Facing CU’s Lack Of Diversity

Although the University of Colorado Boulder has a lack of diversity on campus, it has actually been increasing for the past five years. CU Boulder is predominantly white campus. Out of 25,557 undergraduates at the university, 19,160 are white. That boils down to 72.1 percent of the undergraduate population being white.

The lack of diversity at CU Boulder has been under inspection for ten years now by the University of Colorado Diversity Report. According to that report, diversity numbers have been on the rise at CU.

In 2006, there were only 370 African Americans enrolled at the University and that number rose to 436 in 2015. The number of Hispanics rose from 1,560 in 2006 to 2,803 in 2015. This means that CU is making an effort to make its campus more diverse.

Jasmine Nguyen is a sophomore at the University of Colorado Boulder. Her race is Asian and she Vietnamese. Nguyen was born and raised in the United States, but both of her parents are from Vietnam.

“I think out campus does have a lack of diversity,” Nguyen said. “The majority of people attending CU are white, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.”

The percentage of Asian students at CU Boulder is 5.4 percent. That is 1,422 undergraduate students out of 25,557 overall. To put that into perspective, if there is a twenty-dollar bill, that is about one dollar out of it that represents Asian students at CU Boulder. In the same twenty-dollar bill, a little less than fifteen dollars would represent the white population on campus.

Nguyen has never been personally affected in a negative way by her race. She has seen it on campus, but has never experienced it first hand.

To help resolve the diversity issue on campus, Nguyen suggests, “CU could offer a required class on race awareness so that people who aren’t aware of other people’s cultures can be more aware and get rid of some bias. CU could also offer more cultural events.”

CU does have a Student Affairs program that tries to make minorities feel welcome and apart of the campus. They aim to recognize and learn about different cultures, history, identities, backgrounds, and experiences of all ethnically diverse students.

There is also a Cultural Unity and Engagement Center that hosts various events to celebrate different cultures and backgrounds in engaging ways.

“I think [race] can be touchy because our school isn’t that diverse and that can make people who don’t identify as white feel as if they don’t fit in or belong because they have a different skin tone, facial structure, and most of all culture,” Nguyen said.

David Aragon is the assistant vice chancellor in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement at CU.

He works with middle school, high school and college aged students to provide leadership and help in feeling included. He believes the best learning is done on a diverse campus.

“A diverse campus enhances the learning environment for all students,” Aragon said. “It’s important to interact with individuals from different cultures, life experiences, socio-economics, race, ethnicity, geography, and religion.”

The number of minorities at CU Boulder is increasing. Aragon said that until five years ago, the enrollment of students of color was stuck at 15 percent. This fall, that number hit an all-time high of 24 percent. That is almost a quarter out of a dollar for students of color at CU Boulder.

This may not seem like much, but it is a major accomplishment in the grand scheme of things. Diversity helps students of all ethnicities and races. “Intercultural understanding is important for college graduates who will be entering an ever increasing global economy,” Aragon said.

Nguyen agrees. “I think it’s good that each year of students is more diverse because there is more exposure and more people can be aware of the different cultures that exist in our community.”

First generation college students who are minorities can be timid and afraid to put themselves out there. Nguyen is a first generation college student and although she did not feel fear, she admits it has many benefits.

“I get more finical benefits because my family is mostly from Vietnam so none of them have had a college-level education,” Nguyen said. “I qualify for first generation.”

Many minorities at CU Boulder are affected negatively by racism everyday. Nguyen has never been a target for racism, but she sees and understands it. She believes that racism is getting worse and people need to realize when they are being racist.

“I think it’s hard for Caucasians to see racism everyday because there really isn’t any racism towards white people so they can’t experience how it feels,” Nguyen said. “It’s different than being bullied and in a sense, ‘white power’ will always be around because of our history.”

She thinks many people do not fully understand when they are being racist towards minorities. She thinks people need to be more aware of when they offend someone based on their race or ethnicity.

Aragon said the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement promotes academic learning experiences through CU LEAD Alliance. This program values inclusive awareness. It also has a goal to create a diverse community on campus and promote academic excellence through this diversity.

There are scholarships, inclusive experiences, and activities that help all students feel apart of the community. CU makes a major effort to make all minorities as well as all students feel like they belong.

“These programs help students feel welcome, develop confidence, focus on academic achievement, and develop strong leadership,” Aragon said.

According to a study done by the Boulder Daily Camera, only eight percent of African American students on campus felt like CU had a diverse campus. To put that in perspective, that is about 34 African American students out of 436.

The same survey revealed that only 38 percent of African American students felt like they belonged on campus. That is about 162 African American students. That means that 274 do not feel valued.

The problem of diversity at CU extends beyond the problem of majority of students being white. It also includes the issue of minorities not feeling welcome on campus.

“[Living as a minority], some of the biggest challenges are facing people who are racist,” Nguyen said. “It’s uncomfortable and most of all rude, but luckily I would say that this isn’t a very common thing that I face.”

Unfortunately, not all minorities can say the same. Aragon and Nguyen both agree that making CU Boulder more diverse as well as making these minorities feel welcome is vital for the wellbeing of the students on campus.