The countdown has begun! The daunting task of choosing which college is right for you looms in the not-so-distant future. You’ve considered majors, athletic programs, faculty, graduation rates, and social life. Your “must visit” list may have already been whittled down from the many colleges and universities you absolutely loved just a few short months ago to a more reasonable six or seven. What then is left to consider before you can confidently say you now have a short list of colleges you’re applying to? Have you considered your intersectional identity and the level of multiculturalism and diversity on campus?
Keep in mind you know yourself best. What makes you comfortable in a space may be very different than your peers. Take the time for honest self-assessment to drill down what your environmental needs are in relation to your identity. Take those things into account as you research further and apply to colleges that appear to be good matches for you. During your campus visits and fact-finding explorations, here’s how to figure out what you’re looking for and what a school is all about.
What’s important to you in a campus’s culture?
If it’s important for you to integrate into your chosen campus community and share your many perspectives and talents with others, you already likely understand the importance of learning about other cultures and respecting other ways of being, too. Seeking multicultural awareness and inclusion is important to the process of your becoming your best self. Here are a few questions to consider as you begin to look under the hood and kick the tires of the colleges on your list:
- Is diversity an integral and intentional component of campus life? And is programming and support woven throughout the fabric of the campus?
- Does the campus community embrace and reflect the challenging dynamics of differing viewpoints and experiences?
- Do community members actively and boldly practice the values of inclusivity and meaningful?
- Is there consistent and earnest work underway to create and nurture a culture that values all students, faculty, and staff and eliminates barriers that may lead to exclusion?
Rapidly changing demographics in our communities underscore the increasingly urgent need for the creation and fostering of campus cultures that integrate and sustain all dimensions of students and their life experiences. If you were not your uniquely bright and wonderful self, perhaps statistics at face value would be sufficient and you would have all the relevant information necessary to move to the next phase of college application and selection. Not so fast! Let’s look beyond statistics to the heart of multiculturalism on campus: student clubs and organizations.
Related: Finding a Diverse College Community in 3 Easy Steps
Where to find diversity and inclusion in a campus community
Most colleges and universities will have a multicultural center or organization that provides excellent innovative and supportive programming for students of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Some of the more common multicultural groups and organizations found on campuses are:
- Asian Pacific Student Union
- Japanese Student Association
- Chinese Student Association
- Vietnamese Student Organization
- Latin American Student Organization
- International Students Association
- Black Student Union
These groups are made up of students who take pride in their heritage and celebrate through a wide variety of organizations. The clubs spread awareness of other cultures by providing performances, lectures, or food-based events to the rest of the community. You’re sure to find plenty of options on campus that encompass your background and interests; you’ll discover your choices are vast and varied amongst US colleges—and if you don’t happen to find the perfect group for you on your campus, start your own! It’s what student unions and faculty advisors are there for.
Unique opportunities to look out for
Some colleges and universities offer more unique multicultural clubs and organizations, as well as the common groups you can find on most campuses. For example, Santa Clara University has devoted campus resources to exploring issues of socioeconomic diversity, so too do many other multicultural institutions. The University is home to the Ignatian Center for Jesuit Education; students in this group experience a variety of immersion programs to thoughtfully engage, experience, and come to better understand other communities and individuals who have limited access to wealth, power, and privilege. Another on-campus Center of Distinction, the Markula Center for Applied Ethics, provides a core foundation for dialogue and research by students, staff, and faculty on ethical issues confronting not just the local community but larger society. Participants are encouraged to step away from what is familiar and comfortable to ponder questions of what is right and just for not only the privileged few but for the poor and marginalized.
Related: How to Help Improve Equity and Diversity on Campus
As you continue to explore your college options, keep in mind that diversity on any campus lives not just in programs and clubs, but also in the fabric of the community. Knowing what is most important to you as a unique individual will provide the most reliable tool for assessing colleges as they relate to your needs for a community that supports who you are and who you are becoming. Your everyday life on campus should be comfortable and inclusive of your background and goals. Your personal and professional identity will be shaped and molded in part by your undergraduate experience. If you ask the right questions, listen intently to the answers, and observe carefully what you hear and see, you’ll be sure to find your right place and settle in for a wonderful ride.
Make sure you only have the most supportive schools on your college list by checking if they made it on our lists of featured colleges that value diversity!
