ERIC Number: EJ1142197
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0734-6670
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Committed to Diversity
Abdul-Alim, Jamaal
Journal of College Admission, n235 p30-33 Spr 2017
Experts say colleges and universities should do more of to give prospective students a more authentic experience as opposed to just presenting them with brochures filled with pictures of happy-looking students. Experts also say now--amid the spirited discussions and debates about race, privilege, and inequality on campus--is a good time for admission and enrollment professionals to collaborate to develop new ways to engage students around issues of diversity and inclusion. At Pomona College (southern California), an admission administrator said the admission office has begun to focus on giving students a clearer sense of what campus life entails. Ashley Pallie, associate dean of admissions at Pomona College, describes how Pomona has shifted their program significantly to ensure that students get an accurate portrayal of what the college is going to be like. Further, she explains how their admission officers actively engage with the community, making speeches at public and rural schools to help make sure the diversity found within the surrounding population is "evident on [their] campus." She also highlights the college's focus on supporting students once they enroll, for example, through a "cohort program" in which students from underrepresented groups and who are studying math and science enter the college as a group. The cohorts share a faculty mentor and take the same courses together during the first year. Quinton McArthur, associate director of admissions and director of Diversity and Targeted Outreach at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, goes on to describe how he used his unique viewpoint as an admissions officer to help develop a two-week mathematical "talent accelerator" summer program for "high-potential" high school students from underrepresented backgrounds.
Descriptors: College Admission, Enrollment Management, Admissions Counseling, Guidance Programs, Student Diversity, Diversity (Institutional)
National Association for College Admission Counseling. 1631 Prince Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-2818. Tel: 800-822-6285; Tel: 703-836-2222; Fax: 703-836-8015; e-mail: info@nacac.com; Web site: http://www.nacacnet.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: California; Texas (Austin); Massachusetts
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A