The UW System Board of Regents showed its wholehearted support for increasing diversity on its campuses Friday when it unanimously voted to pass a resolution endorsing Phase II of the ongoing Plan 2008 program.
Adopted in 1998, Plan 2008: Educational Quality Through Racial and Ethnic Diversity is a System-wide initiative designed to, among other goals, increase diversity on the UW campuses and to tear down the barriers of race, ethnicity and economic disadvantage in order to improve and expand the state's educational opportunities, according to the Plan 2008 website.
The board's resolution outlines not only its strong endorsement of the program, but also provides recommendations regarding Plan 2008's execution.
The Regents proposed creating a System-wide accountability report card which will keep track of the progress within the System in closing the achievement gap between students of color and white students. The Regents also recommended the report card be developed by June.
In addition, the board proposed creating a Diversity Award for excellence in diversity programming or achievement and refocusing evaluation of chancellors to include their progress with respect to Plan 2008.
\[The resolution is] just really a reflection of how seriously they're taking this, how challenged they are given the numbers, the environment and the climate and how hopeful they are that there is going to be some real progress,"" Regent spokesperson Doug Bradley said.
Bradley said the resolution is a measure of how the Regent's are increasing their focus on campus diversity.
""I think [we are] seeing ... the real significance of what value multiculturalism and diversity can be,"" he said. ""We've still got a way to go and people are pretty serious about making progress.""
