looking At, and Beyond, Admissions” explored how graduate schools can increase diversity and inclusion by effectively recruiting and retaining students from underrepresented groups. It followed a webinar on the topic last month and provided some additional insights.
Both recruitment activities and retention efforts need to be in place to make a lasting difference, said panelist Dr. Mark J.T. Smith, dean of the graduate school and senior vice provost for academic affairs at The University of Texas at Austin.
“You want the students to persist and graduate,” he said. “You don’t want there to be a revolving door.”
A comprehensive diversity and inclusion action plan crafted with input from the entire campus community, as well as bias training for administrators, faculty and staff, is important, panelists agreed.
“Accountability built in is critical if you are going to be successful,” Smith said.
Faculty who have demonstrated passion about diversity can be effective facilitators of discussions on campus about the rationale for increasing diversity, said Smith. A good starting point, he added, is campus climate surveys.
