Diversity is often spoken of as a goal of leadership in some of the country’s most prominent higher education institutions. However, paying lip service to the concept does not always translate into action. The problem is that, by failing to take action, a lack of diversity means college students are missing unique opportunities that may only present in environments that promote racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, and even socioeconomic diversity within their constructs.
In some research, diversity within social groups can lead to decreased communication, discomfort, greater perceived interpersonal conflict, and other issues that lead to more challenging interactions. However, diversity is also recognized to bring something very important to the table: creativity.
More Experience, More Innovation
A diverse group, such as a student body, class or work group, has a larger range of personal experience. This widens the cumulative perspective of the participants, giving them a larger frame of reference when solving problems. In addition, there is an increased likelihood that the strengths of one member will balance the weaknesses of another.
As a whole, a diverse population often has access to more information than a similarly sized but homogenous group. That allows a more diverse group to reach greater levels of innovation and problem-solving.
For example, if the goal was to design a new skyscraper, choosing a team of students who all major in architecture could lead to shortcomings. Even though knowledge of architecture will play a key role, involvement from other majors, like engineering, would lead to a better result.
