In the state of Wisconsin, minorities—including Blacks, Latinos, American Indians and Asians—comprise 9.8 percent of the population. At UW-Madison, the flagship of the UW System, minorities comprise a comparable 10 percent of the student body. And yet university administrators continue to vigorously strive for greater diversity.
Certainly, admitting and retaining students of color is an essential goal toward which UW-Madison must strive. That said, this editorial board believes that the focus on ""low diversity"" paints an incorrect portrait of the university.
As already noted, UW-Madison has a percentage of minorities comparable to the state at large, and while racial diversity may not approach the administration's desired target, this campus possesses extraordinary diversity in individuals.
Whether based on political or religious affiliation, sexual orientation or general diversity of background, UW-Madison has a campus climate more tolerant and open-minded than most universities nationwide.
Hate crimes and accusations of racism arise occasionally, but a recent campus climate survey affirms the notion that students find UW-Madison generally welcoming—less than 10 percent of the 29,000 undergraduates surveyed expressed dissatisfaction with the diversity climate.
At the seventh Annual Diversity and Climate Forum Sept. 21, UW-Madison Provost Pat Farrell expressed intent to increase privately funded need-based scholarships to increase diversity and minority retention at UW-Madison. Since the state refuses to pony up more financial aid, this board endorses the use of such tools to attract and hang on to its racial and ethnic minority students. We make only one request: Applicants eligible in terms of need must also demonstrate academic qualifications.
After all, a need-based scholarship that subsidizes the education of highly qualified students essentially constitutes merit-based financing. Academically noncompetitive students, on the other hand, would exacerbate the minority retention problem due to academic, not financial demands.
In light of unmet diversity targets corresponding negative publicity, UW-Madison deserves some acclaim for the richness of general diversity on campus. The relative percentages of state-to-university minority populations indicate that UW-Madison is, at a minimum, providing a suitable environment for minority students within the state at large.
In order to achieve racial diversity milestones, however, need-based scholarships are crucial to UW-Madison. State and federal lawmakers should assist UW System schools in financing need-based scholarships, but in the meantime, we support university efforts to increase private fundraising.
