UMW falsely advertises the diversity of its student body

DUKE MORISSET

Staff Writer

The University of Mary Washington continues to promote that it is a diverse college, even though that could not be further from the truth. In doing this, the administration poorly reflects their stated values by falsely marketing themselves as a diverse or inclusive institution. 

Upon looking at the UMW homepage, one can find the slideshow of featured stories and topics that the campus promotes. Currently, one of the slides reads “Dedicated to Diversity” and shows Desmoné Logan, a student who is being honored for her work. The article focuses on her contributions to the campus’s diversity and inclusion. However, if someone were to only read the title of the slide and see the picture of the student, it would seem like UMW is the one that’s “Dedicated to Diversity.”

For anyone that goes here, it is clear that ethnic groups on campus are small in population. According to a statistic from College Simply, the percentage of students on the UMW campus who identify as white is about 70 percent, while the percentage of any other ethnic group is below 10 percent with a couple of them actually being 0 percent.

UMW promotes this false narrative through the pictures they post. I have personally witnessed the University staging photos for their social media, website and brochures. I remember being outside on the fourth floor of the University Center, witnessing a UMW photographer stage a photo of mostly ethnic individuals, along with three or four students who appeared to be white. The photo ended up on the homepage of the university’s website, where the title was trying to convey a message of diversity and inclusiveness. This photo and post is an exaggeration of diversity on campus.

“It is honestly sad that this campus feels the need to lie,” said senior communication and digital studies major William Moore, who is a member of the Black Student Association on campus. “Why would I trust a liar with securing my safety, especially as a Black student?”

Anyone who knows anything about this university knows that it is a predominantly white institution, and giving students the illusion of diversity and inclusion on top of that is inappropriate. Students of color should not have to be persuaded or tricked into believing that there is diversity at this institution. 

“Do they expect us to not notice anything amiss as soon as we arrive on campus?” said Collin Chinn, a senior business administration major. “Like, do they expect me not to notice the lack of other Black students on campus?” 

According to an article published by NPR called “A Campus More Colorful Than Reality: Beware That College Brochure,” colleges try to sell this idea of diversity like it is something you can buy at a store instead of being honest about what actually occurs on campus. 

When UMW came to visit my high school, which was very diverse and historically Black, the only African-American admissions counselor at UMW was the one who presented and promoted this school as a diverse campus. The presentation included brochures that seemed to back up the claim of diversity, but once I arrived, it was not what was advertised.

Due to the false advertising, I was not prepared for the huge culture shock that I experienced on campus, since the presentation I received in high school did not reflect the same level of diversity the university actually has. Having a diverse population was an important factor when I was deciding which colleges I was going to apply to. 

College can be a big next step for many people, including myself, and being able to find a community I could associate myself with would make it easier to settle in a place where I may not know many people.

It is honestly disgusting that UMW feels like falsely advertising themselves is the only way to get students of color on their campus. If they have to fake their image to attract ethnically diverse students, they clearly aren’t doing enough, if anything, to create a campus where non-white students feel welcome.

Administration and faculty obviously see that there is an issue of the lack of diversity of this campus, so what would be the next step? A good place to start would be removing the white professors who currently teach classes heavily involving race because they can not relate to the experiences that the material is based on. A student should not have to accept a white professor inappropriately using the N-word just because the literature used in class uses that type of term. 

I agree that it is not easy to increase the diversity of a university that is frequently labeled as a predominantly white institution, and it may seem that the administration has to lie in order to increase those numbers. However, lying does not leave current and future students with a good impression of UMW. 

The University is also ignorant about topics such as the white supremacy advertising that occurs multiple times throughout the year. White supremacist groups have spread propaganda so frequently that it is considered “old news” on campus, and administrators do nothing but remove the propaganda and send an email about it. Additionally, the school’s rebranding was butchered by appropriating the “matters” concept that was first coined by the Black Lives Matter movement. These actions only amplify the argument that UMW does not have respect for its students of color who can find it hard to succeed in such a hostile environment. 

I also had a friend who left UMW for a Historically Black College or University due to her not being able to adapt to the lack of diversity on campus, which was opposite of what UMW promised through their advertising. 

The UMW Student Transition Program that occurs over the summer reflects a diverse campus. However, once those students return for the fall semester, the “diverse” environment is not even close to what the program implies. 

One thing is certain: the University of Mary Washington is not diverse. Until the faculty and staff actually want to incite real change to encourage more ethnic students to attend this school, diversity and inclusion will continue to be false advertisements perpetuated to people on and off campus.