As a university, Tufts prides itself on its acceptance and encouragement of diversity. With nearly a quarter of the class of 2013 identifying as "students of color" and a strong international representation, Tufts is widely recognized as a diverse school. Indeed, university President Lawrence Bacow's appointment to President Obama's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) seems not only to be an acknowledgment of his achievements in promoting diversity during his tenure as president of the university, but also the strengths of Tufts as a school in supporting and recognizing diversity. The university's two−day symposium entitled "Barack Obama and American Democracy" over this past weekend also afforded further opportunity for Tufts to highlight and promote dialogue around racial and ethnic diversity.
President Bacow's appointment to such a prestigious position is certainly deserved. But the appointment should not be taken as a sign that the university can now assume that it offers minorities enough opportunities. Rather the appointment, along with the issues raised at the recent symposium, highlight the progress that still needs to be made.
Tufts has made great strides in minority representation. These include the Office of Institutional Diversity, created under president Bacow, and the goal of the Group of Six to give minority groups on campus a voice. However, as many students and professors have emphasized, there are still numerous students on campus who feel that they lack a voice. Tufts still does not have an African American studies department, though there has been considerable student demand for one, according to President of the African Student Organization Vivian Mbawuike. Additionally, while the Group of Six specializes in support and resources for many groups, others are left without the same level of institutional support. Muslim students, for example, are not represented in the Group of Six.
Tufts also has progress to make in terms of faculty diversity, as do many schools in the Boston area. Only 7.7 percent of all tenure−tracked professors at Tufts identify as either African American or Hispanic. Not only does this deficiency in the diversity of faculty leave the university without the varied perspective and experience that ethnic diversity offers, but it can leave minority students hard−pressed to find role models within their academic community. In general, the reactions to Bacow's HBCU appointment and the symposium reveal that many students and professors feel that racial identity is not discussed nearly enough on campus.
While Tufts certainly channels a significant amount of effort into maintaining and supporting an ethnically diverse campus, it should not take Bacow's nomination as a sign that we have crossed the finish line. There are still many improvements that can be made that will allow for greater equality and diversity on the Tufts campus.
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