Diversity
Everyone Is Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
We believe that everyone – regardless of race, gender, physical ability or socioeconomic status – is fearfully and wonderfully made by God. Racial and ethnic diversity is a welcome resource in our society, and we strive to nourish a diverse community on our campus.
For more than 10 years, we have dedicated both financial and human resources to create and implement our Blueprint for Diversity, which addresses issues of access and success, campus climate, educational mission and our institutional vitality.
Initiatives
Our efforts have led to several programs and initiatives here on campus:
Beacon Transfer Scholarship & Multicultural Scholarships
Every year we provide thousands of dollars in multicultural and first-generation scholarships. This includes the Beacon Transfer Scholarship, an initiative that provides first-generation and underserved populations with an associate’s degree to earn a two-year, full-tuition, full-need scholarship.
Diversity in Hiring
We have made search advocate training and HR protocol changes that have helped increase the number of employees of color, resulting in the most diverse leadership team in our history in 2020.
Mentorship Program
We sponsor the LEAD Mentor program, where first- and second-year students are paired and mentored by junior and senior students. While the program is primarily made up of students of color, it isn’t exclusively so.
Voices Project
We fund and host the Voices Project, a student multicultural leadership conference.
SCORR Conference
We financially support sending students and employees to the Student Congress on Racial Reconciliation (SCORR).
Small Group Discussions
In the fall of 2020, the university purchased and provided all employees a copy of Antipas L. Harris’ book Is Christianity the White Man’s Religion: How the Bible is Good News for People of Color for the purpose of small-group discussion.
Learning Outcomes
The faculty is developing expected student learning outcomes during the 2020-21 academic year to be included throughout the curriculum of the university – especially in the undergraduate program – to address issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Speaker Series
We bring diverse voices to campus through the Presidential Speaker Series.
Beyond initiatives, President Robin Baker has spearheaded a conversation around race relations and diversity through his blog, and the university recently updated its diversity strategy.
Demographic Comparison
* According to 2019 United State Census Bureau estimates