January 10, 2002
Contact: Elizabeth Conlisk
(614) 292-3040
Ethnic groups lag others in education
Kirwan, business leaders predict future workforce crisis
NEW YORK – Today, for the first time, a coalition of top corporate executives and university presidents came together to assert strongly that the nation faces social and economic crisis unless America succeeds in promoting and implementing racial and ethnic diversity.
In a report released by the Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF), chief executive officers of leading corporations and presidents of prominent universities noted that, while the nation’s minority population is steadily increasing, members of most racial and ethnic groups are not making sufficient educational strides. As a result, the nation is headed for a crisis of workforce skills and knowledge.
Ohio State University President William E. Kirwan co-chaired the BHEF Diversity Initiative.
The report, “Investing in People: Developing All of America’s Talent on Campus and in the Workplace,” demonstrates that “a large number of the people who will be available to work [in the future] will be minorities – who currently lag behind whites in their training and educational credentials.” It warns that, without the required investments in improving education for all Americans, tomorrow’s workers will not be ready to meet the challenges of a knowledge-intensive economy.
“Diversity is an invaluable competitive asset that America cannot afford to ignore,” said Stephen G. Butler, chairman and chief executive officer of KPMG LLP and co-chair of the BHEF Diversity Initiative. “Demographic trends compel business and higher education to make a conscious investment in the development of the talent and productivity of all citizens.” The best investment for the nation’s future is to promote and expand diversity efforts and to ensure quality education for all students, the report states.
Kirwan, who was in New York for today’s news conference, said children who do not succeed in elementary and secondary education cannot go on to college. “Without a college degree, an individual will not be prepared for the majority of the jobs that will be available in the future. America’s educational system is the pipeline from which the diverse pool of capable citizens and workers for the 21st century will flow,” he said.
Butler and Kirwan also noted that as the nation prepares to celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr., later this month, it is fitting that the country reflect on Dr. King’s dream and the work that still must be done to fulfill it. “This report helps us move closer to equality for all American citizens, regardless of their race, creed, or color,” Kirwan said.
The report calls on business and institutional leaders, policy makers and the general public to become actively involved in promoting and expanding diversity efforts. It outlines several important steps that can be taken to foster diversity and provide equal opportunity and quality education to all Americans. Steps discussed in the report include recommendations to:
Support and strengthen existing outreach programs that focus on the value of attending college, ways to prepare and assist students in applying for and attending college, and the importance of lifelong learning.
Provide the resources to ensure that teachers are prepared to work effectively with racially and ethnically diverse students.
Review current strategies and policies designed to foster diversity and tolerance and ensure that they are meeting their goals. Publicize the results of these reviews in the higher education and business communities.
Advocate that colleges and universities take the whole person into account when making admissions decisions; that is, consider all relevant qualities – not just grades and test scores – in assessing each applicant.
Encourage corporate foundations to provide support for diversity initiatives and to share the programs and their results with professional peers.
Urge national policy makers to increase the amount of the Pell Grant to its congressionally authorized annual maximum of $5,800 per student. (The 2000-01 maximum Pell Grant per student is $3,750.)
“This report sounds an alarm to educators, business leaders, policy makers and the general public and calls for us to recognize the importance of diversity to our country’s well-being,” said American Council on Education (ACE) President David Ward. “To ignore it could be detrimental to our nation’s economic and social future.”
“Diversity is another form of national security,” said National Alliance of Business (NAB) President Roberts T. Jones. “As we fight to eradicate terrorism and maintain safety on our shores, we must protect our economic stability by investing in our most valuable resource, our diverse citizenry.”
The report is the work of a special Diversity Initiative Task Force convened by the BHEF in 1999 to explore issues related to racial and ethnic diversity in America. The Forum is a partnership ACE and NAB, which addresses issues of concern to both the higher education and business communities. Its members include chief executive officers from businesses, colleges and universities, museums and research institutions.
“Investing in People: Developing All of America’s Talent on Campus and in the Workplace,” is available for $15 from ACE Fulfillment Services, Department 191, Washington, DC, 20055-0191.
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