Analysis of Purdue University's Diversity Policy

            Being a former Purdue University student, a deeper dive into their diversity policies was warranted. However, when applying, diversity was not a consideration in making a proper decision on a university as it should have been. The website for the university is www.purdue.edu, and the link for the article  "Beyond the Numbers: Factors Influencing Purdue Acceptance Rate" by Alexander is Beyond the Numbers: Factors Influencing Purdue Acceptance Rate - Curated Magazine. Diversity among the staff is crucial in providing students with a faculty that they can connect with to bring them a sense of comfortability to the underrepresented groups throughout their school journey while showing new potential applicants that they will be accepted and represented to make them want to apply and attend. For instance, Purdue has a policy of actively recruiting faculty from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Having a diverse student body assists in others expanding their knowledge while giving them necessary experiences to utilize in a diverse workforce or throughout their daily lives. According to Alexander (2023), Purdue reflects its reputation by consistently ranking in the top ten schools with the most international students.

            Purdue University has broken through the standards of the glass ceiling, escalator, cliff, and slipper by giving qualified, successful women powerful positions throughout the organization, considering many of their vice presidents in different aspects of the organization are women. The university also allows and holds men and women to the same educational standards. Purdue supports the vastly growing LGBTQ community by giving students and faculty with a variety of different sexualities the ability to change their names and gender markers and provide access to health and mental health resources as well as gender-inclusive bathrooms and housing. In Purdue's ethics policies, there is a clause on 'Equal Opportunity, Equal Access, and Affirmative Action,' which goes into the university's compliance with state and federal laws and the procedure for complaints of discrimination and harassment (which includes sexual harassment and all of the subsidiaries that go along with it) to create an all-inclusive employment and learning environment for all cultural backgrounds and sexual orientations. This aligns with Purdue's commitment to eliminate the normalization of whiteness in their institution. Mumby and Kuhn (2018) define whiteness as the behavior, talk, and ideas of specific white people to protect their normal status, which can lead to the exclusion or marginalization of other racial and ethnic groups.

            Diversity is an essential aspect of Purdue. The university is one of the top-ranking international student schools, making all cultural differences of the utmost importance to the organization. International students are a significant part of Purdue's clientele, adding prestige to the university. Students and professors alike can experience and learn about new cultures through these students while negating stereotypes. Upon examination of policies and procedures at Purdue University with the ideas stated throughout, diversity among employees and students is acknowledged in the same manner with the same set of ethical standards across the board. This diversity not only enriches the cultural experiences within the university but also enhances the learning environment and academic outcomes, as diverse perspectives and experiences contribute to a more comprehensive and innovative approach to education.

            One area that could benefit from improvement is the representation of different races and cultural backgrounds in leadership roles at Purdue. Only three individuals from various departments were of a different race, representing a small fraction of the university's leadership. If one of them was not the president, it could be perceived as tokenism, where their minority status is seen as a means to provide equality to the Purdue community (Mumby and Kuhn, 2018). Purdue boasts a rich and diverse culture of students and faculty, which enhances the cultural experiences within the university. However, it is clear from research and observation that diversity is and will continue to be a significant part of Purdue University.

References

Alexander. (2023, July 9). Beyond the Numbers: Factors Influencing Purdue Acceptance Rate - Curated magazine. Curated Magazine - Read the latest viral stories on the web. https://curatedmag.com/purdue-acceptance-rate/

Mumby, D. K., & Kuhn, T. R. (2018). Organizational Communication: A Critical Introduction (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications, Inc. (US). https://purdueuniversityglobal.vitalsource.com/books/9781544357515