NEW FLORIDA SURVEY FINDS STRONG STUDENT SUPPORT FOR DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Two in Three College Students Say Diversity Education Brings Society Together

Nearly two in three Florida students (64 percent) say that, on balance, America is growing apart - and 66 percent think diversity education can bring society together. Two in three (66 percent) say that students should have to study different cultures in order to graduate. Nearly nine in ten (88 percent) say that courses and campus activities that emphasize diversity and diverse perspectives have a positive effect in terms of the education of students.

Those are among the conclusions of the first-ever student survey on diversity in higher education. Administered by Mar's Surveys of Coral Springs for the Ford Foundation Campus Diversity Initiative, the survey of 610 randomly selected students at the eleven colleges and universities that comprise the Central and South Florida Higher Education Diversity Coalition was conducted from August 31 to September 10. Its margin of error is plus or minus five percent. Forty-four percent of respondents self-identified as "very conservative" politically or "more conservative than liberal," and another 21 percent as "moderate."

"Demographically, Florida represents the face of the 21st Century," said Sister Jeanne O'Laughlin, OP, President of Barry University. "We are committed to maintaining diversity on our campuses and providing all students with the supportive environment they need to graduate and become productive members of our society."

"The more diverse a college community is, the more varied and rich their exposure to other human beings," said Edward T. Foote, President of the University of Miami. "When you have rich cultural diversity, you have something out of the classroom as well as in the classroom that you can take to the bank in terms of intellectual development."

"We are moving more and more into a global society," said Eduardo J. Padron, President of Miami-Dade Community College. "Higher education cannot occur in a distant ivory tower; our institutions can and should be laboratories to understand our changing world. Our students need to be prepared to deal with different people and cultures."

"Our work as a college family must be focused and pro-active if we are to successfully address the myriad issues that diversity is bound to bring as a member of the global community," said Dr. Albert E. Smith, President of Florida Memorial College.

Among the other findings from the student survey:

• Eighty-two percent of respondents agree that the changing characteristics of America's population make diversity education necessary. Ninety percent think that, in the next generation, people will need to get along with people who are not like them.
• Eighty-six percent say that the global economy makes it more important than ever for all of us to understand people who are different than ourselves. Seventy percent say they expect their future work environment to be more diverse; 19 percent say it will be about the same; and 11 percent expect it to be less diverse. Three in five (60 percent) say the ability to work in teams will be more important in the future, and 39 percent say individual knowledge and expertise. Ninety percent say that business schools should offer courses on managing a diverse work force.
• More than half (55 percent) say that diversity and multicultural courses raise academic standards and one-third (33 percent) say they have no effect. Just 12 percent of students say these courses lower academic standards. More students of color than white students say these courses raise academic standards.
• Fifty-eight percent of students say that diversity education creates division and conflict. Yet two in three (66 percent) say that, in order to graduate, every college student should have to study different cultures.
• Eighty-nine percent agree and 11 percent disagree that, "just as college faculty should keep updating the information they use to teach their students, they should also incorporate information about the diversity of America into their courses."

The Central and South Florida Higher Education Diversity Coalition, with support from the Ford Foundation, has combined resources to carry our two major programs in its first year of operation. Coalition members have worked to create a statewide Racial Legacies and Learning initiative, with a broad range of activities on each campus. Members also welcomed pollsters to their campuses for the student poll on diversity.

Ten coalition members currently are conducting a pilot program in service learning and diversity. Students are combining classroom requirements and tutoring. Area agencies that provide programs in adult literacy, the General Education Diploma, English as a Second Language, and citizenship preparation are benefiting.

Convened by Barry University, other coalition members include the University of Miami, Miami-Dade Community College, St. Thomas University, Florida Memorial College, Florida International University, Nova Southeastern University, Palm Beach Atlantic College, St. Leo College, the University of Central Florida, and Bethune-Cookman College.