Diversity is the state of being different and having variety. Diversity is very important on Auburn’s campus. Auburn University has a Diversity Strategic Plan developed in 2006, but AU has taken it a step further with supplemental steps that are stated in the Auburn University Strategic Plan. Auburn pledges to hire additional minority senior-level faculty, develop a minority recruitment program and develop the Diversity Research Institute. Diversity is also part of the university’s mission statement.

The Research Initiative for the Study of Diversity is dedicated to generating research on the differences among people socially and culturally. The Diversity Research Institute will be holding a conference on Oct. 29-30, 2008 at the Auburn Hotel and Conference Center. Registration is $25 and $5 for Auburn students. Six Auburn professors will be receiving the Distinguished Diversity Researcher Award, and there will be guest speakers present.

Dr. Ivan Watts is a part of this diversity movement at Auburn, and he will be attending the conference. Watts is the director of diversity, recruitment and retention for the College of Education and he is quite a busy man. In his position, Watts travels to recruit minority students and faculty to Auburn's College of Education. Watts works hard to develop relationships with de-marginalized populations, visiting poor high schools and recruit them. Watts also teaches Diversity of Learners and Settings, an education foundations class, which teaches students about diversity of the classroom. His class members were invited to attend the conference as well.

Diversity is extremely important to the College of Education, because Auburn must prepare students to be teachers and human service providers to provide a classroom environment that is culturally tolerant and diverse.

“Some people say it is diversity, I call it desegregation,” says Watts. Watts received an undergraduate degree in criminal justice, then received a master's degree in public administration and a doctorate in education.

Watts also developed the Minority Achievement, Retention and Success program. MARS is the first of its kind for the College of Education and is directed towards freshman and sophomore minority students that are education majors. Junior status much be achieved to enter the College of Education, so Watts was determined to make a program that keeps freshman and sophomores from straying to other majors before their junior year. MARS is made up of students that are matched with mentors in the same field of study that help them with study skills, first year coursework and other challenging periods of undergraduate education.

The idea of the program came from Easter Michigan University, who presented their program at a conference. MARS meets twice a month and Watts schedules professors that are minorities and were education majors. The point of these meetings is to open the horizons and inspire MARS students by showing them that education does not only lead to teaching, but research, teaching the profession of education and more.

There are many other programs at Auburn dedicated to diversity. All of them teach to embrace something different from each of us, no matter what ethnicity you are. These programs work hard to create a equal environment in Auburn. It’s all about some variety!



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