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Indeed, Purdue Agriculture has made progress toward its goal of increasing diversity in recent years.

Undergraduate enrollment this year includes 141 African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanics, Latinos and American Indians; 10 years ago, minority undergraduate enrollment was 86.

But minority students represent just under 6 percent of undergraduate enrollment. Dale Whittaker, MS ’84, PhD ’87, associate dean of academic programs, would like to see minority enrollment figures more closely mirror the 21 percent minority composition of Indiana’s 2004 high school graduating class.

Diversity is one of the highest priorities listed in the 2003-08 strategic plan, the road map that directs Purdue Agriculture into the future, as mandated by Purdue President Martin Jischke.

“At Purdue, we believe diversity is more than an issue of tolerance. Diversity is a cause for celebration,” Jischke says.

“It has a special significance at universities, and most especially land-grant institutions. Since American society is highly diverse, universities — which prepare most of our future leaders — must reflect that diversity. It is a major role of universities today to promote understanding, to bring diverse groups of people together so they can explore their differences, their commonalities, and learn from one another. In the years ahead, our students will live and work in an increasingly globalized world where they will need to interact with a wide variety of people, cultures and customs.”

Morris will be the first to admit the road to diversity could be long and bumpy for Indiana’s land-grant institution. First and foremost, Morris says, Purdue must overcome its own history.

“Indiana agriculture, historically speaking, has long been dominated by a white male society. That has been a major barrier: a lot of history, a lot of past traditions we have to overcome as a state,” Morris says.

“We are so steeped and entrenched in our own traditions that it is hard to think in a different way, a way that not only accepts the differences in people but also embraces those differences. Without diversity of thought and perspectives, we will do the same things we’ve always done and not address the challenging issues of today’s society in research, teaching and engagement.

“Diversity comes with challenges. Diversity of thought and ideas often brings conflict. But if we are to become the premier institution our president aspires us to become, we need multiple perspectives that only come when diversity is at the table when critical decisions are being made.”

According to Morris, an individual must take three steps to move toward cultural competency:

“First, you have to have a deep understanding of yourself, an understanding of your own prejudices and biases. Second, you have to have a cultural immersion experience, like the cricket game was for our graduate students. And finally, you have to see a positive change as a result of your experience.”

Jorge Mantica, BS ’89, like Morris, has first-hand experience with racial prejudice. A U.S. Army veteran, Mantica sold agricultural chemicals before joining the college’s development office in 2005.

“When I was an undergraduate student studying agricultural economics in the late 1980s, I couldn’t help but feel out of place,” Mantica says. “Here I was, just out of the military and married, so right away, I was different than most other students in the College of Agriculture. And I was from Nicaragua.”

Mantica says he dealt with prejudice in the private sector, when he found that Corn Belt customers, unaccustomed to being called on by a Nicaraguan, were unlikely to openly accept him.

“It took a long time for some of my customers to look past my name and my skin color,” Mantica says. “There were entire communities in my territory that didn’t have anybody that looked anything like me. It took a long time to earn their trust and respect.”

But those communities, Morris says, need to increase their awareness of cultural diversity, too.

“Diversity is everywhere, it’s everything we do,” Morris says. “It is our life. It took me five or six years to convince people that this was an issue that was relevant and pertinent to their communities. Many communities, since they had no color, no ethnic diversity, thought that there were no issues to address. But diversity is for everybody, not just for people of color.”

Unlike a farmer’s yield, a player’s stats, or a student’s test grades, diversity awareness is hard to quantify. Certainly, the College of Agriculture can measure progress in the number of minority faculty hires and the changing complexion of the undergraduate and graduate schools. That represents structural diversity, and that can be measured. But cultural diversity is something altogether different.

“Cultural diversity is a very complex and challenging issue,” Morris admits. “It is an area where there is a lot of gray, everything isn’t just black and white. We just want everybody to be treated fairly and justly.”

But in the months and years to come, Morris knows it will be difficult to determine just how successful the college’s diversity programs are in raising the cultural awareness, not only of Purdue Agriculture, but also of the entire state of Indiana.

“We must move toward cultural competence, as well,” Morris says. “We realize that we will never achieve that because culture is constantly changing. It is impossible to know everything. But, ultimately, we must create a culture of inclusion, where everybody feels welcomed, respected and valued for their contributions, no matter what their culture.

“It’s a never-ending journey, but when people start feeling good and are making positive comments about being at this college, whether it be as a student, faculty, or staff, then we have achieved something significant. When recruitment and retention of both faculty and students from under-represented groups is not an effort; when Purdue is the college of choice for all cultures; when women and people of color want to come here and faculty and staff want to come here and students come here by choice — then we’ll know we are on the right path.”

Morris will know it in a quiet, private moment.

“When I can get up in the morning and look at myself in the mirror and the color of my skin doesn’t matter,” she says, “when I don’t have to wonder if I am going to be accepted at a meeting I am going to that day, or judged, or threatened because I am black, then I will know we are making progress.”
Contact Morris at pmorris@purdue.edu