UNCW plans 10 key steps to increase diversity
11/3/2004 10:08:15 AM
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Nov. 3, 2004
WILMINGTON, N.C. – During the fall meeting of the Board of Trustees Oct. 29, University of North Carolina Wilmington Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo unveiled a 10-step plan described as a bold attempt to bring about a culture change and move UNCW from good to great.
The plan began in October 2003 as an initiative of DePaolo building on recommendations of then Chancellor James R. Leutze’s Task Force on Diversity (April 2003), the Chancellor’s Blue Ribbon Committee (August 2002) and recent concepts of diversity in higher education. The planning process involved more than 200 faculty, staff and community members.
Increasing diversity on campus was identified as one of UNCW’s seven strategic goals in a five-year plan completed this summer. “We are not doing any of our students a service unless we give them a more diverse campus and prepare them to live in a multi-cultural world,” said DePaolo.
She described this as a “dynamic plan of action,” not a report that will sit on a shelf. “The diversity strategic long range plan contains over 100 recommendations, but I asked the committee to prioritize 10 things that would get us farthest fastest. We have tied the budget to these action items, allotting about $100,000 this year to get it started. If you focus on something, give it attention, then you can succeed,” DePaolo told the trustees.
The hallmark of the plan is its focus on building mutually beneficial relationships and providing a support network. The complete planning document can be found on the Web at UNCW.edu/diversity and look for Diversity Initiative Plan in the left column. The executive summary can be found on the News & Events page at www.uncw.edu/news/pdfs/Diversity_Summary.pdf.
The 10 priorities for implementation over the 2004-05 academic year are as follows:
• Develop and implement an admissions diversity recruitment plan focusing on high schools in North Carolina that have high minority populations.
• Hire a bilingual admissions recruiter with fluency in Spanish.
• Establish a diversity advisory council comprised of campus and community leaders who aren’t hesitant to speak out and tackle difficult issues.
• Develop departmental diversity plans, from those dealing with curriculum to purchasing.
• Increase diversity awareness and sensitivity enhancement.
• Conduct a bi-annual campus climate survey to measure our progress.
• Expand our College Opportunity Program to increase the number of historically underrepresented youth from the region who have a personal live experience with UNCW and the idea of going to college.
• Review and expand programs of the Upperman African-American Cultural Center to stress academic offerings.
• Incorporate diversity and internationalization into the basic studies curriculum as it is being revised to include education so students can function in a multi-cultural environment.
• Provide diversity scholarships for students with talent who lack the financial means to attend UNCW, with a goal of 25 renewable merit scholarships offered per year.
Denis Carter, associate vice chancellor for planning and academic outreach, chaired the committee. He can be reached at 910/962-3540.
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Executive Summary
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