Jack Meacham says it s important to have diversity in the classroom to help prepare students for life. A little more than 10 years ago, UB was part of a national dialogue on whether courses about race and gender should be taught at colleges and universities. For Meacham, SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor and chair of the Department of Psychology, it was an exciting time, and one that naturally propelled him into his current trajectory as diversity consultant, educator and speaker. Meacham has devoted himself to these students, trying to provide an unbiased perspective on issues he hopes will better prepare them for life beyond college.
Campuses have a responsibility to prepare students to go out into American society as it is.
And as it is, the United States' demography is changing rapidly. Students' survival, however, largely depends on their willingness to pursue diversity in their own education. My guess is there are huge differences in how people graduate as seniors. It's part of UB's mission statement. Meacham takes this mission very seriously.