Ranking above all of the nation’s 30 most elite research universities, Washington University had the highest gain in enrollment of incoming African-American freshman last fall, according to the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education’s 2012 annual survey.
In fall 2012, the university had 104 black freshmen, up from 83 a year ago. That’s a 25.3 percent gain.
“We are proud of the hard work that we are doing in encouraging and supporting diversity on campus,” said Adrienne D. Davis, vice provost at Washington University and William M. Van Cleve Professor in the law school. “Our gain in African-American first-year undergraduate enrollment is evidence of the progress we are making.”
However, this does not mean Wash. U. has the most diverse freshman class among the nation’s elite research universities. In fact, it did not make the top 20 list of elite universities with the highest percentage of African Americans in the incoming freshman class.
For the past five years, Columbia University has reigned at the top of that list, where 14.2 percent of its freshman population is African-American. At Wash. U., it’s about half of that – 6.3 percent, according to the study. There were 201 black freshmen at Columbia in fall 2012 and 104 at Wash. U.
However, it wasn’t that long ago that Columbia was in Washington University’s place. Only eight years ago in 2004, blacks made up only 6.8 percent of the entering students at Columbia.
Duke University finished second in the rankings of universities with the highest percentage of African Americans in the incoming freshman class in 2012. There were 198 black freshmen at Duke last fall. They make up 11.5 percent of the entering class, up from 11.1 percent a year ago.
The University of Pennsylvania jumped from seventh place last year to third place in this year’s survey. The percentage of black students in the entering class at Penn increased from 9.5 percent in 2011 to 11.1 percent this year.
“Our work is never finished,” Davis said. “We need to keep focused, making a concerted effort around diversity and inclusion on campus.”
Most diverse law school
Washington University leaders pointed to another data set to show where it shines in diversity.
According to the American Bar Association, Washington University’s School of Law has a 10.9 percent African-American student population, the highest percentage of African-American students in all top law schools. Harvard University trails with 8.9 percent. Vanderbilt and Georgetown universities follow with eight percent.
“We value the perspective and richness African-American students bring to our campus and must continue efforts to recruit, retain and support these students for the benefit of the entire campus community,” said Sharon Stahl, vice chancellor for students.
Stahl said the word-of-mouth networking among current and prospective students supports recruitment and creates a welcoming sense of community. Groups such as the Association of Black Students and Black Senior Alliance offer a strong support network.
And that support, paired with the Black Alumni Council, lends for a high graduation rate, she said. For the freshman cohort that entered in fall 2006, the graduation rate for African-American students was 96 percent, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. White students had a 95 percent graduation rate, making for no perceptible statistical difference.
Another way the university tries to strengthen and promote diversity on campus is through the faculty and staff “diversity and inclusion grants.” Since 2009, the program awarded almost $740,000 in grant money to faculty and staff for 37 projects that are dedicated to promoting inclusion.
Davis said she has been actively involved in faculty recruitment.
“We are winning highly competitive recruitment efforts, attracting faculty of color who are at the very top of their fields,” Davis said. “We celebrate these successes and use them as models as we continue recruiting and retaining faculty of color.”
Recently, the university hired four African-American assistant professors and one associate professor, as well as four senior administrators; all will start this fall. In the 2012-13 school year, the university hired two African-American assistant professors and one associate professor. And in the 2011-12, three African-American assistant professors and one associate professor came on board.
In addition to these new hires, the School of Medicine has brought on 13 African-American assistant professors, six instructors, and one professor since 2010.
“Washington University is competitive in research, scholarship and teaching,” Davis said. “We aim to become as competitive in diversity. Excellence flows from full inclusion.”
