Midd works to bolster minority numbers 2009 grads to enjoy seven percent increase in class diversity

Author: Sonja Pedersen-Green, focus editor

Despite having a reputation as being a predominately Caucasian campus, the Middlebury College Admissions Office remains committed to recruiting students of color.

"We remain as committed as ever to making our student body as much of a microcosm of the greater population as possible, based on the notion that our students learn as much from each other as they do in our classrooms, and also because education may be the best vehicle for helping to create equal opportunity for all in our society," said Dean of Admissions Bob Clagett.

Middlebury saw an increase in the number of minority students in this year's first-year class. The graduating class of 2009 has a percentage of minority students between 22 and 23 percent, which is significantly higher than the graduating class of 2008, in which the percentage of minority students was only 16 percent. According to Clagett, last year's number was a "historical low." Clagett also noted that Middlebury has historically had percentages as high as 24-25 percent. According to Clagett, "The number is not a static one, as it cannot be since it is influenced not only by the number of applicants from students of color in any given year, but also (as for anyone else) the quality of those applicants and their ability to gain from and contribute to a Middlebury education."

Additionally, Middlebury participates in the Posse Program along with 22 other selective colleges. According to the Posse Foundation Web site, the program "identifies, recruits and trains student leaders from public high schools to form multicultural teams... These teams are then prepared for enrollment at top-tier universities nationwide to pursue their academics and to help promote cross-cultural communication on campus." The graduating class of 2004 included 10 Posse members.

With the addition of programs such as Posse, it seems that Middlebury is attempting to break from its reputation as a homogenous campus. The Admissions Office now has two new staffers whose main job, according to Clagett, is "to strengthen our recruiting efforts for students of color." Clagett also noted that "[the Admissions Office is] hoping to engage our alumni of color more than we have in the past."

"The increasing number of minority students on campus is hopefully transforming our campus into a better reflection of what American society looks like, but we still have some work to be done to achieve that goal," said Carballo. "By no means are minority students over-represented on campus, and we are certainly not putting a greater emphasis on a student's racial background."



-Sonja Pedersen-Green, focus editor