Student Association’s Diversity Affairs Committee is working with different offices on campus to update race and ethnicity questions asked during the college admissions process.

Currently, Syracuse University’s Common Application offers five options to describe an applicant’s race: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander and White. There is no “other” or “prefer not to say” option.

When this data is encoded in the SU’s admissions system, if students identify as bi- or multi-racial in this question, their specific ethnicities are not explicitly represented in data submitted to the school, said Diversity Affairs co-chair Lujane Juburi. This information is sent to offices on campus to consider students for financial aid and support from resources offices on campus.

“The problem with the process is that when we look through applications and admit students, we don’t actually know the demographics of our student body and we don’t have an understanding of who we are actually serving so we can’t connect those students to all the right resources,” Juburi said.

While changes to the Common Application would take much longer to implement, the Diversity Affairs Committee hopes to improve questions on the post application survey for students admitted for fall 2020.

This form, which connects students to offices on campus — such as the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the LGBT Resource Center and the Office of Financial Aid — offers questions regarding religion, but not race or ethnicity.

For both the Common Application and the post application survey, the Diversity Affairs Committee will continue working with the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment and various admissions offices to understand the current data collection process and the steps needed to improve what questions are asked of students.

“There are a lot of gaps and empty spaces for minority students on this campus in the resources they have and the way in which staff and faculty approach them,” Juburi said. “I’m hoping that improving this data will allow us to move forward as an institution to create the resources and infrastructure necessary to support minority students in a way that they will be successful.”

Other business:

• The Student Life Committee is starting to distribute new SA-sponsored menstrual products in campus bathrooms to better fit in bathroom dispensers on campus.
• SA President Mackenzie Mertikas announced that the Dean of Students Office is recruiting students to be Care Ambassadors. This group raises awareness about the Dean of Students Office and works to create a better community on campus.

 

Published on October 8, 2019 at 12:05 am

Contact Maggie: mehicks@syr.edu | @maggie_hickss