oswald balancing undergrad dems

Running head: BALANCING UNDERGRADUATE DEMOGRAPHICS

Balancing Undergraduate Demographics

Chaz Oswald

Cornerstone University

BALANCING UNDERGRADUATE DEMOGRAPHICS

Abstract

This research paper includes a reference list of literature relating to the fostering of an

environment that stimulates and encourages a balanced and diverse undergraduate student

population. Effectively, the literature indicates the value of diversity within an

organizational setting and identifies applicable measures to overcome initial barriers,

devise community-wide efforts and policies, and illustrate recruitment methodology that

will improve the efforts to increase and stabilize the diversity within an institution’s

student body.

Keywords: recruitment, diversity, student population, demographic equilibrium

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Balancing Undergraduate Demographics

Currently my organization is experiencing an imbalanced student population in

terms of basic demographics and cultural diversity. Of the enrolled undergraduate

community, the student body is comprised of a 67% female (sex) majority and a 94%

white (race) majority. The university vision aspires to diversify the undergraduate

population to reflect the demographic percentages of the surrounding community to

enhance the academic and environmental experience for our students. The intent is to

successfully diversify the student body through the admissions process to attain

demographic equilibrium. The purpose of this research study will be to investigate and

identify the best recruitment practices for a private undergraduate discipleship university

to realize a demographically balanced student population. My reference list of seventeen

articles was established through the guidance of my research question: How can

Cornerstone University’s undergraduate admissions office better identify a process that

effectively expands its current demographic reach to increase and cultivate a balanced

student population that reflects the diversity of the surrounding Grand Rapids

community? An analysis of college admissions processes reveals specific methodology,

tactics, and policies that will level the current demographic deficit.

Definitions

Without question, the term diversity is a broad umbrella expression used to

describe various facets of a society. According to the U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services (2012), diversity is defined “as race/ethnicity; gender; socioeconomic

status; disability status; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender status; and geography.”

However, research has been focused on what diversity is within the context of a private

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discipleship university. In such a setting, a more conservative and determined emphasis

must be developed to address the topic of systematic evaluation. As such, diversity will

be defined from a singular dimension: demographics (eg, ethnicity, race, sex).

Sex is defined as the state of being biologically male or female. In this study, the

term “gender” is described with equality and used interchangeably. With a strict

biological originated emphasis, this study does not recognize the term “sexual identity”

as a valid construal of the term since it brings in cognitive preferences that blur physical

confines.

Further characterizing demographic categories of study, the terms race and

ethnicity share equal validity to that of the emphasis on gender. Ethnicity is classified as

distinguished behaviors that have been acquired through various countries or territories

around the globe (Jayakumar, U. M., 2008). This refers to traditions and customs that are

observed. However, ethnicity is different from race because it is not about the location

you were born or the distinguished behaviors, rather its emphasis centralizes on physical

features, such as skin, eye, and hair color (Jayakumar, U. M., 2008).

Methodology

Conducting research began with a broad database search provided and resourced

through Cornerstone University. Of the multiple databases offered, there were two, ABI-

INFORM (Proquest) and the InfoTrac Diversity Studies Collection, which yielded

fruitful results. To accurately delineate the search, key words were embraced to harvest

search results with practical and meaningful implications. These search terms include:

recruitment, diversity, student population, and demographic equilibrium. To ensure

accurate and scholarly results, all gathered articles were full-text, peer-reviewed

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academically referenced works that relate to the subject topic. However, a broad

spectrum of articles was collected since only a small contingent of research has been

focused specifically on the undergraduate recruitment process. Articles that studied

diversification in the recruitment process, whether it explicitly related to academia or was

more broadly centralized on business scenarios were reviewed to gain a rounded

perception of the topic since technique and processes are parallel in several industries.

Lastly, scholarly articles that were published before the year 2000 were omitted from

consideration as improvement to research, technique, and understanding have evolved

over time.

Emerging Themes of Related Literature

Since researched investigation proved successful in providing a sizeable

numerical outcome of studies and related content, the results in this literature review will

be categorized by three emerging themes: (a) university dedication, (b) capital support,

and (c) custom tactics. By focusing on the aforementioned themes, the immense volume

of data becomes organized and readily practicable. In general, the literature advocates

that the chronological role these three identified topics play in recruiting a diverse

population of students in an undergraduate setting is important to the goal of balancing

the demographic population (Rosenberg, L., & O’Rourke, M. E., 2011).

University Dedication

Before a recruitment process can be identified and subsequently implemented, it

is important to gauge the organizational atmosphere and assess the current climate as it

pertains to the facilitation of a diverse body. What is considered are the challenges or

barriers currently hindering an organization to recruit individuals who fit a diverse

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demographic. And furthermore, assess the organizational commitment to draw

demographically diverse students. It is imperative that staff, faculty and students engage

the issue through unity of a common goal. This effort is often forged, for example,

through redefining a university’s identity, mission, and vision statements to intentionally

permeate culturally identifiable words that support diversity inclusion (Rosenberg, L., &

O’Rourke, M. E., 2011). This makes the underlying commitment apparent and purposeful

in regards to the university’s future trajectory and is often designed by senior-leadership,

such as the board of directors and the university president. “It requires an open vow to the

recruitment, retention, development, and support of candidates previously

underrepresented. The leadership must educate and convince others that this is of

strategic value and is the long-term direction of the organization,” (Dreaschslin, J.L.,

2007). In other words, it is the duty of the university president to make it easy for faculty

and staff to fulfill the outlined demographic goals, rather than refuse. But the most crucial

step of encouraging diversity throughout each of the departments is to define and

structure a vision with the purpose and intent to create a sense of community (Chrisholm-

Burns, M., 2008).

But beyond promoting diversity and defining the various aspects that will receive

the university’s commitment, it is similarly important to set goals and strategically

communicate a vision forward. Some organizations decide to mimic the diversity

percentages of the United States, but it is suggested that it may be more beneficial to

concentrate on the particular demographics of the local metropolis and mirroring the

present percentages (Rosenberg, L., & O’Rourke, M. E., 2011). This would mean that if a

university located in the city of Grand Rapids, MI a reasonable goal, as reported by the

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2010 Census, for a demographically balanced student population would be as follows:

51% female and 49% male (gender); 59% white, 21% African American, 15% Latino,

2% Asian, and the remaining 3% a combination of Native American, Pacific Islander,

and Native Alaskan (ethnicity/race).

Once goals are set, there must be unity in achieving said goals. This means that

the entire student body, the faculty, and staff must be made aware of this intentional

decision. It is suggested that one way to educate faculty and staff towards this goal is to

require an appropriate diversity goal of their own intentionality and have them report on

their results during their mid-year and year-end employment reviews. A nursing school,

devoted to the goal of diversifying the student population, has testified that this type of

organizational buy-in enables faculty and staff to take personal ownership of this

commitment and is fruitful in producing results that efficiently capitalize on human and

financial resources (Rosenberg, L., & O’Rourke, M. E., 2011).

Capital Support

An organization’s commitment to balancing a student population demographically

goes beyond designing goals. For a commitment to be adamantly pursued, a fiscal

judgment in regards to budgetary considerations must be advocated. Action must

accompany the verbal. One of the greatest barriers that face a demographic balancing is

the fact that much of the minority population struggles economically and, subsequently,

has a difficult time affording the tuition costs of a private university. Thus, additional

sources of revenue and funding must be adequately awarded to qualified diverse students

throughout the financial aid process (Rosenberg, L., & O’Rourke, M. E., 2011). For

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consideration, there are three effective strategies, as it relates to financial aid that is

intended to stimulate demographic growth.

The first strategy is to offer grants to students who meet the qualification of being

a student of diversity. This is a set amount of money budgeted by the university to offer

additional assistance to diverse students – a multicultural grant (Rosenberg, L., &

O’Rourke, M. E., 2011). For example, if a Native American student were to consider a

private university, during the financial aid process, this student would be awarded a

monetary grant to encourage attendance and future retention.

The second strategy is to partner with the office of advancement or office of

philanthropy in hopes that they will commit to finding donors with a similar passion or

desire that is to see the student body population flourish through a commitment to

diversity. The idea here is to have designated scholarship monies accessible to offer to

diverse students (Rosenberg, L., & O’Rourke, M. E., 2011). Having scholarships

available offer flexibility in the awarding process. They may be partial or full-ride

scholarships and are typically offered to the highest academically achieving students that

would fall into the category of diversity.

And the third strategy would be to have readily available financial aid assistance.

For many prospective students and families, college is a brand new endeavor. They are

naïve to the available outside financial resources. By having offering personal assistance

to students by knowledgeable financial aid and admissions staff, all avenues of potential

assistance will be properly assessed (Rosenberg, L., & O’Rourke, M. E., 2011).

Custom Tactics

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While fiscal support and commitment is imperative to the diversity initiative’s

success, it is critical to design strategies that will aid in bolstering the school’s presence

of campus diversity. There are a number of admissions, marketing, and collaborative

strategies suggested in the research. For example, in the admissions process, when active

fall recruitment is underway, have counselors deliberately reach out to high schools that

have a strong diverse population. The idea is to have a presence in the type of community

that has successfully achieved the outcome that your organization intends to accomplish.

Beyond reaching out to diverse secondary school bodies, it is also important to build

connections and relationships through outreach at churches and in attendance to college

fairs that represent a high percentage of underrepresented students.

Another strategy, as alluded to earlier, is to express diversity through updating

marketing content. Include media that portrays a diverse student population on websites,

in promotional film, on ads, through web 2.0, and located on printed materials. A

concentrated effort by the marketing team will engage the university’s diversity goals and

accumulate proper public attention and student attraction.

Additional ideas include creating awareness by building professional associations

with local organizations of diversity. This may include attending conferences on a regular

basis that have a high ratio of diverse people groups such as African Americans,

Hispanics, or Asians.

Lastly, as it pertains specifically to faculty and staff, it is important to encourage

the recruitment of diverse individuals within the university hiring process (Gasman, M.,

Kim, J. & Ngugen, T., 2011). The proposal comes based on research and reflection that

has identified that a student body’s demographic population often reflects the faculty and

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staff population. And when proper circumstances allow for the hiring of additional

individuals, it is desirable to reflect the set population goals for the student body

(Gasman, M., Kim, J. & Ngugen, T., 2011). One department in particular that research

focused on is that of admissions. In theory, admissions counselors may unconsciously

recruit individuals of similar characteristics. This is not forged out of racism, but rather

the simple explanation that people are attracted to people that share similarities. If an

admissions department reflects an accurate demographic balance determined for the

student body, likely the end goal will be effortlessly accomplished.

Choices of particular strategies, as they relate to a private discipleship university,

must be decided on through careful assessment, valuation, and ranking. Unfortunately,

though a variety of strategies may be beneficial and effective, it is important to weigh

them against the available resources, as not every idea will be feasibly implemented.

Key Findings/Implications for Professional Practice

In this review, the majority of studies emphasized the positive significance and

impact that diversity has on a population when demographically balanced. Central to this

idea is that students that are engaged in an environment that is demographically diverse

have an increased effectiveness to function in multinational or multicultural environments

(Laughton, D. & Ottewill, R., 2000). However, the emphasis of the research indicated

that an organization’s priority must be on the recruitment efforts in order to reach an end

goal of balancing the demographics of a population.

While this article reviewed three majors themes to support the recruitment of

diverse students through identified processes, additional implications of measurements

were identified. The accomplishment of diversifying a student body can be measured

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through reaching goaled percentages, but according Jeffreyes (2007), it is important to

assess the retention of students and their academic experience within the university.

Focused specifically on quantitative analysis of attrition rates, Taxis (2002) identified,

within a nursing school setting, that minority students, though represented equally in

terms of demographic balance, were graduating at a lower rate compared to Caucasian

students. The objective, then, is to maintain an equal retention rate throughout the student

body, regardless of differences – race, gender, or ethnicity (Ford, D. Y., Milner, H. R. &

Moore, J. L., III, 2005). “Focused evaluation of factors affecting student retention

followed by implementation of targeted interventions must occur to ensure that

successful recruitment strategies culminate in a significant increase of diverse graduates,”

(Rosenberg, L., & O’Rourke, M. E., 2011).

Further research indicated that a dilemma might arise by implementing and

facilitating a process that regards the specific appeal to underrepresented minority

populations as priority. Affirmative action, which could lead to minority-based

favoritism, may allow for the privileged treatment of particular groups. Instead,

“nonpreferrential forms of affirmative action, from utilization analysis to target

recruitment to diversity management programs, [should be] designed to eliminate and

compensate for discrimination,” (Kravitz, D., 2008).

Identifying key practices that will enable an organization or university to

effectively recruit a diverse group of students is vital to balancing the demographics of an

undergraduate population. And while there are many positive benefits to diversification,

it is equally important to shy away from negative implications, such as filling quotas or

enabling reverse racism, when recruiting students.

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Conclusion/Recommendation

Cultivating and maintaining multiplicity within a student body requires the

dedication of the university, capital support, and the recognition and implementation of

custom recruitment tactics. It is important to develop goals that are reasonable to the

sustainability and commitment within the recruitment process. It is also be important for

an organization to enable its employees to effectively cope with demographic differences

by implementing a departmental culture of community. With this in mind, the goal of the

university is to produce a cross-culturally engaged and proficient student body that will

have the necessary competencies to effectively participate in a multinational and

demographically diverse business world (Jayakumar, U.M., 2008).

Through the various research and wealth of knowledge available on the processes

of recruitment to balance a population’s demographics, it is recognized that this is not an

exhaustive list of recruitment tactics. It is important for a private discipleship university

to assess their current resources and goals before implementing a specific process.

Furthermore, it must be noted that a majority of the research stems from non-academic

environments, such as businesses or organizations seeking to diversify their own

populations. This presented a challenge in the collection of data as the interpretation

comes from broader research on the topic. There has not been exhaustive research done

on the topic, especially as it relates to a private discipleship university, leaving room,

especially for quantitative investigation.

The focus of this review was to identify a process for recruitment in a private

undergraduate university in order to diversify and balance the student population. In

reviewing the literature, with numerous studies examined, it is conclusive that the process

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is threefold. Firstly, the university must commit to defined and rational diversity goals.

Secondly, they must intentionally support their commitment by engaging it financially.

And thirdly, the university must develop and identify a tactical recruitment plan to

encourage growth. And to evaluate the implemented process, a university can measure

the success through the relation of demographic percentages and student retention.

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