Monday, September 27, 2010

Diversity at Scripps College: Why We Strive to Build a Multi-Cultural Community


“Indeed, rooted as Scripps College is in the work of liberating women's minds through education, we should be even more committed to the work of diversifying our community than most educational institutions.”

This line from the Principles of Diversity resonates strongly across Scripps College. It is a belief that, because we are a women’s college that fundamentally believes in the equality of the genders, we also believe in respecting and celebrating the many forms of diversity that people bring to our campus. The Principles of Diversity, along with the Principles of Community, are the two guiding documents of our campus. They establish the tone of the College we strive to be, and inform the decisions we make every day.

At Scripps, diversity is more than a buzzword. Thirty-four percent of the students of this year’s incoming class come from traditionally under-represented backgrounds. While this is a number to celebrate, our goal of a multi-racial and multi-ethnic community has not yet been reached. Scripps College is a community of students, staff, faculty, and alumnae who are committed to encouraging individuality through diversity. One of the central organizations on campus that works with students to promote diversity is Scripps Communities of Resources and Empowerment. SCORE is an office that provides support and resources to empower students so that they may further promote social and political awareness.

Scripps is also a proud member of QuestBridge, a non-profit organization that links high-achieving, low-income students with opportunities to attend some of the nation’s best colleges without paying a penny.  Our first class of Quest Scholars graduated in May 2010, and we have a strong and active club on campus called Scripps QuestBridge Scholars.  The aim of this club is to support and mentor Quest Scholars on campus. Elayna Tillman, a current Quest Scholar, serves as the QuestBridge Intern in the Office of Admission, and is excited to answer any questions that students may have about being a Quest Scholar on campus.  You may contact Elayna at elayna.tillman@scrippscollege.edu.  The QuestBridge application deadline is September 30, 2010.  For more information about the QuestBridge application process, please visit www.questbridge.org/students/program.html. 

The final paragraph of the Scripps College Principles of Diversity sets the tone for who we want to be and the values we hope to instill in each of our students. “Our goal is to have students think clearly and independently, acknowledging and using a variety of perspectives. Our goal is to have our graduates live confidently, courageously and hopefully, not because they are certain of a particular set of truths, but because they have learned to live with uncertainty, to balance their own strongest convictions with the knowledge that others may not share those convictions.”

Respect for the opinions of others while also establishing your own strong voice is a worthy goal that we strive to move toward every day.

Ashley, Assistant Director of Admission

2 comments:

  1. Scripps sounds like a great place for strong women to go to school. As a woman who grew up in Vancouver, Canada, a place rich with diversity, I value ethnic diversity.

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  2. Sarah,

    Thank you for your comment! Please let me know if you have any questions about Scripps.

    Ashley

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