Diversity University

Officials at Columbia—especially our admissions officers—affirm that we are a diverse institution. Our students hail from different countries and states, belong to various ethnic and racial groups, and bring personal experiences to Columbia that make our university unique.

While we may excel in measuring up to certain definitions of diversity, we fall seriously short in others. Though you may have a world-class pianist, a published author, and a nationally ranked tennis player in your Music Humanities class, you are less likely to find an equally dazzling array of socioeconomic diversity among your peers.

The notion that our university may not be as diverse as we think is difficult to reconcile with our understanding of Columbia and our peers. But it is a reality that we, as students, and the administration must address.

Columbia’s admissions process centers on bringing racial and ethnic diversity to campus, which has undoubtedly made our campus a more enriching place. But by focusing primarily on ethnic rather than socioeconomic diversity, Columbia’s admissions process overlooks students who have dissimilar backgrounds and life experiences.

While Columbia has “need-blind” admissions, the category is not as neatly defined as it may seem. The types of activities and statistics that the admissions officers look for are often class-limited. SAT preparation, fencing lessons, and extracurricular activities are sometimes available only to students who can afford them or to students who are lucky enough to attend elite high schools. How can Columbia truly be need-blind if the prerequisites for admission require students to be from a certain socioeconomic class or within range of a prestigious school? Not to mention, other indicators of socioeconomic status—parents’ occupations and home addresses—are components of the application as well. Instead of attempting to be need-blind, the University should openly weigh the merits of pursuing affirmative action based on socioeconomic status rather than that based on race.

Once students arrive on campus, we often channel our racial and experience-based diversity into specific groups. A plethora of different cultural, religious, and political groups help to uphold and reinforce the diversity we do have at Columbia. Without these groups, the minority presence on campus would lack the voice and immediacy that it has.

While cultural groups are sometimes denounced as cliquey and exclusive, it’s important not to overlook what they bring to the table—a deeper appreciation and understanding of their cultures. However, students shouldn’t let the laudable goal of understanding their own heritage blind them to the importance of reaching beyond the confines of their own experience. Crossing boundaries should be encouraged—white students should feel comfortable attending meetings held by the Black Students Organization, students from Lucha should attend events held by the Asian American Alliance, etc. By upholding our own backgrounds as well as learning about others’, we can achieve a more holistic sense of diversity than the one we currently have.

In the meantime, the University should be considering and discussing policy changes that will bring more socioeconomic diversity to Columbia. While it’s important to appreciate the richness that students from different ethnic backgrounds bring to campus, we should not rest on the laurels of a racially diverse student body. Instead, Columbia should focus on achieving new and equally important types of diversity.