Message from the Dean: Pursuing Diversity for Better Learning
A few weeks ago, I found myself in an interesting situation, one that was new to me as a researcher and an educator.
I was a guest on a conservative talk radio show, discussing the issue of diversity with the host. Some of the other deans on campus and I had written an op-ed piece for the Seattle Times regarding last summer’s Supreme Court ruling in the University of Michigan case that supported the consideration of race in college admissions. In the article, we advocated change in a Washington law that bars the use of race as a factor in admissions.
The host opened up the call-in line, and the questions began:
“Shouldnt admissions be color-blind?”
“What about merit?”
“What about hard work?”
“What about experience?”
All are important factors, I agreed, and should be weighed as well. But if you leave out race, you're not looking at the whole person. Diversity, I explained, is essential to a well-rounded, meaningful educational experience. Research indicates that. Common sense supports it. And industry tells us they want to see it reflected in our graduates.
“So why are you kowtowing to industry?”
Why indeed? I reflected on the question, and decided that it missed the mark. A better one might be “Why is industry demanding diversity?” That’s a very easy one to answer. In an increasingly global marketplace, companies need a diverse set of employees if they are to keep up with the competition. So our students need diverse skill sets and experiences if they are to keep pace and make meaningful contributions after graduation. A diverse mix of students here can help accomplish that. In fact, our student mix impacts everything else we do.
I think the public often focuses on the highly visible measures of our viability. We just opened a beautiful new computer science facility the Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science & Engineering (see Opening Doors). It triples available lab space for our computer science and engineering faculty and students and gives them the technological wherewithal to keep our CSE program in the nation’s top 10.
We also recently broke ground on a new home for our Department of Bioengineering (see In the News). The new building is scheduled to be finished in 2005 and will provide a significant boost to our BioE program, which is also nationally recognized.
Both of these additions are exciting and essential to our programs. But they are meaningless without our students. And we need a diverse group of students to take full advantage of the teaching and research opportunities they offer.
So, as 2003 draws to a close, my colleagues and I anticipate spending time with members of our state legislature preparing for the 2004 legislative session. We will push for changes in Washington law now that our position has been validated by the highest court in the land. And we will take every opportunity to speak to our supporters and explain why this is so important.
I deeply appreciate the kind words of support I’ve received from many of my peers around the country. I invite your thoughts, advice and participation, if you feel so moved, as we press our cause. Morally, we’re convinced it’s the right thing to do. But it’s also the smart thing to do to improve the quality of our programs and give our students the best educational experience we can.
After all, that’s what were really all about, isn’t it?
Sincerely,
Denice Denton
Dean, College of Engineering