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Standard 4.3
The College of Education seeks to recruit and retain a diverse population of candidates. Candidates have ample opportunities to work with other candidates from diverse gender and socio-economic backgrounds. However, the history and geographic location of the university presents a major challenge to achieving a high degree of racial and cultural diversity within the pool of COE candidates. Alabama State University is a historically African American public supported institution located in a deep-south city with two majority white institutions of higher education that are also state institutions. This makes recruiting and retaining other-race candidates difficult for the college. Whites tend to select the historically and majority white institutions and blacks tend to enroll in the black institution. While the university attracts students from throughout the United States and the state of Alabama, its geographic service area is primarily Montgomery and surrounding counties. These counties, in fact most of the counties in this area of the state of Alabama, have almost as large a population of African Americans as whites, the two major racial categories throughout the state. For example, the racial make-up of the city of Montgomery is 49.6 percent black and 47.6 percent white. The racial makeup of Montgomery County is 48.6 percent black and 48.8 percent white. The racial makeup of the immediate service area (including Montgomery, Autauga, Elmore, and Lowndes Counties) is 41 percent black and 55 percent white. These figures were taken from the last U. S. census, 2000, and are probably quite different now, especially with the recent influx of Asians and Hispanics into the area. Yet, whites and blacks still make up the majority of the population in the service area and in the state. As Table 4.2 below indicates, demographics for COE candidates are consistent with the university's overall enrollment. Of the 5399 students enrolled spring 2007, 94 percent are African American and 4.93 percent are white. The COE enrollments for this period are 95 percent black in initial programs and 83 percent in advanced programs; 3.8 percent whites are enrolled in initial programs and 16.3 percent in advanced programs. Table 4.2 Candidate Demographics
*US. Census Bureau Data for Montgomery, Autauga, Elmore, and Lowndes Counties Alabama Several strategies have been employed to enhance COE candidates' opportunities to interact with a more diverse body of candidates.
Diversity scholarships
(graduate)
The COE is participating in a
partnering project with Winona State University
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in Winona, Minnesota. The project involves a summer travel study course in human relations and student diversity. Education candidates from the two universities are paired for cross-cultural teaching and studying. COE faculty and candidates were hosts to faculty and candidates from Winona State during summer 2007. The two groups of candidates, guided by the two faculties, explored ways to make meaning out of the cultural contexts of the lives of their students. COE candidates accompanied the WSU candidates in work with students, parents, and teachers in some Montgomery schools. The partnership will continue as the candidates extend their collaborations through email and further pursue their efforts to become multicultural teachers. The faculties will also continue their dialogue to identify ways to enrich the partnership in future reciprocal travel study events between the two institutions. The two groups are collaborating in assessing the experience and developing documentary materials for research.