In Mincey’s experience the level of intellectual diversity was contingent upon the class. “In my African-American studies classes, where there were more people of color, a diverse array of ideas and opinions emerged from the conversation. Outside of these classes, lectures tended to be one-sided,” she says.
During one of Mincey’s African-American studies classes, one student denounced historically Black colleges and universities as viable institutions for higher learning. That student was confronted by a melee of opposition from the rest of the class including the professor.
“Had that student made those remarks about historically Black colleges in another class, I doubt that he would have been checked the way that he was. Luckily, the professor was knowledgeable on the subject,” Mincey says.
Socially segregated campuses continue to be a problem for many universities. At the three college campuses surveyed, students belonging to different racial or ethnic groups often end up having limited and segregated social relations, the survey reports. Two in three students MSU reported that “where students gather — at parties, in the cafeteria, in dormitories — generally speaking … students tend to form and segregate based on race and ethnicity.”
At UC Berkeley and Columbia 56 and 46 percent of those surveyed, respectively, agreed with that statement.
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