IU to build new diversity center

A new diversity center at IU will monitor everything from the makeup of the campus student population to the variety of material taught in professors' classes. \nAlthough it's still in the planning phases, IU President Adam Herbert announced his goal to construct a diversity center during the board of trustees meeting Feb. 3. The project is part of Herbert's wider plan of diversifying IU's student body, faculty and classroom curriculum.\n"IU has made progress over the past couple of weeks, but we need to intensify diversity activities on all campuses," Herbert said during the meeting. "This is a University-wide project. There is a need for diversity in every school and \nprogram."\nCharlie Nelms, vice president for student development and diversity, who will serve as the center's director, said a new diversity center would allow the University's achievements to be monitored, although the center will not be in charge of minority recruiting. \n"The admissions office will continue to (review all applicants)," he said. "What we want to do is monitor how well the University is achieving diversity. The center will enhance the University's ability to achieve."\nThe center will work to reflect diversity in classroom curricula by first spending time with students, staff and faculty this spring, Nelms said.\nBy holding diversity workshops and awareness seminars and appointing specialized advisory sub-groups, Herbert said he hopes to enhance cultural confidence for the entire IU community.\n"At their last meeting, the board of trustees gave us a very clear mandate of the diversity achievements they want followed through," Herbert said in a meeting. "This is not just a job for the president; it is a job for all of Indiana University." \nThe problem might go beyond the classroom. Some favor raising admission standards to enhance the University's status, while others are concerned that might have a negative impact on IUB's diversity. \n"I have no problem with ranking us among Wisconsin or Michigan, but we need to look at the student," IU trustee Cora Smith Breckenridge said. "There are many factors to be weighed in during admission."\nIU Student Association President Alex Shortle said those factors need to be looked at more seriously.\n"One of the fundamental jobs of a state school is to accurately represent the population of its state," he said. "We don't do that, and that's sad." \nAlthough administrators have acknowledged that IU has diversity issues, Nelms said it will not be the prerogative of the diversity center to attack the University.\n"We have to be collaborative with deans and all faculty units," he said. "We don't want to make assumptions about what's not happening."\nPlans for the diversity center are slated to be unveiled early this summer, Nelms said.