Diversity Enhancing Ideas, Revised 10-9-08
* Working with professional organizations to get word of the program out to students of color;
* Working through minority civic organizations and tribal agencies to publicize the program;
* Emphasizing outreach using methods and modes of communication designed to reach
traditionally underserved populations;
* Establishing or continuing mutually productive relationships with professional organizations to
increase enrollments from underrepresented populations;
* Attracting diverse students through scholarships;
* Advertising in minority news media;
* Consulting with on-campus students and faculty of color, as well as other possible external
stakeholders, to vet recruitment publications and Web-based materials to ensure they will be
helpful to students from diverse backgrounds;
* Ensuring that the program's marketing materials are designed to attract diverse applicants;
* Working with high school guidance counselors in technically and culturally diverse areas;
* Site visits to high schools, community colleges or undergraduate programs (depending on
degree level of proposed program);
* Developing or expanding relationships with the region’s Gear-Up, Upward Bound, Talent
Search, MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement) and HAAP (Hispanic academic
Achievers Program) programs to develop initiatives that peak student interest and participation in
the proposed program;
*Working with Washington State Achievers (funded by the College Success Foundation)
advisors/mentors or other scholarship programs to recruit and retain scholarship recipients to the
proposed program;
* Identifying industry mentors and establishing culturally relevant internships for
underrepresented students (e.g., minority owned businesses, businesses located in the student’s
home community, etc.);
* Identifying potential employers sensitive to the needs of underrepresented students (i.e.,
flexible hours, daycare center on site, diverse workforce) and expanding opportunities for parttime and full-time employment of the proposed program’s students;
* Offering academic support and other student services targeted to underrepresented student
populations;
* Training and supporting upperclassmen and women to be effective mentors and counselors;
* Advising and encouraging students to work in discipline specific collaborative study groups;
* Coordinating departmental diversity efforts with the institution's office of multicultural affairs
(or equivalent) or office of minority student programs (or equivalent);
* Establishment of a departmental diversity committee with oversight responsibility for diversity
issues;
* Inclusion of a diversity committee representative on each key departmental committee;
* Faculty/staff participation in an interdepartmental minority recruitment task force;
* Ongoing diversity training for departmental leaders;
* Quarterly meetings of a department-wide diversity interest group;
* Review of best practices for identifying potential hires from underrepresented groups (done at
the beginning of every faculty or staff search);
* Using departmental seminar series as a venue for possible faculty recruitment by inviting
faculty from under-represented groups to give seminars;
* Creating faculty development plans that give faculty credit for mentoring and retaining
underrepresented students;
* Regularly assessing recruitment/retention efforts with regard to underrepresented populations;
* Continually monitoring the program's culture of appreciation and respect towards diversity and
striving to improve the culture;
* Evaluation of diversity efforts annually, with revision as needed.
Tip: Here are some elements that contribute to the strength of the diversity section of a proposal:
* Description of departmental activities aimed at supporting diversity, such as field experiences,
diversity conferences, and other recruitment, support and retention ideas from the list of diversity
enhancing ideas above;
* Description of leadership commitment to diversity;
* Description of how the program's diversity efforts will relate to and support university-wide
diversity efforts; and
* Description of any strategies the department has to recruit diverse faculty for the new program.
Important: Please don’t just cut and paste the ideas above verbatim. Please personalize them to
your program through use of examples etc.