Commitment to Graduate Student Diversity (GAP 2.4)
Summary
Stanford University is committed to achieving a diverse graduate student population, and will take appropriate steps to create a student community that is both highly qualified and diverse in terms of factors such as culture, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender, work and life experiences.
1. RATIONALE AND POLICY
Equal opportunity and affirmative action in the recruitment of faculty, staff, and students have been integral components of Stanford University's agenda for diversity for decades. In a statement issued in February 2001, President John Hennessy reaffirmed that commitment, observing that "our educational purposes will be served best if the country's demographic diversity finds a presence on campus, and we thereby reflect the full range and the full capacity of this society."
Of special importance to institutions such as our own, a lack of diversity in Ph.D. programs nationwide means that the professoriate of the future will not continue to reflect the population it teaches and thus will offer too few role models who can teach and encourage by the example of their own achievements.
At the graduate level, a student body that is both highly qualified and diverse in terms of culture, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender, work and life experience is essential to educational excellence. A diverse community of scholars asks unexpected questions and contributes divergent insights, pushing the forefront of knowledge further and faster. The Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Education works collaboratively with others to broaden the participation and promote the success of students from a variety of backgrounds, including those underrepresented within research universities. As a result, the Stanford community reaps the educational benefits of diversity, while preparing future generations of leaders for a global society. Success in our efforts means that the individuals chosen for admission to our graduate programs must continue to be, as they have been in the past, superbly qualified and capable of attaining the highest level of academic excellence.
Important though Stanford's institutional commitment to diversity is, it does not suffice. Success will depend especially on the enthusiasm and everyday efforts of individual faculty, staff members, and students. We must not only work diligently to encourage applications and to recruit those who would bring such diversity to the graduate student body, but we also need to create a hospitable and supportive environment for all - and especially for newcomers whose social and educational backgrounds may differ from those of the majority of our students. Difference, which at once challenges stereotypes and enriches our educational process and community, is what diversity is about.
2. IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINES
| PROCESS STEPS | RESPONSIBILITY | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Takes appropriate steps to recruit a diverse pool of applicants for graduate study at Stanford. | Department |
| 2. | Works with each student and appropriate Stanford organizations toward the goal that all students enjoy a successful and rewarding experience at Stanford, including timely conferral of degrees. | All involved parties |
