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 Willamette
University is not the same university it was 10 years ago when students
of color made up less than 10 percent of the undergraduate student
population. With one-in-five entering students self-identifying
as students of color, the University has made solid progress in
its efforts to welcome a more diverse student population. While
Willamette is on the right track, there is still much work to be
done and many challenges ahead.
Willamette University has the most ethnically diverse undergraduate
student body of any four-year college or university in the state
of Oregon. Increasing the presence of underrepresented minority
students at Willamette University has been and continues to be a
high priority for the University. Shortly after his arrival in 1998,
President M. Lee Pelton announced the University’s long-range
strategic plan and identified “strengthening the University’s
commitment to diversity” as one of five major goals for the
institution.
The president’s vision for Willamette is reflective of the
shift in the profile of America’s higher education system.
Demographic projections from the U.S. census and immigration statistics
suggest that about 65 percent of the projected growth in population
through the year 2020 will be in ethnic minority groups, particularly
in the Hispanic and Asian populations.
Even with projected population increases among ethnic minority
groups in the U.S., and slow but steady increases in the college
enrollment rate among students of color, there is no panacea for
getting students of color to consider attending universities like
Willamette with their long history as predominantly white institutions.
In 1996, a generous alumnus endowed the first Willamette admission
position charged with the specific responsibility for recruiting
students of color. The University then focused its multicultural
recruitment efforts in California and initiated a campus fly-in
program for prospective students of color from outside the state
of Oregon. Many studies have shown that a campus visit is one of
the most important factors in a student’s decision to enroll
in a particular college. It is unrealistic to think that a student
will enroll at a college they have never visited. The fly-in program
has proven to be an effective recruitment tool for many of our California
applicants.
Under the leadership of Robin Brown, vice president for enrollment,
the Office of Admission has developed several additional strategies
to improve future enrollment numbers for students of color. One
strategy is to increase the pool of prospective applicants by expanding
our outreach efforts beyond the hit-or-miss approach of high school
visits. This type of recruitment simply does not work for recruiting
most students of color.
Historically, many students of color on the West Coast have shied
away from applying to private institutions, fearing that the cost
was out of reach, their SAT scores were too low (SAT scores are
only one factor considered in the application process), or that
the university simply would not be a welcoming environment. As a
result, most students of color are wholly unfamiliar with what Willamette
has to offer.
Our outreach includes using non-traditional networking channels
and developing formal and strong relationships with community organizations
and community leaders to increase University visibility
Excellent examples of this approach are the scholarship partnerships
that Willamette University has formed with both the Black United
Fund of Oregon and Scholarships for Oregon Latinos (SOL).
This non-traditional form of recruitment is based on developing
personal relationships with prospective students, their families
and other adults who play an important and influential role in their
college selection process. Letting parents and students know that
Willamette is a top-notch university that values diversity is an
important message that needs to be conveyed.
The more students we have matriculating at Willamette and graduating
with a positive experience, the more confidence others will have
in recommending Willamette as a welcoming and supportive environment.
This year’s retention data for students of color was identical
to that of our Caucasian students, evidence that students of color
are finding a support network on campus.
Another example of non-traditional recruitment includes gatherings
where prospective students and parents are invited to have dinner
and meet with current students, faculty and alumni of color. Enlisting
current Willamette students, faculty and staff reinforces the message
that recruiting students of color is an institutional commitment
and shared responsibility.
Recruitment efforts also include putting together the right messages
that speak to unique issues and concerns that many ethnic minorities
have when considering colleges. Building trust and establishing
credibility through an integrated communication plan that includes
a diversity brochure, a Spanish language financial aid brochure,
targeted recruitment letters and telephone calls is another way
we spread the word about Willamette’s desire to have a diverse
student body.
Our strategies are beginning to pay off. This year we received
75 more applications from students of color compared to 2002-03
totals. Our yield rate for students of color exceeded that of the
general first-year class (yield rate is the number of students who
enroll and attend Willamette out of the number of applicants accepted).
We are gratified by the progress being made.
With an increasing academic profile, it will continue to be difficult
to compete with the top-tier universities for the most talented
students of color. The availability of significant merit and need-based
financial aid packages from wealthy institutions with large endowments
will always be an attractive offer. There are those students who
turn down the more prestigious universities to attend the local
state college in order to incur less educational debt.
Across the nation, universities have started the recruitment process
with younger students. With the competition for students of color
increasing, it will be especially important for Willamette to ensure
that current students have a successful college experience. The
lines of trust and communication must continue to be forged with
communities of color.
Without a doubt, Pelton’s leadership has greatly increased
the University’s visibility as an institution that believes
diversity is essential to a quality education. Innovative, personalized
recruitment strategies that engage students and their families with
the University are strong steps toward making the long-term goal
of diversity a reality at Willamette.
However, increasing numbers is simply not enough. Creating a campus
environment where diversity enriches the educational experience
for all students and helps to prepare them for a future in a pluralistic
society is the ultimate goal that will lead the University’s
aspiration to recruit and retain students of the highest quality.
— Ramiro R. Flores, associate director
for multicultural enrollment |
