1. Facing Challenges….Together
Presented by:
Dr. Sheila Edwards Lange
Vice President & Vice Provost
Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity
May, 2009

2. OVERVIEW Minority Affairs and Diversity at UW Challenges
Advising as a Common Strategy
Looking Forward

3. Minority Affairs & Diversity Today
OMA/D unit includes 100 permanent staff members and 230 temporary and student employees
Students of color are slightly more that a third of the undergraduate population
Diversity broadly defined includes Disability (encompasses cognitive and physical), Gender, Race/Ethnicity, Socio-economic Status, Sexual identity/orientation/expression, Religion, National origin, Age, Culture, Region/geography, Indigenous, Ideological

4. Six Core Services to UW
1. Manages programs that are designed to recruit and retain students, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds;
2. Works collaboratively with Student Life, Undergraduate Academic Affairs, the Graduate School and others to ensure that all students, regardless of their ethnic/racial background, sexual orientation, socio- economic status or physical abilities excel and take advantage of the rich undergraduate experience at the University of Washington;
3. Provides resources and educational programs for curriculum transformation and partners with diversity-related instructional programs to improve the learning required to produce graduates who are global citizens and leaders;
4. Serves as a resource for colleges and administrative units as they establish, coordinate, and assess their contributions to institutional diversity goals;
5. Encourages diversity research and community-based research that enhances the knowledge needed to address social disparities and inequities; and
6. Maintains and develops collaborative relationships with diverse communities external to the university.

5. Source: OSPI Website & UW Student Database
Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity, Assessment Unit
March 4, 2009

6. TRANSFORMATIVE PRACTICES
Existing (Pre-I 200)
New ( )
Proposed (2009 and Beyond)
·        Advising (Holistic)
·        Financial Aid
·        Mentoring
·        Social/Cultural Development (ECC/T*)
·        Tutoring
·       Assessment-Use Data
·       Change Focus to $ For New Students
·       Curriculum Transformation (Diversity Minor)
·        Faculty/Staff Diversity
·        Holistic Admissions
·        Husky Promise
·        Increase Access to Study Abroad, Undergrad Research
·        New Endowments and Scholarships (e.g., Millie Russell, Sonnenblick/Del Rio, etc.)
·        Orientation Program (Welcome Daze)
·        Re-Entry Program
·        Student On-Line Academic Records (SOAR)
·        Summer Transition Program
·        Supplemental Instruction
·        Transition/Connect To Pre-College Programs
·        Undergraduate Academic Affairs/Student Life/OMAD Partnership
·        Peer Advising
·        Early Warning System
·        Exit Interviews
·        Implement Best Practices and Research Findings
·        Intrusive Advising
·        Longhouse (House of Knowledge) Project
·        More Endowments
·        Renovate and Expand IC* & ECC
·        Strengthen Mentoring/Alumni Connections
·        UW STAR* Follow-Up
Note:
ECC/T = Ethnic Cultural Center/Theatre
IC = Instructional Center
STAR = Study of Attrition and Retention

7. Challenges Declining State Support for Higher Education
Increasing Demand for Access
Students with Greater Needs
Increasing Expectations for K-20 Seamlessness
26% Reduction for UW with 14% Tuition Increase
Revenue from student tuition for first time in UW history exceeds state allocation
CC – 4.3% reduction last year, 10.8% next biennia – 7% tuition increase and 14% in applied baccalaureate programs on cc campuses
Record number of enrollments at cc’s With nearly 134,000 quarterly full-time equivalent students (FTES), enrollments were up more than 9,000 over last fall.
With a student profile that consists of 31% parents, 51% full- or part-time workers, and 10% of high school juniors and seniors in the Running Start program, two-year colleges are serving a broad demographic in a wide range of programs. Workforce education is up 9%, transfer is up 4% and online learning is up nearly 24%.
More counseling needed, concerns about student safety, family crises
Industry and Political leaders look to k-20 for economic stimulus and want seamlessness

8. Advising as Common Strategy
Nature of the work for 2 yr and 4 yr advisors
Help students reach their goals
Provide roadmap for multiple pathways and majors
Many more part-time students at cc
Distinct populations – transfer, workforce training, worker retraining,, adult literacy, community interest
For all advisors play key role in helping students get from where they are when they enter to where they hope to be upon exit
Advisors are the ones who provide direction, encouragement, nudging in a different direction
Now asked to do more with less

9. Looking Toward the Future
Continued economic instability
Increasing diversity in students we serve
More emphasis on partnerships and collaboration between 2 yr and 4 yr systems
Students will continue to present with family economic crises – don’t expect a quick fix to current economic woes
Our state is becoming more diverse – Yakima valley schools some of which are 80-0% latino
Gates Foundation new initiative, NSF and NIH want community colleges engaged, as does Depart of Education
Industry wants us to produce more bachelors degrees in STEM, and more technical staffing that is workforce ready in a shorter period of time

10. For More Information Dr. Sheila Edwards Lange
(206)