Discourse is dominated by two small, but vociferous groups-one yelling that diversity has eclipsed all other aspects of college life and the other shouting that colleges remain impervious to diversity. Meanwhile, the rest of the campus community tries to avoid the issue. At best, our survey shows a balkanized campus, in which the zone of tolerance or indifference to offense grows increasingly small. At worse, our survey shows a more and more Hobbesian world, where each group battles against other for resources inside and outside the classroom. In this environment, a climate of political correctness prevails.
Diversity frightens university administrators.
For several years in the early 90's, I directed a training program for senior administrators. Each summer I presented 100 or so presidents, vice presidents, and deans a case study on student efforts to get a women's studies program adopted at a small liberal arts college. Interviews I have had with 14 college presidents in the intervening years produced much the same response. The reason is not that they are trying to shirk responsibility. The reason is that college presidents are hired to solve problems, not to create them.