Press Release

New York, NY (November 16, 2006) - The Teagle Foundation has released a report that challenges all colleges and universities to carefully reexamine their diversity programs, with a special emphasis on outcomes and assessment. Led by a team from Cornell University, the report, Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in College Completion and Achievement: Current Initiatives, New Ideas, and Assessment, examines new strategies designed to reduce racial and ethnic disparities on college campuses.

"Addressing equality in the college admissions process is important, but racial and ethnic disparities persist long after students arrive on campus," said W. Robert Connor, president of the Teagle Foundation. "We will never truly achieve equality in higher education until all students excel and graduate at similar rates. This report will be a valuable tool for administrators and faculty trying to achieve that goal."

"While ongoing financial, moral, and political commitments will be necessary to resolve some of the complex issues surrounding diversity in higher education, this report provides a solid first step by identifying specific issues that need addressing," said Professor David Harris, vice provost for the social sciences at Cornell University and co-author of the study. "We are grateful for the support we have received from the Teagle Foundation, and the senior administration at each of our colleges and universities."

While volumes of research have focused on racial disparities in academic success among children and adolescents, relatively little work systematically examines racial and ethnic disparities among college students. Evidence of the need to focus on college completion appears in recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics, which report six-year graduation rates of 71 percent for Asian Americans, 67 percent for whites, 47 percent for Latinos, and 46 percent for African Americans.

Responding to racial and ethnic disparities on campus, colleges and universities have implemented a host of financial aid, mentoring, tutoring, and social support programs. However, with little effort to catalog or assess these programs, it is not clear that colleges and universities are receiving a high return on their investments in diversity initiatives.

Visit www.teaglefoundation.org to download a copy of this report or for more information on the Teagle Foundation and all of its programs. A podcast of W. Robert Connor interviewing Professor David Harris on the report is also available.

About the Teagle Foundation
The Teagle Foundation is committed to providing intellectual and financial leadership in the effort to promote and strengthen liberal education. Over the last two years, the Teagle Foundation has made over $5.1 million in grants through its Outcomes and Assessment initiative and over $1.9 million through its Fresh Thinking initiative.

Contact information:

Teagle Contact:
Donna Heiland
212-373-1972

Cornell Contact:
Nicola Pytell
Phone: 607-254-6236
Cell: 607-351-3548
nwp2@cornell.edu