Purdue does not promote diversity enough

Publication Date: 09/28/2006

I was angered by Ryan O'Neill's recent letter accusing Kelly Richardson and others of "racism" with their insistence that Jischke and his administrators do more to promote diversity on campus. O'Neill asks "Will Purdue have to stoop to Kelly Richardson's level and stereotype people with black colored skin to find some general way to attract them?" The problem is that Purdue already does effectively stereotype. 8.8 percent of Indiana's residents are African-American, but only 3.5 percent of Purdue's undergraduates are. 4.3 percent of Indiana's residents are Hispanic, but only 2.6 percent of Purdue undergraduates.

Two years ago, Jischke took a junket to India to raise awareness for Purdue, at about the same time Dean of Management Cosier went on his second junket to China for similar purposes. Now I see nothing wrong with this, and my life a Purdue is enriched by my friends here from Asia. But how many weeks has Jischke (or any of his administrators) spent visiting Gary to promote Purdue? Set aside issues of race for the moment, we are speaking of Hoosiers when we speak of Gary, and the CEO of a state-supported, non-profit, service institution when we speak of Jischke. I would think that for every week one of his administrators spends on an overseas junket, he or she should be spending at least a month doing similar work for an under-represented class of Hoosier tax-payers ﾐ tax-payers who are helping pay their salaries, and who are struggling with some of the worst social, economic, and educational conditions in our state. But that's just me ﾐ I'm not Jischke.

Considering Purdue's responsibilities as a non-profit, state institution, we should be a disproportionate part of the solution to struggling Hoosiers. Disproportionately large, not disproportionately small.

Mike Sloothaak

Purdue Staff