Responses of H.B.C.U. administrators concerning diversity

The problem of this study was to investigate perceptions of African-American Presidents and Chancellors at public and private colleges and universities in the Southeast and border states on diversity. The subjects of this study included 92 current African-American University and College Presidents and Chancellors of public and private Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Tennessee and the surrounding border states in the Southeast. The response rate was 70% (62 respondents). The survey was prepared by the author using as a template a survey by Dr. Hugh Scott. The survey was mailed to all 92 respondents with a stamped self-addressed envelope enclosed. The specific problems addressed by this study were to determine if there was a relationship between public and private African-American administrators viewed: (a) diverse classrooms and dormitories making students more tolerant of people different from themselves; (b) tensions that occur in a diverse collegiate environment preparing students for citizenship and the workplace; (c) diversity facilitating learning in educational settings; (d) diverse faculties as a better instrument for education than mono-ethnic faculties. Data gathered during this investigation was grouped and analyzed in three distinct categories. First, the total study population was holistically grouped. Second, the private population was grouped, and third, the public population was grouped. Based on the findings, the majority of public respondents strongly agreed, while the private respondents agreed with the concept of diverse classrooms and dormitories making students more tolerant of people different from themselves. A small constituency of private respondents disagreed and none of the public respondents disagreed. The majority of public respondents strongly agreed that the tensions that occur in diverse collegiate environments prepare students for citizenship and the workplace. A majority of private respondents agreed. A larger group of private respondents disagreed, while a small number of public respondents strongly disagreed. A majority of public respondents strongly agreed that diversity facilitates learning in an educational setting; conversely, the private respondents agreed more frequently than the public respondents. A larger group of public respondents disagreed more frequently than did the private respondents. The majority of public respondents strongly agreed that a diverse faculty is a better instrument for education than a mono-ethnic faculty, while the private respondents agreed. Conversely, the majority of private respondents disagreed more frequently than did the public respondents