Chancellor Phyllis M. Wise told trustees March 7 that campus officials are reviewing all institutional practices to ensure diversity is getting the attention it deserves.
A diverse university - from the student population to faculty and staff members - means far more than statistics and head counts, Wise said.
"It's a matter of excellence," she said. "It's a matter of our competitive edge and taking the competitive advantage. We have to make this an issue that is core to what we do."
Wise said ensuring diversity at every university level is important because it leads to broader perspective, which in turn leads to better ideas and more effective strategies.
In hiring, the chancellor said diversity should be a consideration from the beginning of the search process in an effort "to seek out a more diverse pool of candidates."
"We have to have a diverse faculty or we won't bring in excellent students," she said. "This is an opportunity for us."
She said there already have been some changes made to the student recruitment process that includes a greater focus on top Chicago high school students. She said some trustees have aided in the process by calling some of those students and trying to sway them to attend the U. of I.
"And once the student is here, that's only the beginning," she said, noting the importance of intensifying campus mentoring and support programs to retain underrepresented or minority students who may be the first in their family to attend college.
In her Dashboard Indicators report Wise said the campus remains concerned about graduation and retention rates of underrepresented students and is actively exploring avenues to bring them more in line with peer institutions.
"We have to have mentoring programs for the entire four years," Wise said.
She said the changes are being made with an eye toward the recent case before the U.S. Supreme Court challenging affirmative action guidelines used by the University of Texas in its admissions process.
Depending on the outcome of that case, "We may need to change some of the criteria we're talking about," she said.
Meanwhile, Wise said the university is moving forward and taking action.
"It's time for us to be bold and take this on like never before," she said. "It's a very distinctive moment in time; we must be willing to embrace change and work together toward this goal ... to ensure social inequality does not exist on this campus."
Board Chairman Christopher G. Kennedy said the board supports Wise's diversity efforts.
"We're great fans of you and your leadership," he said.