Press Release

Contact: Debra Humphreys
Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs
202-387-3760 ext. 422
Humphreys@aacu.org

New Jersey Colleges Deploy Varied Models for Diversity Initiatives; Schools with Comprehensive, Integrated Initiatives Poised to Have Greatest Impact, New Study Suggests

Washington, DC—June 28, 2005—The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) released online today the results of a survey along with an analysis of diversity initiatives at New Jersey colleges and universities. The study investigates the depth and breadth of state campus diversity initiatives by examining the extent to which diversity is central to and pervasive in such institutional aspects as mission statements, strategic plans, curriculum, faculty development opportunities, search committee strategies, and community engagement. Three institutions--Bloomfield College, the College of New Jersey, and Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey--are cited for their exemplary diversity work.

The survey complements a current diversity project, the Bildner New Jersey Campus Diversity Initiative (NJCDI), which was conceived by Allen and Joan Bildner of the Bildner Family Foundation and organized in 2002 in partnership with AAC&U and the Philanthropic Initiative (TPI). The NJCDI seeks to reduce prejudice, promote intergroup understanding, and foster the comprehensive institutional change needed to support such learning.

"We were very pleased to see from the survey the extent of commitment to diversity as a core value and key resource for improving the educational quality of so many colleges and universities in New Jersey," said AAC&U Senior Vice President Caryn McTighe Musil. "Our analysis of these schools, however, reveals that institutions struggle with aligning all the necessary elements to create comprehensive change and with communicating to a broad audience the educational and societal value of diversity."

Out of twenty-two colleges and universities that fully responded to AAC&U's survey, more than 75 percent make an explicit commitment to diversity in their mission statements and in strategic planning documents. More than 80 percent of those surveyed had a search committee strategy for recruiting administrators and faculty from underrepresented groups and provide faculty with opportunities to make their teaching more inclusive. Of the fifteen institutions that have campus-wide diversity requirements, more than half make civic engagement an integral part of their requirement.

Drawing from the survey results, AAC&U gathered additional qualitative information about these institutions’ diversity efforts by conducting Web research and phone interviews. Findings reveal that institutions with an integrated approach that balances institution-wide (macro) efforts with more ground-level (micro) diversity programming seem poised to sustain their campus diversity initiatives and continue fostering positive learning environments for students. In addition, the study suggests that high levels of centrality (macro efforts on campus), pervasiveness (the degree to which diversity is present throughout the campus), and integration (intersections and collaborations among macro and micro efforts) contribute to high levels of educational quality. AAC&U's analysis offers a developmental stage model to demonstrate more clearly to a given institution its achieved strengths and areas in need of further development.

From its research, AAC&U selected three colleges and universities to cite for their exemplary integration and the pervasiveness of their institutional diversity work. The three New Jersey institutions identified were Bloomfield College, the College of New Jersey, and Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.

The survey and analysis, and the case studies featuring these three institutions, can be found on DiversityWeb (www.diversityweb.org), AAC&U's comprehensive compendium of campus practices and resources about diversity in higher education. For additional information about AAC&U's projects, publications, and resources on diversity, see www.aacu.org/issues/diversity.

AAC&U is the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality, and public standing of undergraduate liberal education. Its members are committed to extending the advantages of a liberal education to all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Founded in 1915, AAC&U now comprises 1,000 accredited public and private colleges and universities of every type and size.

AAC&U functions as a catalyst and facilitator, forging links among presidents, administrators, and faculty members who are engaged in institutional and curricular planning. Its mission is to reinforce the collective commitment to liberal education at both the national and local levels and to help individual institutions keep the quality of student learning at the core of their work as they evolve to meet new economic and social challenges.

Information about AAC&U membership, programs, and publications can be found at www.aacu.org.