TOC 6 College & Research Libraries January 2001 Guest Editorial Diversity: More Than Just a Blip Fostering diversity is an articulated pri­ ority in the academic library community. Unfortunately, academic librarians have not always been successful in their efforts to foster diversity. Despite examples to the contrary, these efforts have been criticized for taking the form of minimal attempts only undertaken in response to university requirements for accountability across units, celebratory programs that include ethnic foods and interesting speakers, or sincere attempts that are thwarted by the fact that “we couldn’t find any minority applicants for the position” or the subjec­ tive determinations that the “best-quali­ fied” person happened to lead to a hire or promotion that fails to further the diver­ sity efforts. Of course, fostering diversity is always a part of the articulated organi­ zational mission and one of the strategic goals of most academic libraries. The ques­ tion becomes whether it is really the case that we have so many other strategic pri­ orities that limited resources, not enough minority graduates of MLS programs who are interested in academic libraries, and other limitations make progress impos­ sible to achieve. Cutting-edge research in the study of diversity has highlighted the documented connection between investment in diversity and organi- zational success and performance. Looking beyond the academic library community provides a number of ex­ amples related to the national context in relation to diversity and offers a basis for this discussion. Colleges and universities, including libraries, operate within this larger context and prepare graduates who will have a role to play in shaping that context, presumably for the better. This context also helps to provide the justification for our ongoing fo­ cus on diversity as an organiza­ tional priority in the academic environment. As we learn of continuing evidence of the prevalence of glass ceilings in private- and public-sector organizations, a number of companies such as Texaco and Advantica (Denny’s) have been involved in high-profile racial discrimination law­ suits. There is frequent evidence regard­ ing the use of racial profiling by police departments, including those linked to Operation Pipeline, “a program financed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Adminis­ tration and run by hundreds of state and local police agencies across the country.”1 The program is intended to reduce drug trafficking and has come under scrutiny by the Attorney General and others for the criteria used by officers and the dispropor­ tionate number of stops of minority driv­ ers. In addition, there have been allega­ tions of a second Tailhook scandal and the appointment of a senior law enforcement official in Texas, who has indicated his belief that terms such as “porch monkeys” are not derogatory, depending on how they are used.2, 3 Of course, in 1999, the radio personality Doug Tracht, “the Greaseman,” was fired after making the highly publicized statement: “No wonder people drag them behind trucks.”4 And the Boy Scouts of America’s policy regard­ ing the participation of gays has come under fire but been upheld by the Supreme Court. In addition, there are examples of the racially motivated killings of individu­ als and bias crimes against homosexuals in a number of states. In the higher education community, the 1997 Regents’ decision eliminated race and gender as factors in admissions deci­ sions in the University of California sys­ 6 tem, leading to a drop in minority admis­ sions at the various UC campuses. Simi­ lar decisions have affected higher educa­ tion in other states, as well. The importance of diversity does not relate simply to addressing specific inci­ dents, remarks made by elected officials, political appointees, or other prominent individuals, or well-documented discrimi­ natory practices of major corporations and other organizations. None of these types of situations is new. These developments, among others, provide an indication of the challenges that can be reported; and they might suggest that although examples of bias are not on the decline, diversity ef­ forts are being reduced or eliminated in response to political pressure, charges of reverse discrimination, and the desire to focus on other organizational priorities. However, a look at the private sector shows that in the year 2000, despite the above-mentioned factors standing in op­ position to diversity efforts, important trends indicate “that diversity is more than just a passing blip on America’s corporate conscience.”5 For example, Fortune magazine’s list of companies that are Di­ versity Leaders reports: “the nearly mi­ raculous turnaround of Advantica, the owner of Denny’s restaurants.”6 A com­ pany that was, as recently as 1994, when it settled a more than $50 million lawsuit, “synonymous with discrimination,” has made such extensive strides that seem to go well beyond damage control, such that the company is now number one on Fortune’s list.7 Certainly, a number of other companies are new to the list, which sug­ gests that it is not only the high-profile of­ fenders that are taking diversity seriously. The rationale for organizational efforts related to diversity efforts often is based on the important consideration of serv­ ing the increasingly diverse population, as well as past inequities and current un­ fairness. Certainly, this rationale is con­ sistent with the fact that social responsi­ bility is a priority in many organizations. However, in many organizations, particu­ larly in the private sector, there is the emerging realization among managers Guest Editorial 7 and organizational development re­ searchers that the reasons for promot­ ing and fostering diversity within orga­ nizations go beyond the fact that it is a good thing to do. Cutting-edge research in the study of diversity has highlighted the documented connection between investment in diversity and organiza­ tional success and performance. The results of a number of research studies indicate that the companies that are the most diverse, as measured by fac­ tors such as minority employment and spending with minority suppliers, also have been identified as more successful companies overall.8 In the academic setting, a number of similarities become apparent. First, diver­ sity efforts continue and have led to results that are worth noting. However, the basis for these efforts seems to reflect consumer response to decisions that indicate a lack of commitment to diversity or, more broadly, social responsibility, as was the case with Advantica and others. Research­ ers have offered a persuasive argument regarding the impact of the abandonment of affirmative action programs in terms of admissions, but also in terms of enroll­ ment, as the number of minority applicants declines and as those who are accepted choose to attend other institutions, which may offer more conducive, welcoming environments with greater diversity and apparent organizational commitment.9 In both 1999 and 2000, the number of minority students admitted at University of California campuses has risen, at this point surpassing the number, although not the percentage, of minority students admitted in 1997.10 The use of more ag­ gressive recruitment and other outreach programs has been credited with facili­ tating these increases.11 Obviously, there are significant implications associated with the elimination of such programs related to affirmative action, which are designed to address past inequities and current unfairness. Certainly, one caveat relates to the fact that the minority admis­ sions are up at the less-competitive UC campuses, not UCLA and Berkeley.12 http:Berkeley.12 http:increases.11 8 College & Research Libraries January 2001 However, the California circumstance appears to be an example of the fact that activities undertaken by an organization that appear to indicate a lack of social re­ sponsibility also appear to have an im­ pact on consumer choice. And, con­ versely, efforts to address the public’s perception of the organization and the organization’s desire to be viewed as more socially responsible, particularly in the eyes of well-qualified students (or other consumers who have other op­ tions), appear to lead to enhanced results. The competitiveness and success of or­ ganizations are based largely on a well- prepared work force, which can contrib­ ute to organizational success, including competitiveness related to diversity. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure equity and to provide an educational environ­ ment that offers many opportunities and prepares future graduates to learn from and appreciate a diverse learning and professional environment. One recent and significant finding emerging in relation to diversity in higher education is based on the Ford Foundation’s Campus Diver­ sity Initiative and other research, indicat­ ing the central role of “colleges and uni­ versities (in) prepar(ing) people to func­ tion in a diverse society.”13 In other words, most people understand and value the role of colleges and universi­ ties in this regard. These results suggest noteworthy implications for academic li­ braries, as well. Then, it is the case that “diversity is more than just a passing blip on America’s corporate conscience. It has become some­ thing to compete on and to be proud of. As it should be.”14 The question becomes: To what extent are college and university libraries and graduate programs in library and information science leaders in diver­ sity within the academic environment and in the preparation of graduates for employers who are competing in relation to diversity? MARK D. WINSTON Assistant Professor School of Communication, Information and Library Studies Rutgers University Notes 1. Gary Webb, “DWB [Driving While Black/Brown],” Esquire, Apr. 1999, 118–27. 2. Steven Lee Myers, “Accusation of Misconduct Arises at Tailhook Meeting,” New York Times, 26 Aug. 2000, A.7. 3. Bob Herbert, “A Different Republican?” [Op-Ed] New York Times, 29 June 2000, A.31 4. Csar G. Soriano “`Greaseman’ tries to clear air,” USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 1999, 02.D. 5. Christine Y. Chen and Jonathan Hickman, “The Top 50: Fortune’s Third Annual List of Diversity Leaders,” Fortune, 10 July 2000, 192. 6. Ibid. 7. Ibid., 190. 8. Geoffrey Colvin, “The 50 Best Companies for Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics: Companies That Pursue Diversity Outperform the S&P 500. Coincidence?” Fortune, 19 July 1999, 53–54; Sherry Kuczynski, “If Diversity, Then Higher Profits? Companies That Have Successful Diversity Pro­ grams Seem to Have Higher Returns. But Which Came First?” HR Magazine, Dec. 1999. 9. Gary Orfield and Edward Miller, Chilling Admissions: The Affirmative Action Crisis and the Search for Alternatives (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Education Publishing Group, 1998). 10. “California Sees Minority Admissions Rebound,” New York Times, 4 Apr. 1999, 18; Jeffrey Selingo, “U. of California Sees Increase in Minority Applicants Admitted” Chronicle of Higher Education 46 (Apr. 14, 2000): A44. 11. Norah Vincent, “The New Math on Race,” Village Voice, 4 Apr. 2000, 12. 12. Ibid. 13. Sam Fulwood III and Kenneth R. Weiss, “Public Values Ethnic Diversity, Survey Finds; Poll: By Large Margins, Americans Support Multiculturalism in Society and Higher Education, Study Says, But Fear Greater Division Along Racial Lines,” Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 1998, A14. 14. Chen and Hickman, “The Top 50,” 192. << /ASCII85EncodePages false /AllowTransparency false /AutoPositionEPSFiles true /AutoRotatePages /All /Binding /Left /CalGrayProfile (Dot Gain 20%) /CalRGBProfile (sRGB IEC61966-2.1) /CalCMYKProfile (U.S. Web Coated \050SWOP\051 v2) /sRGBProfile (sRGB IEC61966-2.1) /CannotEmbedFontPolicy /Warning /CompatibilityLevel 1.3 /CompressObjects /Tags /CompressPages true /ConvertImagesToIndexed true /PassThroughJPEGImages true /CreateJobTicket false /DefaultRenderingIntent /Default /DetectBlends true /DetectCurves 0.0000 /ColorConversionStrategy /CMYK /DoThumbnails false /EmbedAllFonts true /EmbedOpenType false /ParseICCProfilesInComments true /EmbedJobOptions true /DSCReportingLevel 0 /EmitDSCWarnings false /EndPage -1 /ImageMemory 1048576 /LockDistillerParams false /MaxSubsetPct 1 /Optimize true /OPM 1 /ParseDSCComments true /ParseDSCCommentsForDocInfo true /PreserveCopyPage true /PreserveDICMYKValues true /PreserveEPSInfo true /PreserveFlatness false /PreserveHalftoneInfo true /PreserveOPIComments false /PreserveOverprintSettings true /StartPage 1 /SubsetFonts false /TransferFunctionInfo /Apply /UCRandBGInfo /Preserve /UsePrologue false /ColorSettingsFile () /AlwaysEmbed [ true ] /NeverEmbed [ true ] /AntiAliasColorImages false /CropColorImages false /ColorImageMinResolution 151 /ColorImageMinResolutionPolicy /OK /DownsampleColorImages true /ColorImageDownsampleType /Bicubic /ColorImageResolution 300 /ColorImageDepth -1 /ColorImageMinDownsampleDepth 1 /ColorImageDownsampleThreshold 1.10000 /EncodeColorImages true /ColorImageFilter /DCTEncode /AutoFilterColorImages true /ColorImageAutoFilterStrategy /JPEG /ColorACSImageDict << /QFactor 0.15 /HSamples [1 1 1 1] /VSamples [1 1 1 1] >> /ColorImageDict << /QFactor 0.15 /HSamples [1 1 1 1] /VSamples [1 1 1 1] >> /JPEG2000ColorACSImageDict << /TileWidth 256 /TileHeight 256 /Quality 30 >> /JPEG2000ColorImageDict << /TileWidth 256 /TileHeight 256 /Quality 30 >> /AntiAliasGrayImages false /CropGrayImages false /GrayImageMinResolution 151 /GrayImageMinResolutionPolicy /OK /DownsampleGrayImages true /GrayImageDownsampleType /Bicubic /GrayImageResolution 300 /GrayImageDepth -1 /GrayImageMinDownsampleDepth 2 /GrayImageDownsampleThreshold 1.10000 /EncodeGrayImages true /GrayImageFilter /DCTEncode /AutoFilterGrayImages true /GrayImageAutoFilterStrategy /JPEG /GrayACSImageDict << /QFactor 0.15 /HSamples [1 1 1 1] /VSamples [1 1 1 1] >> /GrayImageDict << /QFactor 0.15 /HSamples [1 1 1 1] /VSamples [1 1 1 1] >> /JPEG2000GrayACSImageDict << /TileWidth 256 /TileHeight 256 /Quality 30 >> /JPEG2000GrayImageDict << /TileWidth 256 /TileHeight 256 /Quality 30 >> /AntiAliasMonoImages false /CropMonoImages false /MonoImageMinResolution 600 /MonoImageMinResolutionPolicy /OK /DownsampleMonoImages true /MonoImageDownsampleType /Bicubic /MonoImageResolution 1200 /MonoImageDepth -1 /MonoImageDownsampleThreshold 1.16667 /EncodeMonoImages true /MonoImageFilter /CCITTFaxEncode /MonoImageDict << /K -1 >> /AllowPSXObjects false /CheckCompliance [ /None ] /PDFX1aCheck false /PDFX3Check false /PDFXCompliantPDFOnly false /PDFXNoTrimBoxError true /PDFXTrimBoxToMediaBoxOffset [ 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 ] /PDFXSetBleedBoxToMediaBox true /PDFXBleedBoxToTrimBoxOffset [ 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 0.00000 ] /PDFXOutputIntentProfile () /PDFXOutputConditionIdentifier () /PDFXOutputCondition () /PDFXRegistryName () /PDFXTrapped /False /CreateJDFFile false /Description << /ENU (IPC Print Services, Inc. Please use these settings with InDesign CS4 \(6.x\). These settings should work well for every type of job; B/W, Color or Spot Color. Contact Pre-press Helpdesk at prepress_helpdesk@ipcprintservices.com if you have questions or need customized settings.) >> /Namespace [ (Adobe) (Common) (1.0) ] /OtherNamespaces [ << /AsReaderSpreads false /CropImagesToFrames true /ErrorControl /WarnAndContinue /FlattenerIgnoreSpreadOverrides false /IncludeGuidesGrids false /IncludeNonPrinting false /IncludeSlug false /Namespace [ (Adobe) (InDesign) (4.0) ] /OmitPlacedBitmaps false /OmitPlacedEPS false /OmitPlacedPDF false /SimulateOverprint /Legacy >> << /AddBleedMarks true /AddColorBars false /AddCropMarks true /AddPageInfo true /AddRegMarks false /BleedOffset [ 9 9 9 9 ] /ConvertColors /ConvertToCMYK /DestinationProfileName (U.S. Web Coated \(SWOP\) v2) /DestinationProfileSelector /DocumentCMYK /Downsample16BitImages true /FlattenerPreset << /ClipComplexRegions true /ConvertStrokesToOutlines true /ConvertTextToOutlines true /GradientResolution 300 /LineArtTextResolution 1200 /PresetName ([High Resolution]) /PresetSelector /HighResolution /RasterVectorBalance 1 >> /FormElements false /GenerateStructure false /IncludeBookmarks false /IncludeHyperlinks false /IncludeInteractive false /IncludeLayers false /IncludeProfiles true /MarksOffset 9 /MarksWeight 0.250000 /MultimediaHandling /UseObjectSettings /Namespace [ (Adobe) (CreativeSuite) (3.0) ] /PDFXOutputIntentProfileSelector /NA /PageMarksFile /RomanDefault /PreserveEditing true /UntaggedCMYKHandling /LeaveUntagged /UntaggedRGBHandling /UseDocumentProfile /UseDocumentBleed false >> << /AllowImageBreaks true /AllowTableBreaks true /ExpandPage false /HonorBaseURL true /HonorRolloverEffect false /IgnoreHTMLPageBreaks false /IncludeHeaderFooter false /MarginOffset [ 0 0 0 0 ] /MetadataAuthor () /MetadataKeywords () /MetadataSubject () /MetadataTitle () /MetricPageSize [ 0 0 ] /MetricUnit /inch /MobileCompatible 0 /Namespace [ (Adobe) (GoLive) (8.0) ] /OpenZoomToHTMLFontSize false /PageOrientation /Portrait /RemoveBackground false /ShrinkContent true /TreatColorsAs /MainMonitorColors /UseEmbeddedProfiles false /UseHTMLTitleAsMetadata true >> ] >> setdistillerparams << /HWResolution [2400 2400] /PageSize [612.000 792.000] >> setpagedevice