Yesterday I went to yet another conference on diversity. This one was geared mainly at people who work in support services on our college campus. I am so sick of talking about diversity. Don't get me wrong-- I think that diversity is important, and I think it adds a dimension to our campus that enhances experiences and broadens perspectives. But, I am sick of talking about it. I was sitting in a room where the population was at least 75% black females. That's not very diverse. And I'm listening to everyone say how they want to make sure that the minority students on campus know about and feel welcome in their offices. Good, but shouldn't the goal as a support service to make sure all students know about and feel welcome in an office? It seems like if a campus has a diverse student body-- which our campus does-- this semester I have students who consider three different countries home-- then if the support service seeks to support all aspects of the student body, by default, that support service will have a diverse customer base.
I think diversity is an asset. But, I am tired of people making it political. At the conference, the afternoon speaker implied that good, liberal people care about diversity. So, does that mean that conservative people don't care. Or that conservative people are bad? Or is it just the bad liberals who don't care? Or is it that like me, people are tired of having everything labeled and defined to the point of nausea.
A diverse student body helps students realize that stereotypes don't work. It makes students realize that certain situations always create a common ground regardless of the student's personal background. And, hopefully it makes students realize that diversity is more than an issue of color-- we can be diverse from one another in so many aspects of life-- and that is why diversity is important. To teach and to remember that no matter the similarities, we all have differences, and more importantly that despite our differences, we usually have similarities.
