November 13, 1998

TO: The Black Student Union and Concerned Members of the UNH Community

FROM: Joan R. Leitzel, President

SUBJECT: Diversity Agreements

I am pleased to attach the goals which the Black Student Union and the University of New Hampshire have agreed to after discussions on November 10, 1998 (Attachment 1). These goals, together with those of the 1994 document, Building a New University Community, describe the University's commitment to building an effective diverse community and curriculum.

We believe that diversity in our student body, faculty, and staff is important to providing quality education because people from different backgrounds with different beliefs learn from one another and because our students are likely to live and work in pluralistic societies when they graduate. The statement issued last year by the leading higher education organizations in the United States speaks clearly about the need for racial and ethnic diversity on the nation's campuses (Attachment 2). Our commitment extends to all racial and ethnic groups, and we seek a community that is diverse with respect to gender, geographic origin, class, religion, sexual orientation, and age.

When I came to UNH in the fall of 1996, I asked Elizabeth Lewis, who was at that time the Affirmative Action Director, to do an audit on the University's diversity plan, Building a New University Community (Attachment 3). What was clear from her report was that the University had made progress toward its goals in some areas but in several areas there had been little progress. I observed then--as regrettably I must say now--that the University has not met its own goals in the area of diversity. My judgment was that the University lacked an organizational structure to move effectively in this area. For this reason, I hired a full-time Affirmative Action Director, created the position of Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, and appointed the President's Commission on the Status of People of Color.

UNH's Affirmative Action Director, Patricia Gormley, has held the position now for more than one year and has put in place policies and programs appropriate to the diversity goals. The Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, Mark Rubinstein, assumed his position in August, 1998, and has quickly begun to reshape recruitment and retention efforts through the offices of Admissions, Financial Aid, Registration, and Academic Support. Last spring I received the recommendations from the President's Commission on the Status of People of Color and responded to these recommendations on behalf of the University program (Attachment 4); most of these recommendations are now being implemented. I believe we are now much better positioned to meet the University's challenging diversity goals.