The Admissions Team – Finding the Right Words

A team of administrators representing university admissions, undergraduate studies, institutional research, and multicultural affairs convene to explore and revise institutional use of the word “minority” to describe the experiences of historically marginalized racial groups.

The meeting was motivated by recent concerns raised by student leaders and academic faculty about the overly simplistic and problematic nature of the use and definition of “minority” as an encompassing framework for students who identify as black, Latinx, Asian and Pacific Islander or indigenous. The term does not comprehensively reflect students’ experiences, nor does it enable effective institutional assessment and communication about students’ needs as the term is often misinterpreted and misrepresented. Additionally, the student leaders and faculty took issue with how “minority” defines a group of students in relation to a majority.

Initially, the conversation is slow-moving as several members of the team dismiss the discussion as trivial and mere semantics. Several leaders within the team reassert that the matter is not trivial if it is of concern to the students and if the current framework ultimately falls short of accurately describing student experiences.

After thorough deliberation, the team of administrators determines describing the collective experience of racially minoritized students as “students of color” and also commits to attending to and expanding upon the individual experiences of specific racial groups including Latinx, black, Asian and Pacific Islander, indigenous or multiracial students with additional inquiry projects and reporting.

Key Take-Aways
  • The Issue: Current institutional language to identify and make meaning of students’ experiences is limited and marginalizing and student leadership has called for revision.
  • The Deliberation: Key administrators convene to explore options. The administrators have difficulty reaching consensus on the legitimacy of the issue. Through dialogue, they recognize the need for change and discern a solution. 
  • The Growth: Administrators recognize the impact of language and how it shapes students’ identity, perceptions of social groups, and related policies and practices.