An article in this week's Chronicle explores the proliferation of student organizations.
Many colleges report significant increases in the number of student groups in recent years.
Groups are splitting and becoming more specialized, by area of interest and by ethnicity. Even within ethnic groups, this trend is evident as colleges that used to have organizations for Asian or Latino students now also have a dozen smaller groups for students from various countries or regions. Many students applaud this trend. They say it provides them with more options, creates supportive environments, and promotes pluralism. But some experts on campus life fear that the trend is nothing more than Balkanization.