Diversity
continued from page 1
important to create an environment
in which people have these opportu
nities. Continued advancements to
ward these ideals are crucial consid
erations for diversity enhancement
efforts.”
In fall 2002, total OUS enrollment
reached 78,111 students, an in
crease of 13,980 from fall 1997.
There are now 332 more African
American or black students, 73
more American Indian or Alaska na
tive students, 1,133 more Asian or
Pacific American students and 628
more Hispanic or Latino students.
But the numbers, which include
multiracial students in a slightly sep
arate category, fail to show a simple
truth: Not one minority group has in
creased as much as 1 percent of the
total group of 78,111 OUS students.
Those hundreds of African Ameri
can or black students only represent a
.2 increase in the total 78,111 student
population, while the extra 73 Ameri
can Indian or Alaska native students
have resulted in a net decrease of .1
percent for the group compared to the
whole student population. The 1,133
additional Asian or Pacific American
students have added .4 percent to the
group and the 628 more Hispanic or
Latino students have only increased
the group by .3 percent.
Webber-Davis said American Indi
an or Alaska native enrollment is not
increasing as much as other minori
ties for several reasons.
“High school dropout rates and
choosing options other than univer
sity attendance are persistent con
cerns for this population,” she said.
The white population, in the mean
time, has increased by 10,193 stu
dents, and still represents 73.6 per
cent of the total 78,111 students, only
. 1 percent less than five years ago.
University President Dave Frohn
mayer said patience is needed be
cause reaching diversity is a process
that takes time. “At least we have had
progress in the right direction,”
Frohnmayer said. “We will look very
different in 10 years than we do now. ”
Frohnmayer said he is glad that any
progress toward diversity has been
made at a time when the economy is
sliding in the opposite direction.
While only Portland State had a high
er percentage of minority students than
the University in2002, four schools had
a higher percentage of American Indian
or Alaska native students, and every
other school had a higher percentage of
Hispanic or Latino students.
“We’re doing a lot,” Frohnmayer
said, adding the numbers seem lop
sided because the University records
students of multiple ethnicities in
“other” categories, while different uni
versities place them in a single ethnic
category. “We do far better in serving
students in multicultural backgrounds
than the survey shows,” he said.
Frohnmayer’s claim is partially
supported by the numbers. While
the total percentage of unspecified
students, students identifying as
more than one ethnicity or as inter
national students at the University
represented 15.8 percent of the
school’s total population, the figure
is a few points higher than the OUS
average of 11.5 percent. However,
there is no way to really know where
that extra percentage breaks down.
With regard to full-time faculty di
versity, the academically top-tier
University is just average.
The University ranked fourth out
of seven schools in representation of
African American or black and Asian
or Pacific American faculty, and sixth
in representation of American Indi
an or Alaska native faculty. However,
the University was first in representa
tion of Hispanic or Latinos, and only
one school — Oregon State Univer
sity — outranked the University of
Oregon in overall faculty diversity.
ASUO Multicultural Advocate and
APASU co-Director Mark Padoong
patt said the University is not diverse,
and the report is not an accurate rep
resentation of diversity at the school.
“I would question the methods
used in counting students of color,”
he said, adding that he does not be
lieve the issue is important to Uni
versity administration. “I don’t think
they treat it as a high priority.”
Padoongpatt said while students of
color are overrepresented in Univer
sity sports, they are underrepresent
ed in classes.
“There’s no money involved in re
cruiting students of color in academ
ics,” he said. “They can fly to New
York to recruit a player ... but they
won’t even go into north California
to recruit a student.
Padoongpatt’s claim is somewhat
supported by Emerald research, as
well. In the article “Given a sporting
chance,” published in February, re
search revealed that more than 35
percent of African American or black
male undergraduates attending the
University were lured by athletic
scholarships, the second-highest
percentage of any ethnic group re
ceiving such support at a Pacific-10
Conference school in 2002-03.
“The concept of diversity from the
OUS perspective does not focus solely
on issues of quantity,” she said. “Con
sistent and ongoing efforts are needed
... to the mission of public universities.”
But Padoongpatt said there is a
more definite solution.
“More money is going to have to
be put in scholarships, and more
money is going to have to be put into
recruitment,” he said.
Contact the reporter
at romangokhman@dailyemerald.com.
News brief
Ravassipour, Clark
take control of senate
for summer session
The 2003-04ASUO Student Senate
moved into full swing with the appoint
ment of the summer session vice pres
ident and president and the approvals
of numerous special requests.
Sophomore Mena Ravassipour will
be president and sophomore Aryn
Clark will be vice president for the sum
mer session, which meets periodically
throughout the next few months.
“Since there’s a lot of new senators,
my main goal would be to make this a
learning process for all of us,” Clark
said. “Also, I hope that everyone can
get to know each other better. ”
The senate approved a special re
quest for fund transfers of $360 to
the Black Student Union for the
2003 BSU Graduation.
The senate also approved the
transfer of $5,257 in funds for the
ASUO Women’s Center toward sup
plies, cleaning and payroll.
The Non-Traditional Student
Union received fund transfers of
$512 for the Non-Traditional Stu
dent Union Graduation, a catered re
ception for non-traditional students
and their families.
Also, the senate approved a fund
transfer for campus radio station
KWVA for the promotion and support
of two upcoming events, including the
KWVA Prom, a year-end appreciation
party for KWVA staff and others in the
EMU Ballroom on Friday.
Eric Bailey, the senate’s 2002-03
academic chair, also proposed a re
alignment of the new senate. He stat
ed that it was important to bring in
new representation for schools that
have not been included.
“We haven’t had the School of Edu
cation or the School of Music ever rep
resented in senate,” Bailey said. “It is
just horrible that we have two major
schools on campus that have never
had representation in the senate.”
The senate will address the realign
ment issue again during fall term.
—Kara Hansen
Percentage of minority population who selected one of the four single categories as their race, excluding international students
c
0
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oj ir
6 c
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tr D
1
African American/black
American Indian/Alaska native
Jen Cramlet Emerald
SOURCE: Oregon University System
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