The current buzzword is diversity, and with its emergence
questions are more often raised than answered. What is diversity
and why is it receiving so much attention now? One simple
definition can be offered: Diversity simply means “we the
people.”
A quick glimpse across the broad social landscape of our country
reveals a population that captures just about every example of
diversity ““ diversity in race/ethnicity, gender, physical
ability, religion, sexual orientation, ideologies and more.
“We the people” should really be “we the diverse
people.”
UCLA, as a major educational institution, is committed to having
faculty, staff and students who are reflective of the diverse
society in which it exists. This diversity can be achieved while
still maintaining the excellence of the institution.
For some, the idea of diversity conjures up images of lowering
standards and bending rules. In reality, diversity and excellence
are not mutually exclusive. As a matter of fact, excellence can be
enhanced through diversity. In addition, diversity can lead to
creativity, innovation, and boundary expansion.
The goal is not diversity for the sake of diversity, but
diversity for the sake of excellence. Diversity becomes a means to
the end in maintaining a preeminent university.
In order to fully accomplish the diversity goal, at least three
major steps must be taken.
The first step is to abolish the long-standing belief that
“cream rises to the top” and that efforts to increase
diversity are ill-placed. With this belief, those possessing the
requisite credentials, skills, and ability will rise to the top
regardless of their categorization.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case. The pools from which
students and faculty are recruited may inadvertently exclude
competent, capable individuals. To overcome this limitation, it is
important that the university develop recruitment pools that are
representative of the diversity in society.
In practice this means that resources should be expended to
spread the UCLA word through traditional as well as nontraditional
outlets.
The second major step entails examining the selection processes
that place weight on intangible factors that are often difficult to
articulate. Every student organization and every department has an
idea of what it is looking for in new recruits.
For faculty, potential hires have to fit in and add to the
department. Even with the best of credentials, there are
individuals who are deemed undesirable; it is no secret that people
often think that the best recruits are those individuals who look
just like them.
While cream may rise to the top, all this cream is not selected
for membership in the UCLA community. Steps need to be taken to
ensure that the intangibles of the recruitment process become more
transparent, then they can be examined for unconscious, unintended
bias.
The third major step concerns what happens after the new recruit
arrives on campus. The presence of diverse individuals on campus
does not necessarily mean that the diversity goal has been
achieved.
For example, the university climate may be more welcoming to
some individuals and not to others.
Hostile, unfriendly settings that isolate and alienate
particular people are counterproductive to the aims of the
university. All members of the UCLA community must have supportive
environments in order to be full participating, productive
members.
Diversity means different things to different people. UCLA,
however, is quite clear about its meaning.
Achieving diversity is a process that involves all aspects of
campus and all people on campus.
Through the three steps mentioned above, UCLA can continue to
attract the best and the brightest in a diverse society.
Diversity is not a challenge or threat to excellence. Rather, it
further promotes excellence when the best and the brightest diverse
individuals populate recruitment pools, compete fairly on the
tangibles and intangibles of the process, and enjoy a welcoming
environment. When this happens, then “we the people”
becomes “we the university.”
Becerra is the associate vice chancellor for the
Chancellor’s Office of Faculty Diversity.