Why are universities so obsessed with diversity?

[Ace Librarian]

I'd say that there a number of reasons:

1. We live in an increasingly diverse country. Today's students will be working a diverse work force, and universities feel their students should get used to dealing with people of different backgrounds.

2. Universities (especially the top schools) are sometimes accused of being elitist institutions. By publicizing how diverse the are they diffuse this criticism.

3. Many universities feel it is part of their mission to educate the under-privileged.

4. (This is more of a guess). Colleges are increasing concerned with statistics, and it is easier to keep track of how diverse the student population is than to check how much their graduates earn.