In response to the work of the Commission on Campus Climate and Life, President Daniel Bernstine (1999b) established the Diversity Action Council. One of its objectives is to identify specific actions to increase diversity of the campus community and create a welcoming and safe place for all persons.

This report provides information that can aid in assessing and monitoring PSU's progress toward meeting this objective. It summarizes statistical information on the diversity of the PSU student body, informs the campus community about the diversity of the PSU student body and serves as a benchmark against which to chart changes. Although diversity has many dimensions, this report focuses on student age, gender, and ethnicity.

On average, students at PSU are 28 years of age. Graduate students tend to be older (M = 34 years of age) than undergraduates (M = 26 years of age). A third of the entire student body is between 21 and 25 years old. However, student ages range from 16 to more than 56 years old. Part-time students are generally older than full-time students. Forty-one percent of part-time students are older than 30 years of age compared to 17% of full-time students.

Gender

Slightly more women (56%) than men are enrolled at PSU. These proportions have remained consistent over the past 20 years.

Women represented 56% of all students who received Bachelor’s degrees in 1998-1999. They also represented 61% of all Master’s degree recipients. At the doctoral level, however, slightly more men (51%) than women received degrees. (See Figure 1.)

 Ethnic Diversity

Currently, 17% of the PSU student body consists of minority students. The largest minority group is Asian, representing almost 9% of all students at PSU. African American, Hispanic, and Native American students represent 3%, 4%, and 1% respectively. In addition, 5% of the student body are international students, representing 68 countries ranging from Canada to Qatar. (The ethnic background of 10% of the student body is unknown.)

As shown in Figure 2, 1998 census data for persons between 16 and 30 years of age from six counties around the Portland area were compared to PSU student ethnicity data. Results reveal that ethnic minorities represent 17% of the total population in these counties. This proportion is similar to the ethnic representation at PSU, however the proportions of specific ethnic groups differ. Hispanics represent the largest proportion of minorities in the Portland area (9%); Asians represent 6%, while Blacks and Native Americans each represent approximately 1% of the total population. Although the Hispanic population at PSU is proportionally smaller than that of the six-county population, the number of Hispanic students enrolled at PSU has increased by 39% in the past five years. In contrast, the size of the entire student body has only increased by 12%.

 Figure 3 shows Bachelor's degree recipients by ethnic origin. The proportion of Asian students awarded Bachelor’s degrees at PSU has increased from 6% in 1994-1995 to 10% in 1998-1999. The proportion of Hispanic students awarded Bachelor's degrees has also increased from 2% to 4% for this same time period. Proportions of Native Americans and Black Non-Hispanics Bachelor’s degree recipients have remained constant over the past 5 years.

In general, ethnic minorities, particularly Asians (4%), represent a small proportion of students awarded Master’s degrees. International students, on the other hand, represent 12% of Master’s degrees. (See Figure 4.) Since 1997, the number of graduate degrees awarded to minority students has steadily increased.

Ethnic minorities represent a smaller proportion of students awarded Doctoral degrees (Figure 5). Nine percent of all students awarded Doctoral degrees are members of ethnic minorities. International students represent 19% of all Doctoral degree recipients and the ethnicity of 13% is unknown. The proportion of minorities represented is the same for African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans (3% each); no Asians are represented.

The Current Undergraduate Student Survey (Winter 1999) contains items about students' perceptions of the climate at PSU. For example, over half (56%) of the survey respondents agreed that PSU is a welcoming place for students. These items regarding campus climate were analyzed for group differences.

Women and men did not differ significantly in their agreement that the climate at PSU is a safe and comfortable place where they are treated with respect and helpful concern. In fact, women tended to agree slightly more than men with such statements. Women and men differed in their ratings of the support they receive from faculty, staff, and other students, as shown in Figure 6. Compared to men, women indicated significantly more support for their educational goals from these sources.

Age and all of the climate items were significantly correlated. As age increases, agreement with items such as "PSU cares about me" and "PSU is a hassle-free place" increases. It is unclear whether the climate at PSU is more welcoming of older students or that with age and experience older students are more socially comfortable and better able to obtain the assistance they need in a variety of settings.

Students from all ethnic backgrounds were similar in their agreement with most of the climate items; however, agreement with two items differed by ethnic group. As shown in Figure 7, Native American students agreed less than Caucasian, Asian, or Hispanic students that they could talk with faculty. This difference was statistically significant. In addition, Caucasian and Asian students differed significantly in their ratings of the support they receive from faculty for their educational goals (see Figure 8).

The diversity of individuals at PSU is one of the institution's greatest strengths. In the words of PSU President Berstine (1999),

The variety of age groups and ethnic minorities represented at PSU is diverse and provides a dynamic educational environment; however, the educational experience at PSU could be enhanced further by greater diversity. Though students are a crucial component of diversity on campus, the diversity of PSU faculty is also important. The next PSU Research Update will provide information about the diversity of PSU faculty.

For additional information, please contact Juliette Stoering at the Office of Institutional Research and Planning at (503) 725-3427 or stoerij@mail.pdx.edu.