Abstract
This paper provides an exploration of the attitudes, awarenesses, and skills needed by admissions officers and recruiters in higher education to recruit students of color. Research methods include literature review and a survey of random recruiters and professionals at institutions of higher education. The survey results provide an overview of specific attitudes, awarenesses, and skills, the advantages and role of the multicultural recruiter, and methods of acquiring the desired attitudes, awarenesses, and skills. In data analysis and discussion the survey results and literature review are used to build a theoretical image for growth. Using a pyramid as the image, the paper suggests that there should be a progression of growth for recruiters beginning with appropriate attitudes, moving to awareness and skills and ultimately growing into allies. White ally behavior theory is used as the basis for the suggested skills, attitudes, and awarenesses needed to effectively recruit students of color. The paper suggests that these attitudes, awarenesses, and skills will benefit both personal and professional aspects of recruiters as well as the institution as a whole. The paper concludes that institutions need to invest in education of recruiters in order to attain success in diversity initiatives. The information and conclusions presented in this paper should be of use to any professional in higher education who is interested in improving diversity recruitment efforts. Further suggestions for research in this area of higher education are also provided.
Recommended Citation
Stone, Amy, "An ally in admissions : an investigation of the attitudes, awarenesses, and skills needed for diversity recruitment" (1999). Capstone Collection. 525.
https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/capstones/525