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A FOUNDATION FOR DIVERSITY
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ONLINE EXTRAS
Leon Williams Biography Students' Views on Diversity A Faculty Perspective |
“I will never forget one student who told me that when he arrived on our campus, he had ‘never felt so black.’”
Keehner thought to herself, “We have so much work to do.”
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"We need to prepare all of our students for an understanding and appreciation of diverse others. That is our ethical obligation."
- Julie Keehner, Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services, |
Yet today the BVU campus is in the midst of a quiet transformation, establishing a foundation for diversity that is enhancing the educational and social experience of all students in preparation for life in a global society.
“We know that our graduates will live and work in communities that will have a significant amount of diversity, especially if you look at the changing demographics of our nation,” says Keehner. “So we need to prepare all of our students for an understanding and appreciation of diverse others. That is our ethical obligation.”
Building the Framework
To identify and address diversity issues on campus, BVU President Fred Moore formed a Diversity Task Force in 1998. One of the most significant recommendations of the task force was that BVU needed a staff member whose primary responsibility would be to champion diversity among students, staff, and faculty.
“We wanted a director who could not only do recruiting, but who also was creative, could envision building a new program, and could develop student support organizations and events on campus for everyone to become more appreciative of diversity,” explains Keehner. “This had to be someone who could connect with students, as well as others on campus, to help create a more hospitable and welcoming environment.”
The national search for a director of intercultural programs yielded several qualified applicants, but one candidate, Leon Williams, immediately stood out above the others. He had grown up in the tough inner city of Youngstown, Ohio, and graduated from Ohio Northern University, which was then predominately white. He went on to earn his master’s degree from the University of Dayton (Ohio) and then served as director of multicultural affairs at Ohio Northern for several years.
Through the challenges in his own life, Williams had demonstrated the courage and determination to succeed in the face of discrimination and adversity, and that he could effectively communicate his own experience with students to help motivate them to pursue their dreams.
“Leon can connect with students,” says Keehner. “He is a role model for making a success in a different world, and still honoring his heritage. He is very connected to his family but has chosen to pursue a career in a different region. He has worked hard to accomplish all that he has.”
Williams says BVU was a good fit for him because, “I was looking for a challenge in my profession. I felt I had a good philosophy and approach to diversity, and wanted to implement a program from the ground up. When I was looking at job opportunities, BVU struck me as a place that was willing to turn the creation of a program over to me as the expert, and follow my lead.”
When Williams arrived on campus in 2000, he encountered some apprehensions and skepticism about whether BVU could implement a diversity program. “Some people told me I did not know what I was getting into. But a challenge is what drives me. I began to understand why diversity was needed at BVU and what the general climate gains by having diversity.”
| "My concept is that all students are from a diverse population, whether their background is Irish, French, German, or another ethnicity. Making this program for students from diverse populations opens the door for all students to become involved. We are truly living out the concept of diversity." |
BVU’s diversity program is unique and reflects Williams’ strong leadership and his belief that all students should be involved, not only students of color.
“I introduced the concept of Students of Diverse Populations, which is an umbrella organization for several student clubs,” Williams notes. “A lot of diversity offices fail because they concentrate only on students of color. That approach immediately isolates that office and does not allow mainstream white students to be involved.
“My concept is that all students are from a diverse population, whether their background is Irish, French, German, or another ethnicity. Making this program for students from diverse populations opens the door for all students to become involved. We are truly living out the concept of diversity.”
Williams believes it is critical for students to spearhead the creation of organizations and diversity social and educational programs. Under the leadership of students, several intercultural organizations have been introduced, including Women of Color, African-American Student Union, Student Organization of Latinas, the Voices of Praise choir, the Asian-American Alliance, Multicultural Club, International Club, and TimeOut (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and straight alliance).
“The student organizations have social programs to promote their own sense of community, but they also sponsor celebrations and educational programs to acquaint the entire BVU campus with their cultural heritage,” says Keehner. Some of the many events celebrated include National Latino Heritage Month, the Chinese New Year, Kwanzaa, Black History Month, the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Asian Awareness Month, Women’s Month, Fiesta Latina, and Pride Week.
Altogether, students from diverse populations are actively involved in more than 50 cultural education programs throughout the academic year at BVU, which exceeds the number offered at most other private schools in Iowa, according to Williams.
To give students up-close cultural and ethnic experiences, Williams also organizes AWOL “alternative spring break” trips, such as a week in South Carolina to connect with people who are direct descendants of slaves, and an upcoming visit to Alabama to explore the history of the civil rights movement.
Williams and students also take diversity education programs into the Storm Lake schools, such as during Black History Month and around the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Drawing from Diverse Populations
One of the strong points of the diversity program has been recruiting, with admissions staff targeting major metropolitan areas in Iowa and neighboring states. Williams himself participates in college fairs around the Midwest, particularly in areas such as Omaha,
St. Louis, Kansas City, and Chicago, which have large multicultural populations.
“The percentage of students that Leon meets who eventually enroll is high,” notes Keehner. “They remember him and talk about him because he makes such an impact.”
One of the most effective recruiting tools has been the annual BVU Cultural Leadership Conference, which draws nearly 50 high school students from around the nation to the BVU campus for an extended weekend to learn about the academic opportunities open to them. Of 30 freshmen students of color this fall, approximately 12 had been conference participants in their junior or senior year in high school.
The conference was developed under the student leadership of a 2003 graduate, Erin Cron, and two current seniors, Caridad Martinez and Jessica Coleman.
“It has been our biggest effort to recruit and retain students of color because it not only does a lot for the visiting high school students, but also for BVU students,” says Williams. “They look forward to it because it is a time of the year when diversity on campus really intensifies.”
Academic and leadership development opportunities at BVU are a key part of the recruiting message for students from diverse populations, says Keehner. The roster of campus organizations is important to students who want to continue in leadership activities in college while also focusing on their culture.
BVU offers four Multicultural Scholarships each year (two earmarked for Storm Lake residents), based on leadership qualities and academic qualifications, to help recruit top students of color.
“We want to assist students who will contribute in strengthening our multicultural program,” says Keehner.
A Changing Climate
A positive byproduct of the diversity program has been a steady improvement in the interpersonal climate on campus over the past three years. During 2000-01, the first year the Office of Intercultural Programs was open, several racially-motivated incidents were reported by students of color. This past year there were no reports.
This transformation has much to do with diversity training, educational programs, and a general acceptance and appreciation for diverse cultures as the number of students of color on campus increases. “As we get more students from metropolitan areas where diversity is a way of life, it also helps all students to become more comfortable,” says Keehner.
BVU students also get diversity training through a variety of sources, including programs at preview days, freshman seminar, and in residence halls. The Human Resources office at BVU conducts diversity programs for faculty and staff.
Statistical reports also offer evidence of the intercultural programs office’s success. The percentage of students from diverse populations on campus is now up to 6 percent, which according to Williams is one of the highest percentages in the Iowa Conference schools, especially where students of color have not been recruited for athletics.
In the fall of 2000, there were six U.S. students of color and 12 to 15 international students on campus. The first year Williams was involved in recruiting, BVU brought in 17 American students of color in the fall of 2001. That was followed by 23 in 2002 and 30 in 2003. The University is on track to have 100 students of color on campus by the fall of 2004, estimates Keehner.
What’s more, the retention rate for students of color has exceeded 90 percent over the last three year years, which is higher than the retention of other students. Williams has found it has been important to help students deal with issues related to the transition between campus and home.
“Transitional issues occur especially when students of color go home on breaks and for the summer and reunite with their families, friends, customs, and traditions. When they return to campus it is a whole different world again, and I sometimes need to remind them that they are back and need to refocus,” Williams says.
He also builds connections with the students’ parents so they are comfortable that their sons and daughters are in an environment where they can succeed and know that they can talk to him when problems occur. Williams’ wife, Rochelle, who enrolled at BVU when they came to Storm Lake, is also active in campus organizations and is a mentor for many women of color.
Recent internal statistics have also shown that students of color at BVU do very well academically, with many consistently on the Dean’s list. Sixty percent of the students that Williams worked with last year had 3.0 or higher grade point averages, and three had 4.0. He credits faculty involvement in his office’s academic awareness retention program as a key factor in the success of students of color.
To publicly recognize students for their accomplishments, the inaugural “Black and White Ball” was held last spring. “Many students contributed immensely to the growth of the diversity program here, and this was a way to say goodbye to those who were the trailblazers; the people who helped change lives on this campus,” says Williams.
BVU’s diversity program is also gaining national recognition, as Williams spreads the word about its model for multicultural programming nationwide through his work as a speaker for Campuspeak, based in Aurora, Colorado. He started working with the organization in 1999 and has talked to nearly 15,000 people on college and high school campuses in 25 states about diversity programming.
Williams, who is working on his doctorate, also teaches classes on multicultural issues at BVU’s Fort Dodge Center and serves as a diversity trainer for Iowa State University and other schools.
More Work to Do
Though BVU’s diversity program has made important progress, Williams acknowledges that “the honeymoon period is over. We have enjoyed the increase in enrollment and diversity. Now the hard work begins to sustain and retain students, solidify student organizations, and increase visibility on campus.”
One area for growth is incorporating more diversity content, such as ethnic or urban studies, into the curriculum. “A lot of BVU students want to live in urban areas after they graduate,” Williams says. “This would allow them to learn about the cultures and people they will be living and working with.”
BVU’s new “Bridges” program is a positive step in that direction because it takes a cross-disciplinary approach to studying different geographic regions of the world that are having a critical impact on our lives and enrichment of our culture. This year the focus is on Latin America. Dr. Jacqueline Johnson, vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty, agrees that the Bridges program is a beginning step in creating a curriculum more representative of diversity.
“The revitalization of the women’s studies program and its efforts to include more faculty and students in its implementation represents another step,” Johnson notes. “Interim courses, both last year and this year, also reflect our efforts to include issues related to diversity in our curriculum.”
BVU has also identified the need to bring about more diversity in faculty and staff.
“Creating a diverse population of faculty and staff is a priority in the academic area,” says Johnson. “In hiring, one of the best methods is to ensure the creation of a diverse applicant pool, and we have taken a number of steps towards this goal. If these efforts are not successful, we will need to identify other strategies that will achieve the results we want.”
“Students of color will see diverse employees as another encouraging sign of multicultural progress on campus,” says Williams. “I believe that all students gain from the different perspectives that people of color on the faculty and staff bring to the University.”
Another area for improvement is “recruiting more students of color from our own back yard in Storm Lake,” says Keehner. “We have had some limited success. We need to work with local Latino and Southeast Asian leaders to have parents encourage their children to consider college as a goal when they are choosing courses in high school.”
“We must ensure that our students from diverse populations have an experience at BVU where they are honored and respected for their heritage, are accepted for who they are, and are given equal access to all of the opportunities that we offer,” Keehner emphasizes. “I think we do a good job of that. When they go home, we want them to be able to tell their peers that BVU is a place where they can feel at home and can make a difference.”