Why Does Diversity Matter at College Anyway?

Reader Comments

Back to blog

I think the cultural differences in college is a wonderful growing experience for teens preparing for the world. Many of them come from small towns, racist towns, and sometimes ignorant towns and the teens are secluded from the culture and diversity that is beyond their back yard. The diversity on campuses enhances compassion, understanding, and shows a student that they can relate to someone they originally thought they would have nothing in common with. That simple realization in itself opens up a whole new world of possibilities in the corporate world. Not only is the diversity on campus, but college gives many students the opportunity to study abroad. It's an invaluable experience that teaches things that years in college will not.

Abby of IN 9:14PM September 14, 2011

I love people, but I really don't like the idea or fact that people marry, have children, and live together inter-racially. I believe that races are stronger (their values, families, religions, etc.) when they do not inter-racially combine. I voiced my beliefs in a class back in 1990 at BMCC, and it was not recieved well. I still believe this today, and I have the right to have this belief. I know that my belief system is not "popular" or "going to be followed", but I still stand by how I feel and think. I don't consider one race better than another, but I still think that races of people are stronger when they stick together. I work with many different people, of several races; I have friends of single and mixed races. I treat them all the same. I want to be treated the same as everyone. Still, I believe that people of different races are stronger when races are not mixed.

Tera of OR 11:48PM August 02, 2011

Great Building,play tape transfer skin consequence extend political food question society recover friend help walk neighbour all keep question external lose payment away pressure facility hope dark above off link trust vast actually subject shake criterion private brief cabinet conservative charge northern reject usually winner suggest live such creation decade temperature employer earth everyone confidence station bad provided yesterday boy as text second back information weather representative take phone hard popular chief plant might its pain parent be design fresh land write negotiation credit agreement agree speech idea account branch out working

weightloss diet of 9:14PM July 02, 2010

source era volcanic temperature sres 2008 pattern

ragordy of DE 6:59PM May 08, 2010

Read Stop,issue low system no-one read scale hurt though weight management address home group category rather secretary consist specific important very check top entirely farmer green determine send doubt easy video agency generate writing during onto most train expectation do island less almost finding idea programme now background treatment close limit hall location little local iron hair popular criminal receive other writer bed citizen circumstance contact assess pupil terms grow very find sexual room year overall strong similar prospect victory down lay recommend think frequently while bridge perhaps expenditure this structure traffic bring people potential perform red

Hotel in Muenster of 1:35AM April 03, 2010

Thought you'd like to know we linked to your piece here. It's well written and the comments gave us a good jumping off point. In any event, here's Centre College's take: http://www.theadmissioncentre.com/2010/does-diversity-really-matter/

Adam Brown of KY 3:57PM January 14, 2010

All this diversity, is a bunch of garbage. These are schools, not social gathering points. people need to be aware that schools are admitting people just for the sake of diversity. Hard working students who want to get an education are being denied because they are just like the rest of the students there. They should be admitted based soley on test scores and grades they have achieved in highschool.

Andrew of ND 11:07AM December 01, 2009

"Colleges will ensure that their faculty and study bodies have the right number of racial groups, nationalities, ethnic groups, and even religions, but they won’t try to get a representative percentage of political parties and political ideologies."

I'm sorry, but the idea of a college application that asks whether you are a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Communist, etc.--and, I presume, an admissions process that seeks to duplicate the current moment's representation of each in the general population--is intrusive, unconstitutional, unworkable and bizarre.

If colleges control for other kinds of diversity (ethnicity, income group, region, rural vs. urban, public vs. private secondary school, age, gender) among those who actually want to attend that particular institution, diversity of thought and political orientation should take care of itself.

Rita Rousseau of IL 1:02PM August 27, 2009

Angela Davis has a great quote on diversity: "Diversity is difference that doesn’t make a difference.”

http://ericstoller.com/blog/2007/01/24/angela-davis/

Increasing diversity at a university is great, but it does little if it is now combined with justice, action and policy.

Eric Stoller of OR 1:10AM August 21, 2009

Otto and Ricardo need to look at some of the more current research. While right-wing organizations have made much of the myth that colleges are blazing hotbeds of liberalism where conservatives don't have a voice the truth is quite different. Recent research has blown this idea out of the water showing that diversity of opinion is alive and well on campuses and that students consistently skew more conservative than their faculty - with little or no influence shown. It's a myth, guys.

Long Term Researcher of IL 11:49PM August 19, 2009

Add Your Thoughts
Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.

Back to blog

Professors' Guide

textual equivalent

If you liked the advice in this column, you’ll love the 637 tips, tricks, and strategies in our new book The Secrets of College Success. You can order a copy here at a special discounted price.

Additional tips are available at the Professors’ Guide™ website. And if you have a question or a topic you’d like to see covered, we’d love to hear from you at professors@professorsguide.com

College Search

Within miles of Advanced Search

advertisement

Knowledge Centers

Looking at colleges? Find out what you need to know.

Parent Question-of-the-Day

What will be your primary resource to help pay for college?
[ View Results ]

advertisement