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2001-2008 Strategic Plan

Introduction

The Appalachian State University Strategic Plan calls for increasing the diversity of the University but it does not establish specific goals. The intent of this plan is to establish goals for increasing the diversity of the University. In 1993, the Chancellor appointed a University committee to recommend actions that could be taken to increase diversity. This plan adds to those actions previously taken to increase campus diversity.

Appalachian has increased the number of students of color during the past five years (1997 -- 575/2001 -- 683, or 19%); however, the number of students necessary for a diverse learning environment has not been achieved. Currently six percent of Appalachian's students are persons of color (683/12,857).

Rationale for Increasing Diversity

The most recent research on the value of campus diversity shows that students who attend universities with a diverse population of students, faculty, and staff report greater learning, increases in various measures of interpersonal competencies, develop greater self-confidence, are less likely to hold irrational prejudices, make greater gains in critical thinking, and have greater involvement in civic and community service behaviors. To provide students with the best learning environment possible, Appalachian disadvantages its students by not creating a more diverse environment. Increased diversity should result in greater learning for all students at Appalachian.

Goals for Diversity

Appalachian has been reluctant to identify specific numerical goals for diversity for fear that these would be viewed as limits or as "adequate." Nothing in the numerical goals identified below is intended to set any limit on diversity. All of the goals are targets that the University hopes to achieve by the fall of 2008. It would be to the educational advantage of students at Appalachian for the University to exceed these goals. Also, nothing in the goals is intended to limit or in any way disadvantage any student interested in attending Appalachian. These are not quotas. The intent is to continue to admit the best qualified students.

  1. To increase Appalachian's admissions pool of students of color to 10% by the year 2008, while increasing the yield from this pool to a level equal to the yield from Appalachian's total prospective student pool.
  2. To increase the number of faculty and administrative professionals who are people of color to at least 10% by 2008.
  3. To double the number of international students attending the University, from approximately 100 to 200 by 2008.

Projected North Carolina High School Graduates, 2001 & 2008

Projections on North Carolina high school graduates from 2001-2008 show significant percentage increases among Hispanic and Asian students and large numeric increases among African American students. Although it is difficult to predict the percentage of these high school graduates who will enter a four-year college or university, it is reasonable to assume that the number of students of color in higher education will increase. If the number of applications for admission to Appalachian from qualified high school graduates grows at the same rate as the projected increase in high school graduates of color, Appalachian should be able to meet its goal.

Projected Increase
2001 2008 % Growth
White 42,954 48,946 14%
African American 17,616 22,134 26%
Hispanic 1,894 7,264 284%
Asian 1,606 3,312 107%
Native American 758 868 15%

Definitions

For the purposes of clarity, definitions of terms used in this plan are provided. The terms are not used interchangeably, and attention should be given when reading this document to the terminology used.

  1. People (students) of color: This term is used to refer to racial groups other than European Americans (White). Groups included in this definition are African American, Latino, Native American, Asian, and multiracial.
  2. Underrepresented groups: In the context of discussing students, underrepresented groups include people of color as defined above and low-income students, including White students. As this term is applied to faculty and professional staff, the term is inclusive of these same groups with the addition of women. Women are not underrepresented in the student population, but they are underrepresented among faculty and administrators.
  3. Low-income students: Defined as college students who meet eligibility requirements for federal need-based financial aid.

Identification Issues

Appalachian has been committed to increasing diversity for many years; yet, it has been unsuccessful in making significant progress. Causes for the lack of success include the following:

  1. Appalachian does not have a "critical mass" of students, faculty, and staff of color in sufficient numbers to support a sense of community among these students.
  2. The image of Appalachian as a predominantly White institution in the mountains associated with outdoor adventure activities such as skiing, rock climbing, and hiking is not an image that usually attracts students of color.
  3. The largest populations of students of color live in the eastern part of North Carolina and in the larger urban communities.
  4. As Appalachian has increased its average SAT score, fewer students from selected underrepresented groups (e.g., African American, Latino, low-income students) meet the minimum qualifications for admission.
  5. Social activities that dominate the interest of students of color are less available in Boone than in universities with which Appalachian competes.
  6. North Carolina has the largest number of historically Black universities that successfully compete for a high percentage of African American students attending universities.
  7. Appalachian lacks a sufficient number of faculty and staff who are people of color to serve as role models and mentors for students.
  8. Western North Carolina is rural and its population is predominantly White.
  9. Community life, churches, and services catering to people of color are limited or unavailable in Boone.
  10. Lack of adequate scholarship money sufficient to compete more favorably with other institutions.

Financial Concerns

Adequate financial aid programs and access to both public four-year institutions and community colleges make higher education easily accessible to people who have graduated from high school. Both state and federal financial aid programs are available in sufficient amounts at Appalachian and other institutions to support a student for at least four years in college, and other programs through National Guard service and similar opportunities exist to support students who are interested in entering higher education.

Most of the programs available through the federal government offer some form of a loan to students with an obligation to pay the loan with interest. Many students from underrepresented groups are reluctant to place themselves in debt to the level necessary to complete a college education. Scholarship programs are available, but often only supplement a student's education and rarely meet all or most of the cost of an education. More importantly, students of color who are academically strong enough to enter Appalachian under its current admission policies are also heavily recruited by private and public universities, some of whom make available significant scholarship and grant money to attract these students. The problem is not that there is not enough money to support a student in school, but that the money that is available must be paid back. Compounding the problem is that the best students are being provided with scholarships and grants from other institutions at a level that Appalachian, at this point, does not meet.

Faculty and Staff Recruiting

Appalachian's Affirmative Action Plan requires wide advertising to recruit people from underrepresented groups in all positions at the University. Applications for staff positions submitted by local residents are frequently comprised only of White candidates. When recruiting nationally for educators with advanced degrees, Appalachian has three major disadvantages:

  1. There is no community life for people of color in Boone; therefore, educators are sometimes reluctant to relocate their families to an area so heavily dominated by one race.
  2. The cost of living in Watauga County is substantially higher relative to the salary offered for most entry-level positions than with many institutions with which Appalachian competes.
  3. Appalachian's rural location makes it difficult for spouses in dual-career families to pursue their careers.

Before meaningful gains may be made in student diversity, it is well understood that there must be more diversity among the faculty and staff. The plan for this aspect of diversity at Appalachian will include both what has worked well in the past and numerous activities which have not been undertaken before now. Not only must there be significant efforts toward recruiting, but considerable attention must be given to retention of those recruited.

With reference to recruiting faculty, senior personnel must be identified among the faculty and in the deans' offices who will actively assist in identifying faculty prospects. University objectives must be translated into college/school objectives and finally into departmental objectives. Retention efforts will include identifying mentors from among senior faculty, developing retention plans which are college/school and department specific, and holding workshops related to gaining reappointments, promotion, and tenure.

Action Items for Increasing Diversity

The following objectives have been established as methods for achieving the stated goals. These objectives are not intended to be the only methods employed. Existing efforts will continue and other efforts may be identified.

  1. Action: Hire two additional admissions counselors to focus on the recruitment of students of color.
  2. Action: Admissions counselors should visit every high school in North Carolina where Appalachian has been the most successful in recruiting students of color.
  3. Action: Strengthen relationships of admissions counselors with high schools dominated by students of color and focus a greater portion of their time at these institutions.
  4. Action: Develop admissions material that emphasizes family relationships and other issues of importance to people of color in decisions about college admissions and that is presented in a way to encourage applications from more students from underrepresented groups.
  5. Action: Raise new scholarship dollars to attract students from underrepresented groups and to sustain students from underrepresented groups while enrolled. Ideally, a scholarship should be equal to the cost of on-campus room and board.
  6. Action: Ask the admissions committee to study the feasibility of adopting alternative admission criteria on an experimental basis for some students. These students would submit other information to be determined by the admissions committee that would demonstrate the academic qualifications necessary for admission to the University. The standards for admission would not be reduced by the selection of alternate criteria.
  7. Action: Request the Board of Trustees to establish a "Trustees' Multicultural Fellowship" for students of underrepresented groups. This fellowship program will operate in a manner similar to the Plemmons Leadership Fellows program and shall be under the guidance of the Director of Multicultural Student Development.
  8. Action: Strengthen relationships with community colleges with a high percentage of students of color and to recruit transfer students heavily at these institutions.
  9. Action: Increase the yield rate for admissions for students of color.
  10. Action: Initiate proactive, ongoing media communications that address the University's commitment to diversity and to support efforts to create a welcoming campus climate.
  11. Action: The Chancellor will retain a portion of annual enrollment increase money and seek other funds to be devoted to meeting action items for diversity.
  12. Action: Ask the Alumni Council to be actively engaged in the recruitment of students of color and to consider a number of strategic ways to increase student diversity, including the feasibility of establishing a Black alumni council.
  13. Action: The Graduate School will develop a plan to increase the diversity of graduate students to reflect enrollment percentages for students of color comparable to those of undergraduate students.
  14. Action: The Chancellor will appoint a person(s) to monitor, support, and oversee the implementation of this plan for diversity. The person(s) will report to the Chancellor periodically on the institution's progress in meeting its diversity goals and prepare an annual report detailing that progress.

Assessment and Evaluation

The Director or Institutional Research and the Director of Student Life and Learning Research shall annually evaluate progress toward meeting the goals set forth above. Additionally, they will periodically conduct research that informs institutional decision makers about diversity issues on the campus, provide demographic information on students, and surveys of student satisfaction from underrepresented groups relative to students in the majority group. Further, they will report on enrollment and retention issues related to students from underrepresented groups and consult with institutional decision makers about possible causes for any lack of progress.