Student diversity increases; Asian faculty also rises
Diversity reports are showing that while the UA has had a slight increase in the number of diverse students it attracts and keeps on campus, the university is falling behind when it comes to diverse faculty.
The decreasing diversity among faculty is causing some concern, said Raji Rhys-Wietecha, assistant director of the Diversity Resource Office.
"I think where we need some growth is the retention and recruitment of a diverse faculty," Rhys-Wietecha said.
The number of black professors increased by one from 2003 to 2004, according to the Diversity Action Plan Progress Report.
The number of Asian-American professors increased by five, whereas the number of American Indian professors remained the same at nine.
The number of Hispanic professors decreased from 35 to 31, according to the report, which is another cause for concern because of the high population of Hispanics who live in the Southwest.
"The fact that U of A isn't a leader of hiring Hispanic faculty is problematic because we are in the Southwest, where a majority of the population is Hispanic," said Antonio Estrada, professor and director of Mexican American studies.
Estrada has worked at the university for 19 years, and he said the diversity of the faculty has not changed much and the department and faculty heads of many of the colleges around campus are to blame for the lack of diverse faculty.
"The saying that 'we couldn't find any diverse candidates' is boloney," Estrada said. "Faculty and department heads should beat the bushes to find a diverse pool of candidates to recruit."
Wietecha said the faculty numbers have remained relatively stagnant because of tenure and the slow turnover rate.
"It's partly because faculty doesn't change as much," Rhys-Wietecha said.
Scott Carvajal, assistant professor for Mexican American studies, said he thinks the university is doing a good job of taking more steps to create a more diverse environment, but more steps are needed.
"It's an extremely competitive market to recruit and retain minority faculty," Carvajal said. "More diligence is needed in pursuing those needs."
Recruiting a diverse faculty is also important for a student's education, whether the student is ethnically diverse or not, Carvajal said.
"State universities are funded by all citizens of Arizona so it's important (the faculty) reflect the community it serves," Carvajal said.
Staci Myron, a pre-nursing freshman, said she feels the UA could be more diverse, and recruiting a more diverse faculty would be a positive thing for students in the minority.
Myron, who is a member of the Hopi tribe, said diversity among faculty members is especially important so that students can have someone to relate to.
"Students can identify with the instructor," Myron said.
The DAPPR shows when it comes to diverse students, the UA is making small progress.
The number of Hispanic undergraduates increased by 0.5 percent from 2003 to 2004, totaling about 16.1 percent of the undergraduate population, according to the report.
Undergraduate blacks and American Indians increased by 0.1 percent, making up 2 percent of the population, while the number of Asian-Americans remained relatively the same at 5.9 percent of the population, according to the report.
Although these increases are small, they show promise that the university is headed in the right direction in upping its student diversity numbers, Rhys-Wietecha said.
Kwame Hart, a black journalism freshman, said he doesn't feel the faculty or student body is very diverse.
"I haven't seen much diversity in the faculty at all," Hart said. "I don't see a lot of black people on campus."
To solve these problems, the university can use the information from the report to better figure out how to recruit more diverse faculty and students to campus, Rhys-Wietecha said.
The DAPPR is one way the university aims to increase diversity on campus through the Diversity Coalition, which tries to recruit and retain diverse faculty, staff and students. In doing so, the UA can better create a positive and accepting atmosphere, according to the Office of Diversity Reports Web site.
The report shows which areas the UA has improved on after President Peter Likins instituted the Diversity Action Plan in 2002, officials said.
The plan outlines 87 different recommendations in order to achieve the UA's diversity goals.
"(The plan) holds us accountable as institution for some goals that we set for ourselves," Rhys-Wietecha said. "And that's pretty laudable when you set goals for yourself and you hold yourself accountable."