Diversity is an imperative aspect to colleges

Diverse college campuses are important because they’ll bring forth more cultural acceptance from all aspects, whether it’s from a racial, religious, sexuality or gender background. It’s important to be inclusive of everyone regardless of these demographics, and USD is aiming to do just that — include and introduce the fact that people come from different spectrums and deserve to feel equal.

USD aims to respect and value anyone and everyone, regardless of “gender, race/ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, religion, disability, veteran’s status, first-generation status, nationality, citizenship, age and other personal and social dimensions.”

A Center for American Progress statistic shows that by 2050, the United States’ racial demographic will not be definite, as more than half of babies born now in the U.S. are of color. For this reason, colleges should work to create more inclusiveness for people of color, being that so many people in upcoming generations won’t fit the current white majority.

Allowing students from different backgrounds to live and learn together will further disrupt any stereotypes perpetrated into a certain group. It will be obvious that people are people regardless of their background, and the only way to introduce that idea is to allow people to learn about these things themselves.

USD is working in the right direction when it comes to diversity inclusiveness. The relatively new Center for Diversity and Community and the university’s collection of diverse student organizations are two prime examples of that.

According to USD’s Diversity and Inclusiveness Statement, “A rich mixture of cultures contributes to a positive and vibrant campus climate that benefits all students.” This couldn’t be more true, especially in college where students are all working towards the same thing, getting a degree. Seeing and experiencing different cultures only benefits the learning process.

Despite all the ways in which USD attempts to be inclusive, its student population still remains predominantly white, hovering at 86 percent.

This could have to do with the fact that a smaller population of minorities resides in South Dakota — 85.7 percent of the state’s population is white.

A better way to recruit students of color could be to advertise the diversity and inclusiveness that USD should be proud of, which, in time, would bring more diversity to the school that USD aims for.

Diversity should be an important priority for all colleges in the U.S. It not only brings culture, but also understanding and acceptance, which everyone deserves.