Volume 2, Number 1, 2000-2001

USC has made admirable progress in admitting and retaining an undergraduate and graduate student body that is racially and ethnically diverse. About 20% of our undergraduates and slightly over 10% of our graduate students are African American or Latino/a. Such numbers compare quite well with our peer institutions – private, AAU institutions. And while we have made great strides in diversifying our student body over the last decade, the overall quality of our students also has risen.  More

Wanted: Color-conscious Leadership
by Estela Mara Bensimón

In most colleges and universities, the whiteness of the faculty stands out in stark contrast to the more racially and ethnically diverse composition of the student body. Colleges and universities are increasingly cognizant of the need for a more diverse professoriate. Both large and small institutions have established target-of-opportunity programs to encourage and reward departments that fill positions with members of racial and ethnic minority groups.  More

Casting The Net Widely
by Lloyd Armstrong, Jr.

As we conduct searches for new faculty appointments, it is important to continue observing the University’s commitment to act affirmatively and creatively to make sure that we do not overlook excellent candidates from under-represented groups or untraditional backgrounds. This generally requires affirmatively seeking outstanding prospective candidates rather than passively  waiting for applications, and seeking them in new ways in addition to the usual ones. More