Increase Diversity of Faculty, Staff, and Student Body
- Develop activities and experiences that promote diversity as a value
- Enhance support networks for faculty, staff, and students of diverse backgrounds, including first-generation status
- Provide international programming for faculty and students
Through increased efforts by the USI Admission Office to recruit students from a wider variety of demographic groups, the percentage of minority students at USI has increased steadily over the past five years, from 7.6 percent in 2007-2008 to 10.4 percent in 2011-2012. The number of minority faculty members also has significantly increased, up from 7.6 percent to 12 percent over the same time period.
Nearly a third of USI’s new freshmen are first-generation college students. In addition, a significant percentage of USI undergraduates are age 25 or older, also known as “non-traditional age” students.
The University has continued to improve its support of a diverse campus through increased programming by the USI Multicultural Center as well as grant-funded support services to increase retention of minority and underserved student populations.
USI is committed to establishing new opportunities for its students to study abroad, inviting international students to come to USI, and providing new academic teaching and research options for USI faculty. New partnerships have been established with universities in Ghana, Malta, Scotland, China, Germany, and India.