The Educational Policy Committee of the Board of Visitors met Friday afternoon to discuss changing demographics at the University. Discussion centered on the importance of recognizing and supporting diversity as well as examining recent trends in the health, housing, educational opportunities and social life of students.
The Board briefly addressed the possibility of an economic divide between first-year students who live in the Alderman and McCormick Road dormitories. Many students perceive the "Old Dorms" on McCormick Road to be populated by wealthier students predisposed to Greek life, the Board said.
Vice President for Student Affairs Pat Lampkin said her office plans to study the demographic profiles of each first-year living area by late October to determine whether one of the living areas has a more diverse population.
The administration also reported it has had difficulty getting full faculty participation in current and upcoming diversity workshops, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs J. Milton Adams said.
Adams said the first step is to figure out how to get more faculty members to participate in upcoming workshops about diversity at the University. He emphasized the need for faculty to learn how to teach a diverse group of students.
Some Board members expressed concern about the potential for discrimination against AccessUVa students on the basis of their income level. Their concerns were sparked by recent national publicity some students received regarding AccessUVa, highlighted by a recent Washington Post article.
"Any of the kids who are exposed right now, they are very proud," Lampkin said.
However, the Board discussed the pitfalls AccessUVa students may face despite their scholarships, for example, being able to afford to participate in clubs with high membership fees.
Discussion of academics at the University focused on support and guidance for undergraduate students in the classroom. Lampkin reported that a survey of first year students showed that 76 percent received either "quite a lot" or "very much" academic support.
However Adams noted that as more incoming students enter the University with increased numbers of Advanced Placement credits, they often lack research experience. Adams said the University plans to compensate for this problem by incorporating "research and methodology skills" in future University Seminars and January Term courses.
According to Adams, the advising system leaves much to be desired, as many students report they are unsatisfied with their general advisor.
"Part of that is the transition from having a guidance counselor [in high school]," Adams said.
He also noted the disparity in quality among different advisors, as some professors tend to be better advisors than others, and some are under pressure to accept more students as advisees.
"It's a specific skill as well as just having a good heart," Adams said.
Outside of the classroom, the University's Greek system has remained constant, bucking a national trend of decreasing interest in fraternity and sorority life, Lampkin said.
The primary source of growth in Greek participation has been in multicultural fraternities and sororities. Lampkin emphasized that while 30 percent of University students participate in Greek life, students participate in a wide variety of activities.
"Our students may be the chair of Honor and also in Greek [life]," Lampkin said. "We are a very engaged student body."
The Committee expressed concern about a report that more students were hospitalized for psychological disorders last year, nearly doubling to 64 last year from 34 the year before.
The rate of hospitalizations "shows a real increase in severity," Lampkin said. She said she is concerned these hospitalizations are causing some students to miss class.
Counseling and Psychological Services has played a large role in student life during the 2004-05 school year; 1,700 students had 8,700 contacts with CAPS through the year. Cases included 313 anxiety disorders, 132 substance abuse problems and 588 affective disorders including depression.
Despite the increase in hospitalizations, Lampkin reported a decrease in the reported negative effects of drinking on campus.
Over the past four years, students have reported less frequently that they have missed class, gotten hurt, been involved in fights and had interactions with the police due to alcohol. The percentage of students who report having driven under the influence of alcohol has increased over the past two years, however, from 15 to 18 percent.
"I'm going to be very curious to see how the numbers turn out this year," Lampkin said. "We've had a rough beginning in many ways."
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