"Colleges have become increasingly aware of the communities around them as
educational assets for their students and recognize the resources they
themselves might invest in the communities. In the face of such a mutually
beneficial situation, new partnerships are emerging between the campus and the
community" (McTighe Musil et. al., 1999, p. 30).
Diversity should extend beyond the employee force to the community and to
vendors. The organization should provide leadership in community-based
organizations. The organization should also have an active minority-purchasing
program to buy goods and services from qualified vendors owned by minority
entrepreneurs (Clark, 1997).
Launch community programs that deal in diversity (McCune, 1996).
Make use of partnerships with business and industry to seek out potential
candidates (Owens, Reis & Hall, 1994).
Initiate a faculty exchange program with historically black institutions (Kent
State University Diversity Implementation Plan 2001-2005).
Maintain on-going dialogues and possibly faculty exchanges with historically
black colleges (Nicholas & Oliver, 1994).
While faculty exchange programs with historically black, Hispanic, or women's
institutions will immediately put current students in contact with minority and
women faculty role models, it will also expand the institution's future base for
recruitment by fostering contacts with minority and women faculty as well as
higher education administrators who can refer prospective faculty (Tack & Patitu,
1992).
Build long-term relationships with minority organizations, not look for quick
fixes (Digh, 1999). Identify and begin building connections with national minority organizations
(Digh, 1999). Strengthen ties with local communities by involving individuals and
organizations from those communities in university-sponsored or supported
programs and by supporting community efforts to create and sustain a welcoming
environment for all (Virginia Tech University Diversity Plan, 2000).
Initiate collaborations with HBCU's that provide mutual benefits for
participating institutions and that contribute toward increasing access to and
improving the quality of higher education opportunities for students of color
(Virginia Tech University Diversity Plan, 2000).
Establish partnerships with corporations and other institutions to collaborate
on issues related to the identification and implementation of effective
diversity management practices (Virginia Tech University Diversity Plan, 2000).
