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The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines diversity as “the condition of having or being composed of differing elements, especially: the inclusion of people of different races, cultures, etc. in a group or organization.” We live in a diverse world. As young children, we are taught that the United States is the ‘melting pot’ of the world, home to people of all different races, ethnicities, and cultures. This should seemingly transfer over to our school and universities. However, as can be seen in a number of studies, white students are drastically over-represented on campuses.

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                                                                                                          In a study on selective universities, researchers Rachel Baker,

                                                                                                          Daniel Klasik, and Sean F. Reardon found that “over the past

                                                                                                          three decades, enrollment selectivity gaps have been

                                                                                                          consistently growing for Black students and growing, albeit

                                                                                                          more gradually, for Hispanic students.” In fact, they found out

                                                                                                          that as of 2014, 6 percent of Black students, 7 percent of 

                                                                                                          Hispanic students, and 18 percent of White students were

                                                                                                          enrolled in these selective universities. In order to fully

                                                                                                          represent the United States, colleges must promote diversity

                                                                                                          and help minority students on campuses.

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                                                                                                          When looking at racial and ethnic diversity in Wisconsin and at 

                                                                                                           the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, there is a strong gap  between White students and students of color. According to the 2020 Wisconsin Census, 61.6 percent of residents are White. Comparing that to the racial demographics of UWSP

according to College Simply, which states that 87 percent of students are

White. Meanwhile, the census states that 12.4 percent of residents are Black,

while only 2 percent of students at UWSP are Black.

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In order to further research diversity on campus and explore what

campus officials are doing to improve and expand the student population,

I spoke with Samantha Samreth, the director of the Diversity and College

Access Department. Samreth had her own definition of diversity.

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“Diversity just means someone who’s unlike me,” Samreth said.

“Everyone brings in their own differences in culture, ability lived

experiences, race, and ethnicity. I believe that we’re all diverse people.”

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With this in mind, the following series of articles look into these

different aspects of diversity on campus, including cultural groups, the Office of International Education, and the Disability Resource Center.

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Outside of personal interviews, I also used the following sources:

 

Baker, Rachel, et al. “Race and Stratification in College Enrollment over Time.” AERA Open, vol. 4, no. 1, Jan. 2018, p. 233285841775189, 10.1177/2332858417751896.

 

CollegeSimply. “University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Diversity & Student Demographics.” CollegeSimply, www.collegesimply.com/colleges/wisconsin/university-of-wisconsin-stevens-point/students/.

 

History.com. “Day of the Dead.” History, A&E Television Networks, 30 Oct. 2018, www.history.com/topics/halloween/day-of-the-dead.

 

Merriam-Webster. “Definition of DIVERSITY.” Merriam-Webster.com, 2022, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diversity.

 

US Census Bureau. “Wisconsin Population Increased 3.6% since 2010.” Census.gov, www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/wisconsin-population-change-between-census-decade.html.

 

UW – Stevens Point Involvement Network. “LSA.” Spin.uwsp.edu, spin.uwsp.edu/organization/lsa.