Ngozi Cole
African students are on the move. According to the French Government’s Campus Agency, La Mobilité des Étudiants d’Afrique Sub-Saharienne et duMaghreb, 380,376 African students studied abroad in 2010. France had the highest number of these students with 29.2 percent of the total. Next was South Africa with 15 percent and the United Kingdom and the United States tying at 9.7 percent each. The United States, which has traditionally been one of the top choices for African students who want to study abroad, has a consistent stream of these students each year. According to the Institute of International Education (IIE), there was a 1.8 percent increase in students from Sub-Saharan Africa enrolled in higher education institutions in the United States, from 30,046 to 30,585 between 2011-2013.
Unfortunately, The College of Wooster does not seem to be tapping into this exodus of African students. This year, only three continental African students were enrolled for the 2014-2015 academic year, in an incoming class of approximately 575. More may have been admitted but only three enrolled this year. This fact is ironic, because the data shows that there is a consistent increase in the influx of African students into U.S. colleges, while the African student enrollment on our campus is steadily decreasing.
Meanwhile, The College of Wooster has had an increase in the total number of international students enrolled, boasting seven percent in the 2014-2015 academic year, as well as having perhaps the most racially and ethnically diverse class in the history of the school. This is great news! However, are these numbers all inclusive? Yes, we do have a larger international student body, but demographic representation is staggeringly unequal. Diversity representation on campus should not have to do with just spewing out numbers, but really analyzing where those numbers are coming from and who they accurately represent. African students on campus are usually swept under categories of “black” or “multiethnic” in order to prove that racial representation is improving. This is an unfortunate move, as African students need to be seen as an independent group, both in the admission process and at the policy implementation level. It is not enough to have three African students enrolled and boast of racial and multi-ethnic diversity, by having us blend in as “multi-cultural” to satisfy numbers.
A recurring argument as to why there is so little enrollment to The College of Wooster is that African students usually require more financial aid. Whether this is true or not, this argument might reflect a perception towards representation on campus. Diversity on a college campus should be an investment. And there are ways to move forward with this.
One idea is partnering with the United World Colleges: international schools that are wells of diversity. It is indeed a long process to partner up with them, but it will be a huge step in that direction. United World Colleges offer more diversity and structure in terms of their engagement and supply of international students to the United States. Another idea is reaching out to various schools on the continent and strengthening ties with them, especially through Education USA (U.S. embassies) branches in various counties.
African Students are on the move to different regions all over the world, and in this case, The College of Wooster should not be left behind in tapping into what we have to offer as a group in terms of intellectual contribution and talent. Bringing in a more diverse international class will add to wider campus engagement at both academic and social levels. My argument is not to promote the influx of African students to campus in the next admissions cycle or bring African students to contribute to diversity as “diversity props.” It is important to be reminded that diversity means inclusivity, on an equal basis, and equipping minorities with the appropriate tools to strive when they come here.