96-12-06 Trustees: Diversity Report Shows Progress

THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY MAKES COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

     COLUMBUS -- The Ohio State University has made progress in 
increasing the number of minority students and faculty members, 
and plans to take more action in the future, Provost Richard 
Sisson reported to the university's Board of Trustees at its 
meeting Friday (12/6).

     "At The Ohio State University, we strive for national and 
international distinction in all we do, and we need, want and 
value a diverse population of scholars, students and staff to 
help us achieve it," Sisson said.

     The university's goals are to:

     -- Continuously work to produce faculty and student 
communities characterized by diversity.

     -- Create an environment where every person is valued, 
respected and supported in their work.

     Minority enrollment is at an all-time high, with 7,074 
minority students on Ohio State's main and regional campuses. 
They represent 13 percent of the total student population, up 
from 7 percent a decade ago.

     There are 3,572 African Americans enrolled this quarter, 
along with 2,407 Asian or Pacific Islander undergraduates, 910 
Hispanics and 185 American Indians.

     A record number of women -- 1,250, or 46 percent of the 
total -- are in the professional programs in the colleges of 
Dentistry, Law, Medicine, Optometry, Pharmacy and Veterinary 
Medicine.

     In the 12-member Committee on Institutional Cooperation, 
which includes the Big Ten and the University of Chicago, Ohio 
State ranked second only to the University of Michigan in the 
total number of minority faculty in 1993, the latest year for 
which data are available.

     Even though the total number of faculty at the university 
has dropped 8.8 percent since 1993 because of cutbacks and early 
retirements, the number of full-time female faculty rose and now 
represents 26.8 percent of the total.

     Twelve percent of faculty identify themselves as members of 
minorities, up from 8.7 percent in 1987.

                            #

Contact: Richard Sisson, senior vice president and provost, (614) 
292-5881


[Submitted by: Von Vargas  (vargas.12@osu.edu)
               
Fri, 6 Dec 1996 15:29:59 -0500 (EST)]
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