Overview

The Admissions and Financial Aid Committee agreed to pursue dialogue on issues of diversity at Wells College over our spring semester meetings this year. We invited faculty and administrators to our meetings to discuss their ideas on the needs of and experiences with the following students:

-International Students (includes exchange students)

-Students of Color

-Students with Disabilities

-W.I.L.L. students

This report represents the results of these dialogues. The Committeeís approach was comprehensive. We tried to join the different needs into an integrated plan of action for recruitment and retention.

It is structured along two areas of student life--academic and social. The Committee agreed that we need a short range and a long range plan, but felt that the short range was most critical; therefore, this report is assembled through an action timeframe of one academic year, beginning with what can be developed and implemented for Fall 1999 and ending with Fall 2000.

The Committee feels that there are joint academic and social issues that overlap among these students and thus actions which positively affect one group will also positively affect the others. The Committee agreed that Wells has to commit itself to support a new constituency of students such as Hispanics and Asian-Americans. Academic as well as social support will be important for students whose native language is not English. Wells has very little support, if any, for remedial learning for those students. In addition, supporting diversity across academic and social spheres enhances the education for everyone, not just students from under-represented groups.

We recommend that a subcommittee be formed to implement planning for the following recommendations in the area of diversity.

This report is being submitted to: President Ryerson, Dean Hall, Vice President Hutchinson, Dean Ryan, Director S. Sloan, Director Bellomo, The Faculty, Academic Planning and Policy Committee, Secretary of the Faculty.

ACADEMIC - FALL 1999

Day for Faculty --Awareness of needs, issues, and processes in relation to diversity --Advising --Faculty awareness needs to be addressed in relation to second language acquisition, for example, extended time for exams

Day for Staff --Awareness of needs, issues, and processes in relation to diversity --Knowledge of services available

Orientation for Academic Success

--We generally accept students with disabilities based on their ability to thrive on this campus

--We have had students with learning disabilities as well as physical disabilities and emotional disabilities

--Support for students comes in the form of advising, the writing and math labs, and the services of Janet Snoyer --There is no current budget line for services

--There has been an increase in the number of students who have requested testing. Dr. Boucher continues to be our outside consultant

-- Concerns about proficiency in English were raised in relation to placement in paid internships

--An additional orientation for IS needed, suggestion was also made to encourage enrollment of IS in FLLC 270 which would add the IS perspectives to that course and would encourage interchanges between Wells students from the U.S and IS

--IS should be supported in taking four courses as a load rather than five

--Work on essay practice, term paper writing (in ESL class)

Full Year ESL Offering

--ESL is offered only fall semester but a year-long program is essential

How We Use Technology

--Web Page

--Resource for information on diversity

Learning Center for Academic Success

--Assemble a Planning Group to design and develop a Center

--We need a budget line for and the establishment of a learning center on campus

--As the numbers of students with learning differences increases it will become necessary to have some kind of centralized and systematic way to support them.

--Tutors need to be trained etc.

--Community outreach is also a possibility as 7% of work study programs funding must go to community service.

Administrative Systems

--Consistent procedures, materials, messages, and extra staffing

--Recommend a serious study of the benefits, drawbacks, staffing associated with IS because none has ever been made --Only ways for Wells to recruit minority students at this time are through face to face interviews and the 21st and Wells Program.

--Difficulty of identifying ethnicity since great numbers of applicants choose not to answer questions dealing with ethnicity.

--The Admissions office does not have a specific program to recruit minority students

-- Investigate the possibility of using the 21st and Wells as a model to create an active program for recruiting minorities --Instead of using the school route, we should also try to pursue the community route to get broader views on prospective minority students

--Scholarships for IS need to be developed but Director Bellomo voiced limitations on the financial side but said that she can fund 35% of the cost for international students. A suggestion was made that we identify the group that can attend Wells with just 35% financial aid and recruit from that pool.

--Portfolio for recruitment of IS developed by Lianne should be used

SOCIAL ISSUES - FALL 1999

Holiday Families

--Where IS could spend breaks and holidays

Transportation Greeting

--IS could be met at airport

Insurance Coverage

Orientation (all groups need a "sense of place")

--Latina and Hispanic students could meet with faculty who are Hispanic or Latino/a as part of orientation week as a group.

-- Establish connection with students from home country who are at Cornell

Welcoming Environment

--Wells has to consistently demonstrate through its policies and actions that it is a place that welcomes people of all kinds

--Dinner, tea, with President, Deans early in semester

--Sister Program

--Peer Programs

--Dialogues on Diversity that are student run and student centered

--Increase awareness of dietary practices based on religion and culture and work with the Food Services Manager to increase choices

Housing

--Explore options for early housing in January for Internships for IS and early housing in Summer for IS, particularly from Japan, who take the summer ESL course at Cornell finish that course 3 or 4 weeks before we start.

-- Debate over roommates; discussion of should IS have singles or roommates?

ACADEMIC - FALL 2000

Learning Center for Academic Success Opens

--Serves as a learning support center for all students

SOCIAL - FALL 2000

Dorm Wing

--with a focus on international cultures for foreign students and any other students who wish to live with a variety of international students.

--This is not required of students but is encouraged as a cultural exchange opportunity on campus.