A proposal to enhance racial and ethnic diversity at the University of     Pennsylvania Law School. October 2002

Lack of faculty and administrative diversity, low student of color enrollment and limited curricular options foster an unwelcoming environment for most students of color at the University of Pennsylvania Law School (" Law School "). The seeming lack of adequate racial and ethnic diversity affects all students' educational experience while at the Law School , alumni's interest in participating in the life of the Law School after graduation, and ultimately Penn's standing as a top-ranked legal institution. The United Law Students of Color Council ("ULSCC") and its member organizations, the Black Law Students Association ("BLSA"), the Latin American Law Students Association ("LALSA"), the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA), and the South Asian Law Students Association ("SALSA") propose this Diversity Initiative ("Initiative") as a set of policy recommendations to be adopted and implemented by the Dean, Michael Fitts. The Initiative is the product of a series of discussions amongst the organizations' leadership beginning in the spring of 2002 and continuing through the current Fall 2002 semester. While the ULSCC recognizes and supports efforts to address the Law School's diversity issues more broadly, including meeting the needs of women, and gays and lesbians, this proposal specifically addresses concerns of race and ethnicity.

The Initiative combines three separate yet interrelated components: Administration, Marketing, and Financial Aid.

Assistant Dean of Minority Affairs

The Law School has expressed a commitment to diversity and minority affairs. Hiring an Assistant Dean of Minority Student Affairs will attract minority students and play a role in enlarging the pool of minority students who accept offers of admission. The Law School has a unique opportunity to play a leading role in the commitment to diversity nationwide. Because the Law School is currently conducting a nationwide search for a Dean of Admissions, it is the perfect time to attract top level candidates who share a commitment to diversity. This job description is modeled on various positions at the Law School 's peer institutions. Compensation would be commensurate with comparable job titles.

The Assistant Dean of Minority Student Affairs will participate in the creation and development of a minority recruitment and matriculation program in conjunction with the new Assistant Dean of Admissions. With the Dean of Students, the Assistant Dean will develop extracurricular and scholastic opportunities for minority students and be actively involved with the organizations dedicated to representing those groups (i.e., ULSCC and its member organizations).

Specifically, in the admissions context, the Assistant Dean will:

Administer daily operations and ongoing program development for the minority application process.

Research, develop and implement strategies to recruit, admit, and matriculate qualified minority students.

Develop and implement programs designed to orient and retain matriculated minority students.

Represent the interests of the minority student population to the Faculty Admissions Committee and the Dean. Where appropriate, participate on related internal and external committees and task forces.

Design marketing plans and evaluate ongoing recruitment and marketing plan effectiveness. Organize and implement the marketing strategies outlined in section II of this proposal.

In the student affairs context, the Assistant Dean will:

Maintain a budget for cultural, academic, and professional programs geared toward minority students.

Coordinate efforts of a staff that consists of an Assistant Director of Minority Affairs and the Administrative Coordinator, Julie Colleluori.

Select, train and coordinate the daily functions of the staff and provide opportunities for professional development activities.

Facilitate the training and leadership development activities for student leaders in the Law School .

Facilitate diversity awareness training and educational programming for the Law School Faculty and Staff.

Serve as advisor to the United Law Students of Color Council and its constituent groups.

Develop a system for students to communicate their needs and have a forum for discussing sensitive issues.

Serve on committees and working groups for the on-going development of the minority recruitment and matriculation efforts with peer institutions and University-wide affiliates (e.g., La Casa Latina, the Greenfield Intercultural Center , the African American Resource Center, the Pre-Law Mentor Program).

Facilitate a working relationship with the Deans, Faculty, Public Interest Program, and Career Planning Office to service the interests of minority students.

Consult and communicate regularly with the Dean, Vice Dean of Student Affairs, Dean of Students, Assistant Dean of Admissions, and other key administrators.

Write a column in the Penn Journal outlining the progress of the Initiative including event announcements, updates on programming, etc.

Faculty Committee on Diversity, A Sub-committee on Faculty Appointments

Faculty diversity affects prospective students' interest in the Law School and current students' feeling of inclusion while at the Law School . In this era of increasing globalization, the diversity of the faculty will further distinguish the Law School as a top school. The Faculty Committee on Diversity will act as a subcommittee to the Faculty Appointments Committee. The new committee will recruit and attract a diverse applicant pool for faculty appointments and making recommendations to the Faculty Appointments Committee. The Committee will be charged with identifying, recruiting, and retaining top scholars of color in their respective academic fields. Strategies can include attracting adjunct and visiting professors with the potential for tenured appointments, inviting guest lecturers, announcing job openings to qualified minority candidates. The Committee will make regular reports to the Dean and the Dean will make annual reports to the student community at-large. As it does with all other faculty committees, the Council of Student Representatives will appoint student representatives to this committee.

Student Committee on Diversity

To be responsive to the needs of its students of color, the Administration (comprised of the Dean, Vice Dean of Student Affairs, Dean of Students, Assistant Dean of Minority Affairs, Assistant Dean of Admissions, and other key administrators) must establish a mechanism of ongoing dialogue with the student body. The Student Committee on Diversity will serve as an advisor to the Administration on matters of racial and ethnic diversity in admissions and financial aid, curriculum, student life, and faculty appointments. The purpose of the student committee will be to:

1. Consult with the Assistant Dean of Minority Affairs, Assistant Dean of Admissions and the Faculty Committee on Diversity.

2. Assist in the execution of existing programs designed to promote diversity in law school admissions.

3. Work with the Assistant Dean of Minority Affairs in carrying out her/his duties as outlined in section I of this Initiative.

4. Produce bi-annual advisory opinions concerning matters of minority admissions and financial aid, curriculum, student life, and faculty appointments.

5. Meet regularly with the Dean to discuss the Initiative and other matters of concern as they arise.

This committee will be comprised of the presidents of ULSCC's member organizations and three positions elected from the general student body.

To substantiate its commitment to creating a consistently diverse community, the Law School must project an image of inclusion to the world outside the Law School . A marketing strategy focused on diversity will broaden the applicant pool and increase students of color's interest in attending the institution. It will also serve to foster a sense of community amongst current students and alumni.

These strategies will include:

1. Higginbotham Scholars Program : a civil rights scholarship program awarded on the basis of an essay and interview selection process:

1.1. Fellows. Awarded to 10 students dedicated to civil rights and critical race theory, in the amount of a minimum of $5000; and

1.2. Scholars. Awarded to exceptional students dedicated to civil rights and critical race theory to include either 2/3 tuition or loan forgiveness, a summer stipend for public interest internship (for which qualifications should be outlined in the scholarship), and financial/faculty support for organizing civil rights and critical race theory programming in the form of a Civil Rights Institute.

2. Civil Rights Institute : a think tank dedicated to exploring academic, professional, and legal issues of civil rights and critical race theory through conferences, programming and engagement with the greater community.

3. Minority Scholars Admissions Programs : events for both prospective and admitted students of color in selected cities, particularly those cities with high concentrations of traditionally disadvantaged minorities (e.g. New York City , Chicago, Los Angeles , Atlanta , Washington D.C. )

4. Coalition for Change: a consortium of key university administrators at the University of Pennsylvania dedicated to increasing interest in and applications to law schools, in particular the Law School . Among other activities, this group would:

4.1. Host visits to law schools.

4.2. Provide financial and academic support and mentorship to programs geared toward disadvantaged minority students (e.g., The Pre-Law Mentor Program; Minority Scholars Program, La Casa Latina, The African American Resource Center).

4.3. Work with other area institutions (both higher education and secondary) to increase interest in Penn Law.

5. The Diversity Initiative Fund: an annual giving campaign incorporated into the overall strategic giving program for the Law School , designed and organized by the Alumni Development Office that requests alumni financial contributions specifically dedicated to funding the expenditures outlined in this Initiative. The campaign should include correspondence from the Dean, the Assistant Dean of Minority Affairs and the leaders of the representative student groups. Students should actively participate in contacting alumni in writing and by telephone. A portion of the Diversity Initiative Fund should go to the Sadie T.M. Alexander Civil Rights Chair Fund.

A key consideration for students of color in choosing a law school is the adequacy of the financial support provided. Name, recognition, and ranking no longer guarantee that students will be able to attend the Law School . Peer institutions may succeed in drawing qualified minority candidates away from the Law School by outmatching the financial support to those candidates. Providing competitive financial aid is an important component to Penn's Diversity Initiative.

A guarantee of funding, even if in the form of loans, will help encourage students to attend the Law School . Programs should include:

1. Grants and Scholarship aid (as outlined in section II). The Law School should consider and explore guaranteed sources of funding to support Penn Law students' access to loans.

2. Loan Forgiveness Plan: comparable to those offered at peer institutions, offered to students who work in the public sector. This plan should increase the income cap to qualify for forgiveness by $10,000. It should increase the payment cap to $15,000 a year.

3. Alternative Sources of Funding: distribution of materials and hosting of informational sessions to alert students to alternative sources of funding (e.g., the Hispanic Bar Association scholarship).