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Archived Articles
Written by Dr. William Carroll
Staying diverse must always be university goal
By William J. Carroll, President of Benedictine College and Springfield
College in Illinois
October 2004
The most recent U.S. News & World Report ranks Benedictine
University seventh among Midwestern universities in "Campus
Diversity," and for the third year in a row, is ranked with
the most diverse student bodies under "Best Universities
- Master's" in the Midwest. This notoriety, although welcomed,
bespeaks a phenomenon happening throughout our country. Places
that once were characterized by a majority culture are no longer
made up of a "majority" but consist of a blend of people
from various racial, ethnic, and religious persuasions.
Fifty years ago, city blocks were ethnic enclaves of like culture.
Language was easily identified in any neighborhood for the cadence
and flow of voices, store names and signs alerted you to different
cultures. This sameness traveled from European/Asian towns because
immigrants were more comfortable living among their own kind.
Colleges and universities were often founded based on a particular
ethnic heritage. In fact, St. Procopius College (now Benedictine
University) was founded to educate the children of Czechoslovakian
immigrants.
These ethnic and national enclaves worked well for the early
history of this country. Sameness enabled communities to grow
and to prosper. This growth and prosperity, however, had some
unintentional results-it forced communities that once were separate
to bump up against one another. As the twentieth century melded
into the twenty first century, clear dividing lines between ethnic
communities blurred. Where once we were Polish, Slovakian, Irish,
African, Indian, etc. we are now an amalgam of all the cultures
that have made this a great country. Where once you could be born,
work and die in the same community without "running into"
others with different ethnic and national backgrounds, you are
now forced to encounter the differences inherent in our world.
For some, diversity epitomizes America as a "melting pot"
of divergent immigrants, ethnicities, religions, races, cultures,
etc. But to others it still implies the opposite - a divisiveness
that separates and divides, creating an atmosphere that is often
awkward and sometimes hostile. Unfortunately, many people hang
on to stereotypical behavior and it is evident in everyday life.
In 1996, Illinois Benedictine College made a decision in changing
its name to Benedictine University, to become a major player in
preparing students to engage this new world of multi cultural
amalgamation. If students graduate from the University without
knowing how to interact with peoples of different cultural, ethnic,
and religious persuasions, we have let them down. The "new"
university must prepare students to be players on the world stage.
If the first time a graduate encounters a person of another color,
religion, or cultural heritage is at a job interview, the university
has failed them. In order to prepare students to deal with the
21st century, it must reflect that world. Accordingly, Benedictine
University truly mirrors the world. We have a large number of
international students, and the student body includes almost every
culture: Asian/Pacific Islander, Black/non-Hispanic, Caucasian,
Hispanic - almost global ethnicity.
However, attracting these new students to campus must be much
more than granting them access. If we squeeze everyone under one
cultural umbrella, we squeeze rich histories and cultures out
of the mix. We must broaden the umbrella itself and be ready to
do more than grant access and make accommodations. True diversity
in a university is more than a variety of students, true diversity
calls for an understanding that scholarship, teaching and learning
form a multicultural university that reflects the rich diversity
we value. The very heart and soul of the institution must be transformed,
so that all students clearly have a place at the table. Students
who walk the hallways of Benedictine University, should see a
mirror image of themselves in the students, faculty/staff, and
most importantly, in the curriculum.
At Benedictine University, we do not look at the horizon and
ask, "What are others doing?" We look at our own Catholic,
Benedictine heritage and our liberal arts tradition and ask, "What
ought we to do?" As Catholic, we touch all and include all.
As Catholic, we welcome all and include all. As Catholic, we are
universal and open to God's reality in all races, all people,
and all parts of the world.
We have a Benedictine tradition and value at the University in
being hospitable to the stranger. Who is the stranger? It is anyone
who may not look like me or come from the same place from which
I come. Our tradition teaches us that in opening ourselves to
the stranger, we are admitting God into our lives. In addition,
we are committed to helping each other realize his/her potential.
In helping others realize that, we realize our own potential.
As an academic community committed to the liberal arts and to
professional education, it is important that we welcome and are
strengthened by diverse cultures and traditions. We are responsible
for assisting each student to become a productive member of the
global society in which they will live and work. We must also
educate leaders for that global society.
In the turbulent and violent world in which we live, we need
leaders now more than ever who are open to diversity and are able
to deal with "the other" as a person no matter who "the
other" might be. In a very real sense, we believe that God
is calling institutions like Benedictine to be models for the
world on how people can live, work, and play together as children
of the Divine.
Clearly, we have only begun this journey. We must wrestle everyday
with welcoming "the stranger." The journey will be long,
and the institution will be tested. Just as the successes of our
earlier disparate communities forced them to "bump into one
another," the 21st century will be one in which cultures
collide in the same way. We must educate today's students--tomorrow's
leaders--to embrace the stranger as God's presence among us.
"Catholic" is our compass and "Benedictine"
is our guide. If we are to be true to our heritage as a Catholic,
Benedictine and liberal arts institution, each of us must transform
self and university to this more inclusive view of community.
We must truly move from a multicultural campus to a multicultural
University. We are the first to admit that we have a long journey
ahead to realize this vision. To complete our journey, we cannot
use an automobile, we can't even run. We must take one step at
a time.
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Last updated
March 13, 2008
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