The process used by the Review Team in conducting this review was similar to an institutional accreditation visit in that it included a previsit to the campus; the collection of a large number of relevant institutional self-study reports and documents; and several campus visits by team members that totaled 30 staff days, during which time meetings and discussions were held with over 200 persons, including students, faculty, staff, and administrators at IU Bloomington. Four fundamental assumptions guided the work of the Review Team:

• the Indiana University administration is committed to improving the current situation on the Bloomington campus regarding the recruitment and retention of faculty, staff and students of color;

• the President of the University and the Chancellor of the Bloomington campus are willing to hold key administrators in academic and non-academic areas accountable for expanding and enhancing diversity activities and resolving issues of equity;

• deep and long-term institutional change is needed in order to achieve the results that the University has committed to achieving, and

• the optimum climate has to be a supportive and nurturing one; and students, faculty and staff from all minority groups, rather than being marginalized and isolated, are fully engaged in all aspects of campus life, without having to sacrifice or compromise their racial or ethnic identity.

Introduction

There is widespread recognition and understanding that the landscape of higher education is changing in response to a variety of political, social, economic and technological modifications that are taking place. Colleges and universities are at a crossroad as they attempt to deal with shifting resources and demands. The fundamental recognition that education is the basis by which individuals gain opportunity and achieve upward mobility also underscores the importance of reaching populations that have traditionally been and continue to be underserved in postsecondary settings. IU Bloomington has, historically, been at the forefront of providing educational opportunities for African Americans, and in the 1960s, the campus accepted the social responsibility to diversify its student body and faculty ranks. Several cultural and academic support programs, as well as a curricular concentration in Afro-American Studies, were instituted during this time period to meet the specifically stated interests and needs of African American students and to create academic and intellectual engagement that would benefit all members of the campus community. Sensitivity was also shown to the concerns of Latino students, as evidenced by the appointment of a Dean for Latino Affairs, as well as the establishment of La Casa as a comfortable environment for Latino students.

As IU Bloomington moves into the 21st century and becomes Americas New Public University, greater diversity must be at the core of the institution's goals and values. Recognition of the importance of this situation can be clearly seen in recommendation #20 of the IU Strategic Directions Charter, published in January 1996, which calls for "ensuring that Indiana University reflects the diversity of American society and supports the achievements of minorities in all aspects of university life."

To act on this recommendation effectively, it is apparent that a new paradigm must be developed in which institutional and individual practices and behavior at IU Bloomington are reflective of its vision and goals of inclusiveness. It is both fitting and timely for the campus, which has a rich history of facilitating the educational development of all of Indiana's citizens, to rededicate itself to this goal. "20/20" identifies the opportunity for IU-Bloomington to interpolate the future, rather than to extrapolate the past.

Recognizing that nearly every aspect of the administration of higher education has changed during the past 30 plus years, largely in response to externally directed calls for greater accountability and efficiency, IU-Bloomington has an opportunity to put into place a forward-looking, innovative approach to increasing diversity and equity on the campus. In order to serve all segments of the population in Indiana and to increase the successful matriculation and graduation of students from underrepresented groups, the campus climate must be enhanced so that it both promotes and facilitates diversity in a way that all members of the campus community benefit.

Models

Nationally, four broad models for delivering services that facilitate the adjustment of minority students are generally found throughout higher education. These include:

• The Self-contained Model - Generally characterized by a unit or collection of units that essentially become "mini-universities" in that the services they provide to their constituents involve recruitment, admissions and retention efforts as well as cultural programming activities that are relevant to students of color. Though some programs of this type claim that they are involved in issues related to recruitment and retention of faculty and staff of color, invariably their primary focus is in the area of students of color, and often in the nonacademic areas.

• The Integrated Model - Institutions that adopt this model generally have been involved with diversity issues over a long period of time, and this model evolved during that time. Its major principle is based on the belief that issues of recruiting and retaining faculty, staff, and students of color, and developing a suitable climate on the campus are the responsibility of the entire institution and not that of a single office charged with addressing all these concerns. This model places high emphasis on collaboration between units and individuals.

• The Educational Opportunity Programs Model - In this model, emphases are placed on retention of students of color once they arrive on campus and providing programs for them to deal with issues of academic preparation or filling in gaps to help alleviate perceived "academic deficiencies." What emerges are special programs and activities that are often out of the academic mainstream and courses that provide little, if any, academic credit. They often include academic support programs in student affairs with little relationship to the academic side of the institution. These programs often have high attrition rates among the students that they service. Moreover, some students in these programs complain of being treated as second class citizens by the larger university community.

• The Advocacy Offices Model - Involves a variety of offices that represent various constituencies based on race, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. The model essentially provides a space or forum for various groups advocating for services that are perceived to be unique to their respective groups, but that might also be similar to those of other groups. These offices are generally charged with the responsibility of doing everything related to their constituent group and sometimes are located either in academic support units or student affairs support units. They have enormous responsibilities, but usually have limited fiscal resources and inadequate staff. They are expected to advocate for their constituents, but often have little clout to effectuate change. Various constituent groups will want a person to represent them, and because they have an advocacy role, it is difficult to engage in collaborative activities with other individuals or with other units, and frequently relationships are adversarial. Each of the respective models has both strengths and weaknesses. All paradigms must go through constant revision and analysis based on the changing needs of an institution. Failure to do so can result in the continuation of models that perhaps were appropriate 10 to 20 years ago, but that have outlived their effectiveness as both institutional and external changes have occurred.

The Review Team recommends a Collaborative Model, a new model that is appropriate to the strengths and commitment of Indiana University and that begins to address contemporary issues as well as those that may develop in the future. This model replaces the advocacy deans model and incorporates appropriate elements that will address the specific needs of IU Bloomington, and provide a blueprint for dealing with diversity and equity issues in the future. Features of the proposed model include the following:

• It provides a higher level of synergy among various services that are diffused throughout the campus in different units by bringing them under one umbrella with the expectation that the coordinated efforts will improve the delivery of services and at the same time, provide a positive atmosphere for collaboration;

• It allows for more effective and efficient allocation of both human and fiscal resources;

• It puts accountability for students of color at various levels throughout the institution without segregating the initiatives and activities into a single unit. The model also provides a forum for a degree of informal coordination of programs and initiatives throughout the campus;

• It provides a focal point for interactions throughout the campus without marginalizing any of the units involved;

• It provides senior level leadership which will work across ethnic and racial lines, as well as institutional structures, thereby insuring advocacy for all groups, rather than continuing the perception of pitting one group against another; and

• It promotes active involvement and collaboration across faculty, staff, administration and students.

Observations

Several recurring themes surfaced in the conversations that were held between the members of the Review Team and a variety of individuals who represented different aspects of the IU Bloomington community, including students, faculty, administrators, and staff. The comments that were made not only provided helpful context, background, and perspective to the team members, but they also were useful in framing the design and the observations that are presented in this report. The following are some of the most relevant observations. They have been culled from the larger set of comments that were collected over the 30 working days spent gathering information. In developing the set of recommendations that are found in Part II of this document, the Review Team took into serious consideration the concerns expressed by the more than 200 students, staff, and faculty with whom it had the opportunity to meet.

Campus Climate

Most members of minority groups on the IU Bloomington campus perceived the institutional climate to be chilly at best, and some individuals even regarded it as a place where latent hostility lies just below the surface. This general sense of a nonsupportive atmosphere and climate has been exacerbated by certain racially motivated incidents on the campus, which have been perpetrated by students.

The perceived diminution in the numbers of minority students, faculty and staff members on the campus contributes to the feeling that momentum has been lost relative to efforts to recruit and retain African Americans and Latinos. Despite numerous campus initiatives the gains made have been modest and they fluctuate from year to year. Many students of color do not feel as if they are a part of the community on campus, and certainly not part of the Bloomington community. Faculty and staff of color complained of having to participate in too many non-productive committees that take up a lot of time producing reports that are not seriously considered or reported to the campus community in general. There were a number of comments that very little is being done to address the campus climate issues.

Lack of communication by senior level administrators

Several references were made to an absence of visible leadership on issues dealing with equity and diversity and a failure by senior level campus administrators to address such matters, except in a reactive manner. There does not seem to be proactive communication by campus administrative officers that diversity is valued on the Bloomington campus, and that all members of the campus community are expected to be treated with respect and dignity at all times. Some individuals expressed the view that such proclamations, when they have been made, have usually followed a racial incident on the campus in which someone of color was disrespected or abused.

Lack of effectiveness of the Advocacy Deans

Although the observations made regarding the advocacy deans were frequently clearly affected by issues of personality and internal politics, even those individuals who were supportive of various past and present advocacy deans on a personal level, were unable to indicate any substantive changes that have been made at an institutional level in recent years. The positions have little, if any, authority, power or resources, and seem to be predicated on personalities, as opposed to institutional priorities. The existence of the offices that have been established for advocacy deans permits the rest of the IU community to abdicate responsibility and accountability for improving the racial climate on the campus.

Lack of cooperation and collaboration

The current programs and activities that deal with the recruitment, retention and graduation of students of color operate as silos with little or no cooperation or collaboration. Respondents suggested greater support could be realized if these units worked together, as necessary and appropriate, to achieve their goals.

No new studies are needed

There was a widespread sense that there is no need for additional studies to be conducted regarding the presence and persistence of members of underrepresented minority groups at IU Bloomington. The prevailing sense is that the necessary information that is needed in order to bring about a change in the status and success of minority group members is already at hand and that it simply needs to be utilized in a more effective manner. Several people who were interviewed made statements to the effect that "we know what the problems are so why do we need another study?"

Respondents also expressed concern that nothing would change on the campus as a result of the Review Team visit and the completion of this report. The distrust contained in these comments seems to emanate from the feeling that there has been little follow-up on previous studies and reviews done on the campus regarding diversity, and a perception that oftentimes, the studies have not been shared with the general campus community.

Positive expression of support from faculty council members

Members of the Faculty Council and its Affirmative Action committee who met with the Review Team members voiced strong support for increased numbers of faculty and students from minority groups and improvement of IU Bloomingtons retention rate for them. These individuals offered their support for ethnic and racial diversity and equity as an important institutional priority, and they voiced their disappointment in what they perceived as reductions in the proportion of African American faculty and administrators from the levels reached in previous years.

Programs that work well and need better support

Contained in the wide range of academic support services that are offered at IU Bloomington were several programs that were uniformly praised and identified as having a significant positive effect on the student population and the general campus environment. For example, the FASE mentoring program received complimentary acknowledgments from a variety of sources for its efficient organization and its strong impact on participating students. Similarly, MAP was praised for its effectiveness in facilitating student success in subject areas that traditionally had been problematic for underrepresented groups, but the number of students served apparently has been capped at eighty-five students. At the same time, the number of students participating in the GROUPS declined significantly over the past decade. However, it should be noted that the program has been restructured and that the number of students admitted is on the increase.

Lack of diversity in administrative and faculty ranks

Outside the student minority services programs and the Afro-American Studies program, there is little representation of nonwhites among the IU Bloomington faculty and staff. This glaring omission is a fundamental cause of alienation from the University that is expressed by large numbers of African American, Latino, and other minority students. This paucity of academic professionals from the various racial and cultural groups is perceived by some to be one of the primary reasons for the need to maintain advocacy deans despite feelings that the positions are less effective.

Inadequacy of financial aid

With the costs of attending college rising faster than almost any other good or service in the American economy, for many students who come from low to lower-middle class families, the necessity to receive adequate financial aid is a critical factor in whether they can attend, or remain enrolled in the University. The financial aid packaging process needs to take into account the fact that low income students, who are disproportionately minority group members, do not have family resources that they can draw from. Additionally, many current students indicated that they feel they are being disrespected by the secretarial staff and other personnel in the Financial Aid Office. Some respondents reported feeling that they are treated as undeserving students who are looking for a "free ride" or that the office is doing them a favor.

Importance of distinguishing between equity, diversity, and campus climate

Members of the campus community indicated that there is no clear definition of what diversity means at IU, how it relates to the educational values, or benefits all students. Given this lack of agreement, facilitating equity necessitates ensuring the fair treatment of individuals from all backgrounds while being sensitive to the fact that institutions reflect the same shortcomings and prejudices that have affected the larger society. Pursuing diversity requires the identification and implementation of measures and practices that bring members of underrepresented groups to IU Bloomington at all levels, and retaining them in the institution. Campus climate establishes the environment and determines the structural and attitudinal conditions which either promote or retard equity and diversity. In many cases, students of color and faculty indicated that there was a general lack of respect and appreciation for them, and that the issue of common respect was a major one and one that hindered their ability to feel as though they are valued members of the community.

Lack of accountability on the part of department chairs, deans, vice presidents, etc. for achieving campus diversity objectives

It is perceived that the individuals who operate as part of the overall campus administrative structure have not assumed or exercised responsibility for assuring that the campus has achieved its goal of being a diverse educational environment. Achieving diversity and equity seems to have been the special province of the individuals who function as part of the affirmative action and diversity offices, rather than a shared responsibility among the IU Bloomington faculty and staff who have management responsibilities as part or all of their job descriptions. Perhaps, a significant factor in the limited numbers of students, faculty and staff who are members of underrepresented groups is the absence of accountability measures for achieving diversity and equity objectives on the part of department chairs, deans, and vice presidents. There was strong support expressed for the deans being held responsible for what happens (or doesn't happen) relative to diversity in their particular schools.

No feeder system for prospective IU Bloomington students

In order to assure its continued status as the flagship university in the state of Indiana, IU Bloomington needs to encourage the enrollment of academically prepared students from all racial and ethnic groups. One means to this end is the development of an effective feeder system for future students that would identify prospective students as early as middle school and encourage them to think about attending IU Bloomington when the time comes for them to make their decisions about college.

This feeder system should certainly reach into communities where significant populations of young people from underrepresented groups are located. Students from these areas, who are already enrolled at IU Bloomington, can and should be made a part of the effort to find additional students from underrepresented groups. Several individuals expressed concern that the Admissions Office currently does not employ an African American staff person who could play a key role in recruiting in African American communities, and the development of a feeder system should not be used as a replacement for such a person. At present, it is not clear who is responsible for recruiting minority students and there does not appear to be a plan or coordinated effort that addresses this need.

Part II: 20/20 Vision, Foresight and Recommendations

The title "20/20" is intended to have two complementary interpretations. First, it represents a long-term commitment on the part of IU Bloomington such that 20+ years from now diversity and equity will be fully interwoven into the institution and will have reached the same level of excellence now held by the campus international education programs, after they received endorsement, and appropriate resources from then Chancellor Herman Wells more than three decades ago. Second, "20/20" can also represent clarity of vision and an opportunity to envision ways in which things can be done differently.

The Review Team recommends that a different organizational approach, the Collaborative Model, as suggested earlier, be adopted at IU Bloomington to move the campus into the forefront of postsecondary education institutions that are dedicated to both excellence and equity. It draws on the strengths of each of the four prevailing models, but uses a collaborative and cooperative framework that is undergirded by senior level leadership and the expectation that everyone is responsible for diversity, equity, and campus climate.

As suggested earlier, international programs achieved a measure of centrality within the academic structure at IU Bloomington through their identification as an institutional priority, appropriate fiscal resources, and administrative commitment, making it a model that could be used to infuse racial, cultural, and ethnic diversity into the fabric of the institution.

To be successful, this proposed Collaborative Model requires committed and strong leadership at all levels and a sense of ownership by each campus employee, in addition to vigorous advocacy from the executive leadership. It requires making use of the power of the budget, as well as the strategy of holding individuals and units accountable. The benchmarks for "20/20" are precise and specific: minority student enrollment levels that are equal to the states minority high school graduation rate, and graduation rates from Indiana University that are equal to that of other student groups. The new design would replace the current fragmentation of services and interventions with a coordinated, comprehensive operation that would facilitate the social and academic adjustment of students to the college experience, interaction among students from different groups, and the development of appreciation for diversity and equity. "20/20" would both challenge and encourage all members of the IU Bloomington community to work together in a positive spirit of collective goodwill to improve the quality of the academic and social life at the University.

Recommendations

In order to implement the "20/20" Collaborative Model and bring about a greater degree of cohesion and more effective working relationships between what are now disconnected offices, the Review Team offers the following recommendation regarding the critical consideration of structure:

• Create a senior level administrative position, by upgrading the associate vice chancellor of Academic Affairs post, that will be responsible for both academic support services and diversity. The title of Vice Chancellor for Academic Support and Diversity is suggested and the individual who fills the position will have an enhanced portfolio which would include a variety of functions that have direct relationships to achieving the benchmarks that have been identified in this report.

  The Vice Chancellor for Academic Support and Diversity will work with other Vice Chancellors and deans to increase the University's recruitment to admission to graduation rate, which are key objectives of IU Bloomingtons Strategic Directions Charter. The proposed position would be on a par with the existing positions of vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, Vice Chancellor for Budgetary Administration and Planning, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services.

  Reporting to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Support and Diversity would be the Associate Vice Chancellor and Director of Honors Division, and two newly configured positions, the Associate Vice Chancellor of Multicultural Affairs and the Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Support Services. Under the proposed structure, MAP/MASS, and the McNair Program would be placed in the Honors Division. The Vice Chancellor for Academic Support and Diversity would work closely with the Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Services to ensure that accountability in the areas of recruitment, admissions and financial aid is realized, and with the various school deans and the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs in regards to increasing racial diversity among the faculty and staff and in the graduate student population.

  The responsibilities of the associate vice chancellor of Multicultural Affairs include the Neal-Marshall Education Center, the Asian-American Cultural Center (new), La Casa, the African American Arts Institute, Community and School Partnerships (new) and Summer Research Fellows. The Associate Vice Chancellor of Multicultural Affairs would use the influence of his/her office to promote both the spirit and practice of collaboration and co-sponsorship of various activities among the different cultural centers.

  The Associate Vice Chancellor of Academic Support Services would oversee mentoring and tutoring services, Neal-Marshall Library, Groups Program, Student Research Opportunity Program (SROP), 21st Century Scholars, and Academic Support Centers.

  It should be made clear that the Collaborative Model described here does not necessarily mean that reduced funding will be needed to achieve the goals that have been established. In fact, such a model may actually require greater resources in order to facilitate the successful achievement of institutional goals. Further, while the establishment of a position of Vice Chancellor of Academic Support and Diversity is key to moving the institution forward on a number of fronts, the responsibility for "20/20" must not be seen as the specific province of one person. It is essential that in the sensitive and significant areas of faculty and administrative employment, that deans, chairs, and directors be held accountable for diversifying the applicant pools and reflecting that racial diversity in subsequent hiring decisions. The performance appraisal system must reflect this responsibility and underscore the commitment to establish ownership of these goals and objectives throughout the entire campus.

In addition, the Review Team offers the following recommendations which we strongly and collectively believe will facilitate the effective implementation of "20/20":

• Develop an office of school/community partnerships that will work throughout the state with school districts, community groups and alumni to do outreach/interest development activities for prospective IU Bloomington students. Students from the 21st Century Scholars, GROUPS, and FASE programs should be participants in the program as mentors to elementary and secondary students;

• Expand the Minority Achievers/MASS program to increase the number of high achieving minority students at IU Bloomington;

• Centralize coordination of campus mentoring and tutoring services under one office, but not necessarily in one location, in order to improve training, staff development, assessment and delivery of services. Such an action will emphasize the importance of guarding against the "territoriality" that is perceived as being rather prominent among various tutoring and mentoring programs at present, based on the interviews conducted by the Review Team;

• Distinguish between the reporting of women and minority hires under the senior women and minority program, and place greater emphasis on senior minority hires, while simultaneously expanding efforts to develop, recruit, and retain junior faculty of color;

• Develop strategies for utilizing the ethnic and cultural centers as vehicles for cross cultural/multi-cultural educational experiences and collaborative activities, where possible, and establishing an administrative fund to support collaborative activities;

• Encourage student organizations, administrative units and academic departments to work collaboratively with the various cultural centers in scheduling speakers and campus events throughout the year;

• Develop early identification and grow-your-own faculty programs that will monitor the graduate student pool in various areas at selected institutions to correlate anticipated faculty openings with new minority doctoral recipients;

• Utilize sources such as the CIC directory to tender offers for summer employment and post-doctoral positions to minority scholars as a means of reviewing them for possible faculty appointments;

• Expand racial and ethnic diversification of the IU Bloomington faculty, administrative and staff ranks at all levels;

• Hold deans, chairs, and directors accountable for diversifying applicant pools and hiring decisions;

• Support strategic faculty hires in selected departments over the next 10 years to increase diversity and equity, especially in departments where there are currently no African American or Latino faculty members. The Vice Chancellor for Academic Support and Diversity should work with the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, deans and department chairs to assist them in developing and implementing strategies related to faculty diversity and the importance of maintaining this as a priority. Provision should be made to provide funds if a chair comes forward with a request to hire a minority faculty member;

• Develop a directory of University services and offices that promote and facilitate diversity in the campus community.

Conclusion

Implementation of these recommendations can position IU Bloomington to become Americas New Public University, the nations leading institution of higher learning that actively and simultaneously promotes diversity, equity and excellence as intertwined goals. The successful adoption of these strategies will ensure that the campus benefits from a racially and ethnically diverse environment and prepares its students to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

IU Bloomington has accomplished much over the years related to diversity and equity. However, there has to be continued recognition that much more needs to be done and that it will require the full participation and commitment of the entire campus community. IU Bloomingtons future success with diversity and equity will be measured, not by what is outlined in this report, but by how well it achieves the recommendations presented. Drawing on an oft-used phrase, IU Bloomington has to evaluate its successes by "promises kept, not promises made."