President Jo Ann Gora discussed ways to diversify Ball StateUniversity, including using minority students in recruiting, in anopen forum with Delta Sigma Theta Thursday.
"Diversity Dialogue" was the first event that a studentassociation invited Gora where she could talk with students, Gorasaid. The meeting provided her with a good chance for her to knowwhat Ball State students want, she said.
"The whole university's purpose is to give students newexperiences," Gora said. "We continue to diversify our studentbody, our faculty and staff."
Gora said the school should provide more innovative programs andpractices that attract, retain and nurture a diverse universitycommunity and try to foster a university environment to showsuperiority in a culture that is growing ever more diverse.
Using current student to recruit new students might helpincrease the number of minority students attending Ball State. Gorabrought the idea about encouraging current minority students tovisit high schools' students, sharing their experiences at BallState.
The students and Gora discussed ideas about how to make thecampus more diverse and how to promote Ball State's programs tominority students. Besides, the students shared some of their ownstories and some positive experiences during their beginning timeson campus.
Bethany Peterson, chapter president of Delta Sigma ThetaSorority, said she hopes Ball State will pay closer attention tominority issues and create more opportunities for a student body tolearn and understand differences.
"We wanted to open a dialogue with President Gora and explainour concerns as minority students to the president," Peterson said."I hope she will listen to us and go back to invoke a change aboutthis issue."
Sarah Mitchell, senior, said there are many great programs atBall State that minority people don't know about. The school shouldmake a stronger attempt to recruit more minority students.
"There are only 7 percent of minority students at Ball State,"Mitchell said. "Recruiting more minority students can bringstudents more diversity. There are a lot of different opinions anda lot of different cultures have been brought together. It's alwaysmore effective in learning."
DuJuanna London, senior interior design major, said she wasexcited to have a chance to talk to Gora directly. It is a good wayto build a relationship between the university and students and toknow more about each other, she said.
"I wanted to hear President Gora's view on the minority issues,particularly on how she will deal with issues and how she willmakes BSU more diverse," London said. "She explained herself veryclear and understanding. She really has great ideas for thiscampus. I believe she will bring a lot of new issues that never hadbefore."
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