The number of species present in a community. The different types of organisms that occur in a community. The presence of a wide range of variation. These are just a few of the definitions that I found on diversity. In short they all seem to mean the condition of being different or having differences, but what does diversity mean to PSU? [Nice paragraph!]

I went around today and asked some of the students what they thought diversity meant to their school. Michelle Ludlow[,] a Chemistry PhD[,] had this to say[:] “Well, its people from different backgrounds all getting together here.” Konrad Malowski, a fourth year Polish international PhD student in Computer Science and Engineering[,] said[,] “To me it means a variety of different people that are from different cultures[,] not just different States.” Last but not least one young man said, “Look around you, this is diversity of the school at its best. There are all sorts of people here, getting together, getting along, all rooting for the same team and yet they are all different. GO PSU!” Obviously I was asking people at a tailgate party. However, I am not sure I can completely go along with his view, as being different and in the same spot does not necessarily mean that you will get along. However I think he was driving at the point that in the end it is football that will bring us all together.

So the general consensus of the students is that the differences in the people is what make the definition of PSU’s diversity. As for the school’s opinion they actually have a Diversity Committee to explain the certain aspects of the schools diversity. For example[,] Challenge Three for the committee is “[r; don't capitalize the beginning of quotations]ecruiting and retaining a diverse student body,” because “[h]aving a population of students who come to problems with different perspectives increases the likelihood that good solutions will be found…and also enhances their abilities to have civil conversations around difficult issues.” The committee also states it is necessary to recruit and retain a very diverse work force because “[h]aving a diverse workforce is necessary to provide students with different ways of thinking and doing and helping them to work and learn in a global society. We are proud of our successes in diversifying our faculty, less so in diversifying our staff.” "Less so in diversifying our staff", does that mean all the janitors and secretaries are the same?

The Diversity Committee also goes on to explain that they are also there to “develop a curriculum that fosters intercultural and international competencies.” This area explains that the students here need to learn about other cultures so that they can live and work in places and societies that are completely different from the one that they came from. The next job on their list to diversify the school is to “diversify the leadership and management.” This area states that most people have a tendency to hire people that look like themselves and that efforts must be made to “hire leaders who are not only women or from underrepresented groups, but leaders who will ‘walk the talk’.” What if there is a woman from an underrepresented group who can’t walk the talk, will she be hired anyway to fill in the numbers? In the name of political correctness will that bar be lowered? Where does that leave the leadership?

Finally, one of the other items of the committee’s list is organizational change to support our (the school’s) diverse goals. In 2003 the school’s leadership structure was reorganized to include a new position: Assistant Dean for Equity and Diversity. According to them [who?] “the creation of a position at this level clearly demonstrates the school’s moral and financial commitment to diversity.” I was unaware that diversity was a financial commitment. [Okay, stop doing this. It's fine to critique the views of others, but these one liners at the end of quotes is a really bad habit it to fall into, its academically unrigorous.]

What I drew from all of this is that the students only perceive diversity to be about the differences in the students and not much more. For the Diversity Committee[,] it seems to mean making sure you have enough of all types of people. Enough of students from international, to minority, to mature students as well as the same for the faculty (but apparently not for the rest of the staff), however this seems very number crunching and “goal meeting” to me [this sent. is very awkwardly worded]. They also state that because of all of these things, along with the creating [creation] of a new leadership position, it means that they are ready to commit to diversity morally and financially. I can’t pretend to know exactly what they mean by that, but it all seems like a sales pitch to me.

Also I say “goal meeting” because in the 1970’s state universities established racial quotas and they picked the best applicants from each group. However, it was perceived that the quotas lowered the quality of the student body overall. So [I]n 1978 the Supreme Court decided to outlaw the quotas and made a diverse student “goal” for schools to try and reach instead, but with no penalty for not reaching it. I suppose they would just be seen as politically incorrect if they didn’t at least try. I don’t see too much difference between the two and I also have to wonder why diversity seems to primarily concern race when there are other things that make people different from one another.

It almost seems that they give all the tables of their statistics just to prove that they[,] like everyone[,] [... do what?] and also that they have tried to meet their goals. [The University seems to be saying: ]“[j]oin us because we can prove that there are others here that are just like you.” [H]ow diverse is that? On a personal level I think that the diversity here is great and it’s also great that the school goes out of its way to make it so. However, I think there is an underlying reason for doing it and that it’s not just about trying to improve “us” the student body. I know that schools have certain standards and “goals” to meet because of our politically correct society and I think they go so far out of their way “in the name of diversity” more for this reason. Point in fact, me,[:] schools are trying to raise their mature student percentages. I was most likely admitted because I fit a mature student profile and not because I proved to be a genius because I didn’t.

I personally believe that the diversity subject that is brought up in schools has no definition of “people that are different with different backgrounds etc,” but the definition leans more towards “We have to have this number of certain groups so that we can look good to those who set the politically correct standards and so we can also look better than other schools, after all have the other schools made the financial commitment that it takes to be diverse? We also need these numbers to alert future applicants that there are people here just like them so that it will encourage them to attend.” Schools have an altruistic reason for going to such lengths to ensure diversity and I believe that because they “have to” they feel they might as well make the best of it and use its positives (which would be ending up with the diverse student body, faculty and course programs) to their advantage; as a selling point.

http://ist.psu.edu/documents/pdf/DiversityPlan011205.pdf∞

http://www.vdare.com/sailer/quota_problem.htm∞