The Increasing Diversity in American Society
The increasing diversity evident across all the facets of American society has created both opportunities and challenges for all the stakeholders in the institutions of higher learning. Particularly, racial diversity demands that learners from different racial or ethnic groups be admitted into various learning institutions without discrimination. The United States of America was affected by slavery and later segregation which prevented certain racial groups from entering the school system. Globalization and migrations of people from different ethnic groups across the world have further led to the multicultural American population and consequently the need to embrace racial diversity in both college and university admissions processes (Stead 33). However, discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity still exists in American schools today (Thomas 52). Therefore, this paper seeks to advocate for racial diversity in college and university admissions.
The Value of Racial Diversity in Education
Racial diversity exposes college and university students to diverse ideas and life experiences which adds value to education. As such, universities and colleges are organized around various disciplines whose topics and teaching methods vary greatly (Bowen, Bok, and Loury 72). Learners coming from dissimilar ethnic origins interact and learn from one another thus gaining various experiences. The American nation is changing so fast, and consequently, the institutions of higher learning need to reflect these transformations. Notably, people of color are tomorrow’s leaders, and hence they must be given an opportunity to learn. Therefore, colleges and universities should promote racial diversity in their admission process.
Promoting Innovation through Diversity
There is a need to ensure that students learn in institutions that reflect the diverse environment in which the college and university graduates will be working. Mainly, various studies have shown that diversity drives innovation and promotes creativity (Neville et al., 102). Lack of diversity within a university or college community restricts educational experiences available for students and consequently limits innovation.
Embracing Racial Diversity
In conclusion, there is a need to embrace racial diversity. Racial discrimination goes against the expectations of a civilized community. Students should be able to interact and share their varied experiences. Whereas people of the color have made strides to close the education gap, disparities in higher education remain prevalent. As such, universities and colleges must embrace diversity to remedy this situation.
Works Cited
Bowen, W. G., Bok, D., " Loury, G. C. (2016). The Shape of the River: Long-Term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Neville, H. A., Huntt, M. B., Chapa, J., " University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (2010). Implementing diversity: Contemporary challenges and best practices at predominantly white universities. Urbana: University of Illinois, Center on Democracy in a Multiracial Society.
Stead, V. (2015). International perspectives on higher education admission policy: A reader.
Thomas, J. M. (2017). Diversity Regimes and Racial Inequality: A Case Study of Diversity University. doi:10.31235/osf.io/dtrej
