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Show page 20 lessons, Spring/Summer 2002 Conference participants discuss their ideas to build diversity at their schools after a brainstorming session. director of the Berkeley Pledge, the University of California-Berkeley's diversity program. Madrid said Berkeley's program was "an initiative born out of crisis," and she encouraged Utah institutions to prepare for increased diversity now before they have a campus community in crisis. Her suggestions included expanding statewide recruiting efforts, strengthening partnerships with K-12 schools, removing financial barriers through grants and scholarships, enhancing the academic support and enrichment, and expanding graduate-level recruiting. Programs to help minority students of diverse backgrounds should not start in college, but in elementary school, Madrid said. Achieving the goal of caring about these students earlier can be accomplished through community outreach, mentoring and tutoring programs, and getting parents involved, she explained. "Make sure everyone sees the big picture all the time," Madrid said. Enrique Morales, Assistant Vice President for Minority Affairs for Outreach, Recruitment and Community Relations at the University of Washington, agreed with Madrid's idea of having a common goal. He suggested universities find out what programs they have in their departments and colleges and come together to discuss how to magnify their end result. "[Minorities] will not come unless you can cultivate these programs," he said. However, he believes the changes universities need to make are not only their programs, but also their way of thinking. "The essence of diversity is to see the world from varied perspectives. In order to achieve this we must start to look at students as individuals and not as grades and test scores," Morales said. Morales said that UW has anti-bias education programs to change instructors' attitudes in K-12. These programs are under the direction of minority student ambassadors and counselors from UW. The programs teach about the importance of cultural identity and students' worth. The key to making these programs work are the partnerships UW has with not only the K-12 schools, but also with its sister universities and community colleges. These partnerships have led to an increase in minorities attending college in Washington, Morales said. Anti-bias education programs will help, but according to David Gardner, President Emeritus of the University of California-Berkeley and the University of Utah, people's negativity toward diversity must change first. Gardner said Institutional and Public Support for diversity has fallen short because "diversity has come to be "The esscence of diversity is to see the world from varied perspectives. In order to achieve this we must start to look at students as individuals and not as grades and test scores." |