McRobbie earmarks $1M for diversity programs

IU President Michael McRobbie announced Thursday that the University will spend an extra $1 million to help increase diversity on IU’s campuses.

The funding is additional money meant to supplement current programs, said IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre.

“President McRobbie wants to make an all-out effort to raise diversity so we can ensure we are serving all of Indiana,” MacIntyre said.

During the 2007-2008 school year, just more than 10 percent of Bloomington students were racial minorities, compared to 9 percent a decade ago, according to the Office of Academic Support and Diversity Web site.

In 2007-2008, 16 percent of faculty members were minorities, compared to 10 percent a decade ago, according to IU Factbook.

The most racially diverse campus is IU Northwest in Gary, where more than 35 percent of students are minorities.

MacIntyre said McRobbie recently reviewed proposals from each of IU’s eight campuses about what could be done to increase diversity among students, faculty and staff across IU in June 2007.

“He concluded that there are some promising plans,” MacIntyre said. “He wanted to put some money to fund those proposals.”

McRobbie found the proposals so promising that he decided to spend an extra $1 million to help fund them.

Chancellors and provosts from each IU campus will give McRobbie new lists of what they believe to be the best uses for the money. McRobbie will then use the new money to fund additional programs he believes show the most potential to draw in minority students.

The new fund is a part of the President’s University Diversity Initiative, and the deadline for the chancellors’ proposals is Nov. 3.