NACAC
The field of college admissions suffers from a lack of diversity that could ultimately undermine its ability to reach and serve America’s increasingly diverse college students.
That is one of the key implications of “Career Paths for Admissions Officers,” a survey released recently by the National Association for College Admission Counseling, or NACAC.
The survey found that non-Whites are underrepresented at all points on the admission career trajectory, “and the issue only becomes more pronounced at higher levels.”
“The representation of Whites steadily increases along the career path from 71 percent of admission counselors to 88 percent of vice presidents/deans,” the survey report states. “Conversely, the proportion of Blacks decreases from 11 percent of counselors and assistant/associate directors to 5 percent of vice presidents/deans, while Hispanics decrease from 8 percent to only 2 percent.”
Leaders in the field of college admissions say the lack of diversity in college admissions could come at the expense of students who hail from underrepresented populations.
“Diversity matters differently to different students,” said Jim Rawlins, director of admissions at the University of Oregon and a past president of NACAC. “But especially in regards to encouraging students from underserved backgrounds to pursue higher education, a deep experience within our profession is that students can often be most inspired by counselors and other role models who have experienced the same challenges.”
Rawlins said admissions offices also need to involve staff with diverse backgrounds and experiences in reaching admissions decisions.
