DIVERSITY is not important to the University. Amid fallout from the State of Race Relations at the University survey, diversity was the buzzword of choice and everyone seemed ready to change what was seen, accurately, as a weakness at the University.
Since then, however, the discussion of diversity at the University has become almost nonexistent. The logical conclusion is that diversity is simply not important to the University community. But the problem is that it should be.
The incidents which spurred such discussion weeks ago - a survey reporting dissatisfaction with race relations at the University, and the controversial wording of a proposal concerning the Pledge of Allegiance brought before Student Council - should have been the impetuous needed for discussion and action.
For a few weeks they were. Anger about the Council proposal brought protest. The Race Relations at U.Va. survey spurred a panel discussion which, if nothing else, aired frustrations with race relations at the University.
The problem is, after the Council proposal was defeated and the panel discussion concluded, very little was done. The question then remains: If these two events couldn't affect any real change, what will it take to inspire the University community toward change?
Several obstacles stand in the way of change. One is a narrow definition of diversity. Although race is important in defining our differences, diversity should be applied beyond discussions of race. Diversity is also important in terms of sexual orientation, ethnicity and social and economic status as well as experience and ideas.
Another roadblock to change is the attitude of the students. Most students, at least those in the majority - in racial terms, white - are not frustrated by issues of diversity and race relations at the University. With over half the student body content, and therefore stagnant, it is difficult to mobilize any real change. Students must give extra effort to make change happen on Grounds if they want the University to be a positive place for all students.
While college is certainly not the "real world", it is supposed to be preparation for our lives after college. As our experiences expand toward the world outside of the University, so should the diversity of the people we encounter.
Additionally, college affords a unique opportunity to work and live with a wide variety of people. Most students never again will encounter the opportunity to live with and learn from such a wide variety of people so intimately.
The University environment is weakened with the current lack of diversity. We cannot learn from one another's experience and knowledge if we all have relatively similar backgrounds.
The lack of diversity, beyond decreasing the richness of student life, can hurt the University itself, if it hasn't already. Increasingly, diversity is a key factor students consider when choosing a college. If the University develops a reputation as a school that lacks adequate diversity, it will effect the quality of the students who choose to attend.
To some extent this reputation is already in place. The University has a reputation as a school for affluent white students. While every student at the University does not fit this description, a significant number do. And while this is not inherently wrong, it does present problems when other, more diverse groups are not recognized by those outside the University community.
The reputation of the University is further hindered by its geographical location. There is a perception among applicants in northern or more liberal areas that southern schools are less diverse and more segregated then those in the north. While this is not a fast rule, it too is not without merit.
If the University's student body continues to hold a reputation as homogeneous and stratified, recruiting top students will be increasingly difficult.
Diversity is a difficult topic to discuss. It is both intangible and highly personal. It is, however, important to the future of the University. To remain a top university the administration must make an effort to recruit a diverse student body, and students must work to ensure that the University's diversity is more than just statistical.
(Megan Moyer is a Cavalier Daily viewpoint writer.)
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