Granville expands IU recruitment

Khala Granville is mixing traditional recruitment with a new brand of outreach to bring more underrepresented minorities
to IU.

In keeping with its goal to increase the number of underrepresented minorities on IU’s campus, the Office of Enrollment Management has hired a new associate director of admissions to be based in Indianapolis.

Granville, who began last week, is the first full-time, Indianapolis-based recruiter for IU.
“Coming from a strong community development and engagement background, I get to go into places where IU has not traditionally had access,” Granville said.

“For example, religious spaces and community centers. I get to share IU with these audiences in a much more relational way than traditional recruiting.”

She previously worked as an undergraduate as a student recruiter and mentor in Diversity Recruitment at the University of Louisville, Granville said.

She has also been involved with multiple community organizations in Indianapolis, according to a Feb. 27 press release.

Granville said her job is dedicated to recruiting and expanding IU’s messages in Indianapolis.

Her job is part recruitment in high schools and college fairs and part widening IU’s brand to underrepresented minorities in the Indianapolis area, Granville said.

Vice Provost of Enrollment Management David Johnson said the OEM was able to create Granville’s position when Mary Turner, who worked in admissions, became director of the Groups program at IU.

“We were able to re-deploy her position in Indianapolis full-time,” Johnson said.

Granville’s position is part of a restructuring of the OEM, and a focus on what Johnson calls the “six C’s.”

These include community organization, counselors in high schools, campus, competitions, churches and community colleges.

“What we’re looking to do is deepen our engagement and really shore up our commitment to recruiting diverse populations, underrepresented populations of students,” Johnson said.

Johnson said Granville has hit the ground running, and has already met with several community organizations in Indianapolis.

“We’re putting her to work already,” Johnson said.

“When we see significant improvement in the number of underrepresented students on campus, then we know that our strategy was successful.”

The OEM is also looking into hiring a senior associate director position, he said.
“In society, we give of our time, we give of our money,” Johnson said. “So putting resources — giving money and a person behind something ?— really, I think, will hopefully not just make a strong statement, but help us move forward in our recruitment goals.”

Granville said that diversity is one of her core values.

“Diversity isn’t just black and white or straight and gay,” she said. “It’s the recognition that everyone is unique and deserves to be seen, heard and valued,” she said.
“As it relates to recruitment and higher education, diversity is extremely important because college is one of the few opportunities that allow you to be exposed to new ideologies.

“That exposure will not only create rich student experiences that you will carry for the rest of your life, but it will prepare you to be a great leader in the workforce.”