Learn the language of social justice to improve recruitment and retention

Magna Publications News Release

Madison, Wis.—September 28, 2010—To successfully recruit and retain a diverse student population, you first have to learn to speak the language of social justice and apply its principles to your campus. This is the message from the Rev. Dr. Jamie Washington, president of the Washington Consulting Group and Founding Faculty of the Social Justice Training Institute.

Washington begins by encouraging university administrators to learn to speak a common language. For example, the word “diversity” is frequently applied to these recruitment and retention efforts, but diversity treats all differences as being equal. “Multiculturalism” is a term that reflects differences in cultural norms, while “interculturalism” promotes dialogue and mutual exchange.

As a foundational term, “social justice” reflects power, privilege, entitlement, oppression, and dominance and the way they affect an institution. All of these terms work their way closer to the goal of inclusive excellence. Inclusive excellence, Washington says, is “a focus on student intellectual development” with a goal of creating “a welcoming community that engages all of its diversity in the services of student and organizational learning.”

The issues surrounding recruiting and retaining students of color are different even than they were just a decade ago. While once even the term “student of color” had just one likely meaning – an African-American student – now it may refer to Latino, Native American or Asian students, some of whom will embrace this term as their identity and some who will not.

Each of these students is impacted by their own background experiences and experiences with the university; a student of color who comes from a predominantly majority home area may bring a completely different set of expectations to college than one from a primarily minority area or background. Understanding one’s unique perspective is critical to successfully working with all students.

Washington recommends that university administration and staff begin by examining themselves and their own place in the institution. The knowledge of one’s own background and the dynamics of the institution can help identify the potential for problematic behavior. For example, an individual may be guilty of prejudice, but groups can discriminate, and an entire organization can oppress.

After understanding oneself and one’s environment, Washington explains that universities can “assess campus climate and readiness to go beyond increasing number to creating a more inclusive environment.” Strategies for increasing inclusion can involve orientation programs, summer bridge programs and retention programs and services “with a focus on similarities and differences for various student of color groups.” While no one program will meet all needs, finding what works best for your school will increase the chances that students of color will select your university and find a comfortable, supportive home there that they are pleased to recommend to others.

In this challenging video seminar, you will have the opportunity to:

• Learn strategies for recruiting different student of color populations
• Develop methods for working with family members of students of color
• Examine recruitment, selection, and admission processes with a focus on increasing inclusiveness
• Evaluate your marketing, programs, financial aid, and recruitment staff
• Consider orientation, summer bridge, and retention programs and services with a focus on similarities and differences for student of color groups
• Review your current campus climate and readiness to go beyond increasing numbers to creating a more inclusive campus environment
• Develop key partnership relationships with people of color communities, including faculty and staff, alumni and community leaders
• Learn important do’s and don’ts

If you missed the seminar and would like to purchase it for your institution, you can order the program in CD or print transcript format, both of which include the presenters' handouts.

Magna Publications is a leading publisher of newsletters and other information products in the higher education segment. Magna also manages onsite and online conferences on topics of interest to higher education.

For more information please contact David Burns, Publisher, Magna Publications, Inc., at 608-227-8109, or dburns@magnapubs.com.