UR's Approach to Marketing and Retaining Increasing Numbers of Latinx and Hispanic Individuals

According to decades of statistics and research from the census bureau, the Latinx/Hispanic population in the U.S. continues to rise. In 2020, its results indicate that the Latinx and Hispanic population grew 23% since 2010, from 50.5 million to 62.1 million people. These national growth rates are reflected across the different states, as well. For example, in Virginia, these communities have grown to include 10.5% of the population. Within this statistic it also becomes important to note that American born Latinx and Hispanic individuals from mixed families continue to drive these growth rates.

Consequently, not only are these communities increasing in size, but in English proficiency as well. In 2019, 72% of this population 5 years of age or older were fluent in English, a 13% increase from 2000. These data figures demonstrate the cultural and demographic changes occurring all over the country. After processing the information explained above, I had several questions for corporate America regarding the different ways they’ve accounted for these trends. As the U.S. consists of too much territory to tackle in one research project, I decided to focus on Richmond, Virginia. In doing so, I conducted a case study on the University of Richmond to observe their marketing approach in regards to Latinx and Hispanic communities. It also became important to educate myself about the culture within this organization. Hopefully, after reading my article one will develop an understanding of how the trends manifest themselves in real life situations.

The Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal assistance. If institutions are found to be engaging in any of the discriminatory practices stated above, the federal agency providing assistance should either initiate fund termination proceedings or refer the matter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) to ensure that appropriate legal action is pursued..

Thus, the University of Richmond must treat all students, potential or otherwise, with both equity and fairness. If they fail to comply with these laws, they risk losing federal assistance. However, as the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) oversees all schools receiving educational funding from the U.S. government, the implementation requirements remain vague. Given that there are no clear parameters of enforcement, institutions often interpret these laws in various ways, which quickly becomes problematic

Additionally, the 2008 Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act requires colleges to report the percentage of full-time students enrolled by specific categories like gender, race, and ethnicity. Not only does this transparency help the university gauge overall diversity and environment, but it also allows students to learn more about the institution, as well.

After discussing the legalities, I want to consider the student population at UR. Out of the University's 3,164 undergraduates, 38% are students of color. Within this statistic, 10% of the population is Hispanic or Latinx.

When comparing these statistics with those present in the 2020 National Census, the discrepancies immediately become clear. The university must continue to address issues related to racism, systemic oppression, and white supremacy in order to become a diverse institution.

To learn more about how UR approaches these statistics, I reached out to the Office of Admissions. They work with organizations that serve large Latinx communities in order to gain more information regarding these demographics. The Office also consults higher education based companies to learn more about national and regional landscapes. They use this knowledge to recruit in areas with various demographics and socioeconomics. Thirdly, they attend college fairs across the country to engage with a variety of individuals. In the process, Admissions encourages students, faculty, and administrators to participate in events that educate others about UR. They firmly believe that "the more we can show students what's available at Richmond, the more success we will have." Within this dynamic, they also acknowledge the role that parents and guardians play: "The more we can inform and involve parents/guardians, the more success we will likely have. Additionally, the more we connect with partner organizations…that students trust, the better they will be at advising students to give UR a closer look." Building confidence in the college process is essential when it comes to picking schools. Thus, Admissions aims to be transparent with potential students to build deeper connections, which encourages more people to seriously consider the institution.

To help potential families through the college process, Admissions provides several key resources. In addition to virtual and in person programs conducted in Spanish, several members of their staff are also bilingual. They use their skills to engage Spanish speakers in one-onone situations and in group settings. Despite the fact that these crucial resources exist, they aren't clearly advertised on the University's website. Subsequently, to make UR more accessible to Latinx and Hispanic families, the school must increase the number of bilingual resources on their website in a way that is clearly marked and easy to find.

In an effort to make the University more accessible financially, the institution offers several different packages. For any student living in Virginia with a total annual parental income of $60,000 or less, the University guarantees a full scholarship that covers both room and board. UR also offers assistance to students coming from the city of Richmond. They promise to meet the financial needs of individuals that graduated from a Richmond Public or Magnet School by providing grant and scholarship aid. According to Admissions, they “share the myriad of financial aid opportunities available from Richmond for Virginians. We encourage those in Virginia to give Richmond a closer look. [The office] ensures that the message is out there.”

Graph 1, 2021 HERI Staff Climate Survey

Consequently, by educating more people about UR's resources, it becomes clear that the university hopes to attract more students who come from different backgrounds. Even though the University of Richmond advertises these resources to increase the number of diverse students at the school, they don't have any specific goals for these communities. This lack of specificity creates several problems. For one, UR tends to celebrate any increase in diversity. However, in doing so, university officials don't discuss important topics like creating a more welcoming environment, or implementing new programs to help with this transition. As a result, many systemic issues, like racism, never get solved. These tendencies perpetuate harmful dynamics for faculty and students alike. Additionally, these patterns ensure that progress is slow going.

After learning about these trends, I wanted to understand how they relate to faculty demographics. In an interview with UR’s provost, Dr. Legro expressed his desire to develop a broad faculty base to ensure that students have the ability to see themselves and their identities reflected within the University. Afterwards, he explained that over the past four years, the percentage of faculty of color has increased from 14 to 29%. In regards to international staff, the figures grew from 10% in 2014 to 27% in 2021. To better understand faculty demographics, I included the above graph:

As one observes, only 2.2% of the faculty are Latinx or Hispanic professors. These trends become problematic when compared to the Census, as the percentage of Latinx and Hispanic professors isn't representative of local or domestic communities. Not only does UR exclude many capable individuals from becoming professors, but they prevent students from being educated in a setting that supports all types of identities. Subsequently, this dynamic perpetuates an isolating environment that makes it harder to be seen and heard. In conclusion, the University needs to hire more diverse faculty members.

In regards to UR’s distributive leadership model, there are three main aspects. The first part consists of the senior leaders. The president, his cabinet members, the Provost, and all of the vice presidents work to create a sense of urgency when it comes to expanding diversity. In doing so, they model important practices to help encourage the community to lean into various social justice initiatives. The second part includes the Institutional Coordinating Council (ICC), which is composed of students, faculty, and staff who think about long term policies. Tasked with helping the campus align its efforts and goals, they work on developing tools and communications to ease this process.

The third facet consists of Dr. Amy Howard, the Senior Administrative Officer for Equity and Community. She acts as the bridge between the senior leaders and the ICC to ensure that both teams are coordinated with each other as the University works on developing diversity initiatives and goals.

As of now, UR has three main goals when it comes to DEI: “representation (recruiting more diverse students and staff to ensure that the campus community reflect the nation and the city, and the world), belonging (to have an inclusive living, learning, and work environments that allow all members of the community to participate in the institution while also feeling a sense of belonging), and capability (become a skilled intercultural community that enables and enriches an excellent academic experience).” These goals are absolutely essential to the success of the university. However, there are several problems UR faces in trying to achieve the ideals above. For one, the word ‘diversity’ warrants confusion. Oftentimes, people use it to discuss a multitude of topics. Therefore, the meaning of the word becomes ambiguous. Without "a specific delineation of what the concept means in particular contexts, people may construe diversity in a manner consistent with their s ocial motivations.”

Thus, instead of creating a more welcoming environment, “attempts to achieve equitable racial representation via the pursuit of diversity…[allows] people to turn diversity into whatever they want it to be.” This phenomenon exists on campus, as various schools and offices have different ideas of what diversity entails. There are many reasons for these discrepancies, like lack, miscommunication, a lack of coordination, and the presence of shadow values. In a 2019 ICC report, they explain that DEI goals and principles are “frequently disciplined by a set of shadow values, such as prestige, distinctiveness, brand image, risk-aversion, and other values historically associated with patterns of exclusion, privilege, and inequity." Consequently, UR’s distributive leadership model must account for this phenomenon when trying to create an accepting environment.

To demonstrate this dynamic, I compared the Jepson School of Leadership Studies with the Robins Schools of Business. After entering Jepson’s website, they immediately acknowledge that “Our students confront a world marked by pervasive inequities reflecting deep legacies of racism, sexism, and colonialism as well continuing and growing inequalities of wealth and power.” They also explain that in order to commit to equity and inclusion, they must transform

“University culture to create an inclusive, diverse community of learning in which all students engage in the challenge of learning about experiences other than their own.” These quotes indicate that Jepson is aware of systems that disadvantage people of color. As such, they aim to change them in a way that ensures all types of people can establish a sense of belonging and community.

However, when looking at the Robins School of Business, they emphasize different values and goals. On their website, they explain that the school’s “curriculum is built on highquality classroom teaching reinforced by scholarship, heightened experiential learning outside of the classroom, and strong ties and relationships with reputed corporate and government entities.” They highlight different principles, like prestige, quality education, and networking. The only mention of social justice occurs at the very end of the page: “Consistent with our mission, our scholarship addresses important domestic and global topics…[like] management practices and understanding and targeting diverse consumers” Even though the Business School mentions the importance of creating an inclusive environment, they don’t provide additional information about how the institution will achieve this work. Thus, when compared to the Jepson, Robins doesn't emphasize the advancement of social justice initiatives.

In conclusion, while the UR offers impressive academic programs, there is much work to be done to improve the school’s diversity. Even though the distributive leadership model exists to ensure that the campus remains aligned, I found many inconsistencies throughout my research. As the term diversity has a vague meaning, many departments developed their own definitions and goals. In respect to the Office of Admissions, this phenomenon manifested in unclear objectives that fail to create far-reaching change. Instead of focusing on territories with substantial population growth, they locate many staff members in areas like New England, that have more stagnant growth rates. Consequently, they fail to market UR to important communities. Additionally, the existence of white supremacy, shadow values, and racism fosters a harmful environment. Consequently, the University is unable to become a welcoming place for all types of students. Even though there are tools to help initiate progress in these areas, important changes won't occur until all departments recognize these behaviors, discuss them, and work on developing reforms. Only then can UR cultivate an environment that accepts all students in a way that allows them to thrive.

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