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CU-Boulder 1998 Community Survey

Assessment of University and Community Commitment to Diversity

Valuing Diversity: Respondents were asked to consider three different aspects of the University's and Boulder's commitment to diversity. First, they evaluated the extent to which seven groups, from CU students to Boulder community members, value diversity. There is substantial agreement across items; that is, there is little difference in the perceived commitment of any of the groups about which we asked. From administrative staff to faculty to student government, all groups are seen as moderately valuing diversity. As is clear in the plot below, African American students are much less likely than other respondents to say the various identified groups (faculty, administrative staff, students, etc) value diversity. For example, only 21% of African Americans, compared with 55-60% of other groups, say faculty "pretty much" or "very much" value diversity. Similarly, 26% of black respondents, compared with 49-58% of other groups, say students encountered in their social life "pretty much" or "very much" value diversity.

Consensually, the lowest level of value for diversity is perceived to come from members of the Boulder community whom respondents encounter socially. Though ratings are not significantly lower for this group, this result indicates that CU-Boulder is seen as having somewhat more commitment than the community at large. To see results in tabular form, click here. (table 9-I)

Note: For graph display, A=Asian-American, B=Black/African Amer, H=Hispanic, N=Native American, W=White

Multiculturalism in the curriculum: Next, respondents were asked two questions about multicultural content in the CU-Boulder curriculum. They evaluated the extent to which multicultural issues are integrated into the curriculum, then rated the appropriateness of the current level of multicultural emphasis. Although all students agree that multicultural issues are not integrated into the curriculum all that much, African American respondents are least likely to say multicultural issues are highly integrated. Specifically, 19% of black students versus 43% of Native Americans and 43% of whites (and 26% of Hispanics and 33% of Asian-Americans) say multicultural issues are integrated "pretty much" or "very much."

To see results in tabular form, click here. (table 9-II)

In evaluating the appropriateness of the level of multicultural emphasis, group differences do appear. black students (63%) are more likely than white (26%) and Native American (28%) students to say there is "too little" emphasis on multiculturalism. Conversely, white students (26%) are more likely than African Americans (2%) to say there is "too much" emphasis on multiculturalism. (However, note that white and, to a lesser extent, Native American respondents are equally likely to say that there is "too little" as "too much" emphasis on multiculturalism.) The largest percentage-from 48 to 54%--of Asian-American, Native American, and white students conclude that the emphasis on multiculturalism is "about right."

To see results in tabular form, click here. (table 9-III)

University of Colorado at Boulder Community Survey
Fall 1998
Do you think the curriculum's emphasis on multiculturalism is...
* = Too little; - = About right; @ = Too much
                 |
Asian            |***********************-------------------------@@
                 |
Black/African Am |********************************-----------------@
                 |
Hispanic         |*************************------------------------@
                 |
Native American  |**************---------------------------@@@@@@@@@
                 |
White            |*************------------------------@@@@@@@@@@@@@
                 |
                  -----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+----+
                       10   20   30   40   50   60   70   80   90  100
                                        Percentage

Changes over time: Because these items were not included on the 1994 survey, we are unable to analyze results over time.

Table of Contents for 1998 Community Survey

jo - l:\ir\survey\comm\cm98\report\sectn9.doc
hm - last updated 5/17/2000

Last revision 07/23/02