Recent reports on the race distribution of the average student body in a college or university have indicated that there is an upward trend in minority enrollment. Some may perceive the fluctuation as slight and the trend which it has disturbed not significantly dynamic. The Boston Globe reported that minority enrollment of college students all over the nation has jumped from 2.3 to a mere 3.2 percent. Such emerging statistics have reinstated focus and concern on the wide disparity in college attendance, forcing American universities to question both their methods and their progress in recruiting a racially diverse campus. While Brandeis administrators pride the University's diversity, many students say they disagree. A native of New York, Irina Ivanushkina '04 said Brandeis "fosters a false sense of homogeny, and sorely misrepresents the real world."

However, in conjunction with the national trend, Brandeis' minority population has also grown. According to Vice President for Students and Enrollment, Jean Eddy, Brandeis is currently 84 percent white, 10 percent Asian, 3 percent African American and 3 percent Hispanic. While these numbers are consistent with the University's trend of diversity in enrollment, the prior year distinctly paralleled the dip in minority enrollment noted on a national scale, and Eddy says, represented an uncharacteristic and disappointing flux of Brandeis's otherwise constant progress. Although, according to Eddy, this year the advancement towards diversity is back on track, the cause of last year's dip (responsible for a decrease of both black and Hispanic student enrollment from 3 to 2 percent) draws some interesting parallels to the continuing regression found throughout the country.

In an effort to explain the disparity between whites and minorities in college enrollment (as well as degree attainment and subsequent employment), leaders and activists such as William B. Harvey of American Council on Education have deemed insufficient proactivity on the parts of the universities in recruiting and maintaining a diverse student body. Harvey said the challenge on the part of any university deserving of such censure (a category applicable to Brandeis during the past school year, and perhaps even still) is not to enact proactive measures, but to determine what such measures entail.

According to a website on affirmative action, the use of quotas, or quantified requirements for racial diversity, was one commonly used solution, which is now not only outdated but illegal. A less systematic approach and one that is still widely used and propagated, is the employment of affirmative action. Many Universities interpret and enforce this policy by relaxing the standards for minority applicants, thereby leveling the supposed disadvantages of their prior educations. Brandeis, however, uses neither of these methods. Eddy said the only official policy of racial preference is in student recruitment and not in student acceptance, noting that "we go out of our way to let [potential students] know how important they are." She emphasizes that rather than relaxing our standards, the University broadens its criteria. "It's not just about the scores: participation, persistence and leadership abilities are all taken into account," Eddy said.

As Eddy pointed out, this policy prevents reverse discrimination and is presumably effective in securing a trend towards more prolific minority enrollment. While Eddy firmly supports the policy, she admitted that last uear "it simply wasn't strong enough. We didn't approach recruitment with enough vigor . and didn't offer satisfactory financial aid packages." Eddy also attributes last year's enrollment short-comings to a disappointing minority applicant pool. Given that Brandeis will not lower the bar for its students but rather actively seek out and persuade those students able to reach the bar, as Eddy asserts, the circumstance of an inadequate applicant pool limit the possibilities of the school's proactive measures.

Motivated rather than daunted by last year's disappointing enrollment statistics, a vigorous and hands-on policy was charted and successfully carried out for the current school year. "This year we were more aggressive in our recruitment. Special outreach to targeted high schools, frequent mailings, engagement in conversation and overnight visits were all offered to possible minority applicants," says Eddy. While last year not one potential recipient of the ten Martin Luther King Scholarships, offering full tuition to minority applicants, was claimed, Eddy pointed out this year eighteen were offered and ten Martin Luther King Scholars enrolled.

While the consistency of the minority enrollment has been re-established for the time being, some still see the actual numbers of minority students as a cause for concern. When asked whether Brandeis is susceptible to censure for the mere 6 percent of black and Hispanic enrollment, which it has so fervently maintained, Eddy absolved the university of any blame. "The enrollment ratios are consistent with elite small liberal arts colleges such as ourselves. In cities, where there is a large urban base, there is a bigger draw of a diverse student body. [Considering our size and location] we are not all that different."

Although Eddy asserted criticism is not a cause for concern, she said "it is the students who have an issue with [the insufficient diversity]." "Students want an experience that reflects the real world and part of that is diversity."

Sabina Satpathi '06 agrees, but says she doesn't find the relative homogeny of out environment impenetrable. "If I wanted to have a diverse group of friends, I could. There's diversity if you look."

In reference to a more general sense of diversity on the Brandeis campus, Eddy said she is positive and optimistic. "We have a wonderfully rich applicant pool including athletes and musicians, and a strong international community." When it comes to race however, Eddy points out the hindrance to the eventual goal. Students of color are looking to join an existing community base rather than to pioneer it on an insufficiently diverse campus. It is a problem of the chicken and the egg, but one which we're actively striving to resolve."