For the second year in a row
Ohio University ranks as the whitest campus in the state. When I read that lead sentence to the hotly contested article last week, I almost laughed aloud. I am always amused when studies show the obvious. Diet may cause adverse behavior in children; Teenagers who eat breakfast are leaner than those who don't; Long work hours lead to American's sleep deprivation. Studies like that leave the reader to wonder who was paid to find and officially report common knowledge. Imagine, a university in the middle of rural Ohio being the whitest university in the state. Is any student here (who is awake) actually surprised?
The problem with this study in particular and those like it (besides that they ignored international students and wrongly implied that minority enrollment was stagnant or decreasing) is they act to undermine and almost completely disregard the efforts of the wrong people and they focus on the wrong subject. I do believe that there is a crisis in our nation involving black males especially ' who statistically occupy three times as many cells than college dorms. But we know that already. And, unless OU is turning away a record number of minority students, there is a reason behind the low numbers that even the most ambitious among us must not ignore. The problem with low minority enrollment in college begins well before college.
What is the solution? What can be done to send poor minority children to preschool so that they can learn to read early and well like their affluent counterparts? What can be done to improve the quality (and quantity) of city schools that will in turn increase enrollment in colleges and universities across the state? This state needs to begin to look at poor parenting, substandard educational facilities, disproportionate incarceration rates, the high school guidance counselors who encourage minorities to skip college and go to work military recruitment outnumbering college recruitment in city schools and let's not forget popular entertainment that glorifies ignorant people ' especially black people. And, for those who avoid these pitfalls before the age of 18, the state should look at financial aid that too often doesn't even make a dent in increasing costs for tuition, room and board. Further, there is not much OU can do about minorities preferring to live in metropolitan areas, and there's also not much they can do about the rural areas that historically and currently aren't always the most welcoming to minority students. As they sit at the end of the receiving line, OU and other colleges across the state must keep at least one eye away from the statistics and focus on who is here.
There may not be an influx of black men in college. However, there are some in this country, in this state and right here at OU who are exceptional students. These students need to know that the focus is not on who is not here, but instead on who is here. In addition, the problem is more than just enrollment. I also believe that the minority student who is completely uninvolved and disengaged from the university he or she attends is a major problem. What about the black students who, with the exception of black greek life, can't be bothered with joining an organization or attending a program? What about the small number of black adult male role models at this university? The black male students who have a good chance of sitting in class without ever being taught by a black male professor outside of the African American Studies department have been done a huge disservice. OU is in dire need of not just black but all minority faculty and staff.
I'm not saying that the low ratio of majority to minority students is something to be praised G? not in the least. However, programs like LINKS, Templeton, Appalachian and Urban Scholars, OU Recruiting Society and Multicultural Programs work tirelessly to recruit more quality minorities to this university, and their efforts don't deserve to be discounted by a current study. The goal is more than just enrollment. Success is determined by more than just numbers. I think the focus needs to turn inward. Let the studies show that you produce quality majority and minority graduates. I think that makes a bigger difference than just numbers on a chart or graph. But maybe it's just me. Alissa Griffith is a junior journalism major. Send her an e-mail at ag180505@ohiou.edu.
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Alissa Griffith
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