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Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Undergraduate Social Work Programs:

How are Programs in Rural Areas Faring?

David L. Beimers

Brian Warner

Paul Force-Emery Mackie

Minnesota State University, Mankato

Abstract. Social work programs have a long-standing commitment to recruiting and educating

racially and ethnically diverse students. However, some programs in rural areas have greater

difficulty meeting this commitment. This study examined racial and ethnic diversity within

baccalaureate social work (BSW) programs, focusing primarily on student enrollment, faculty,

perceptions of diversity, and interventions to attract students. Program directors of BSW

programs from 10 Midwestern states were surveyed. Forty-two programs responded. The

results indicate that as a whole, social work programs differ in their levels of racial and ethnic

diversity. However, BSW programs in rural areas tend to have fewer students and fewer faculty

who are racially or ethnically diverse. BSW program directors recognize lack of diversity as an

issue, yet strategies that have been used to increase diversity have been only minimally

effective. Implications for social work programs and strategies to enhance diversity are

discussed.

Keywords: racial and ethnic diversity, recruitment, rural, social work education, students

The United States is becoming an increasingly racially and ethnically diverse society.

The populations in the United States that identify as Hispanic or Latino origin, as well as people

who identify as Asian each grew by 43% between 2000 and 2010 (Humes, Jones, & Ramirez,

2011). A change in diversity is also taking place on college campuses. Enrollment rates among

college-age Hispanics reached 15% of the overall enrollment of young adults in two- or four-

year colleges in 2010, representing a new high for the share of college students (Fry, 2011).

Attracting racially and ethnically diverse college students has long been desirous for

many academic disciplines on college campuses, including social work programs. A 1998

national opinion poll sponsored by the Ford Foundation’s Campus Diversity Initiative (as cited

in Smith & Schonfeld, 2000) reported that “over 90% of the public believe that diversity is

important and that higher education has an important role in fostering it” (p. 17). Having a

diverse student population helps to overcome historical oppression, enhance multicultural

practice, and benefits student learning (Denson & Chang, 2009; Terenzini, Cabrera, Colbeck,

Bjorklund, & Parente, 2001). Interactions with students who are racially and ethnically diverse

can lead to greater understanding of how social problems affect diverse populations (Luo &

Jamieson-Drake, 2009). Students of a different race or ethnicity can also bring a diverse way of

thinking to classrooms (Chang, Denson, Saenz, & Misa, 2006). Thus, student diversity can

enhance the campus experience in numerous ways.

Beimers, Warner, & Mackie, Contemporary Rural Social Work, Vol. 5, 2013 1

For students who have grown up in a racially or ethnically homogenous community, a

university may be one of the first places where they have a chance to interact with students

different from themselves (Klomegah, 2006). Interacting with a racially or ethnically diverse

student population leads one to question their own beliefs and value system (Luo & Jamieson-

Drake, 2009) and could potentially aid the development of leadership skills that are valuable to

post-college life (Jayakumar, 2008). Positive interactions with students who are racially or

ethnically diverse as well as involvement in courses with diversity content can lead to greater

social agency, increased critical thinking, and greater academic self-confidence (Nelson Laird,

2005). A diverse campus results in beneficial intellectual engagement and academic skills, as

well as increased active thinking (Gurin, Dey, Hurtado, & Gurin, 2002).

There can be some negative aspects to lack of diversity on campuses. Racially and

ethnically diverse students may struggle as a result of dealing with other burdens in addition to

scholastic achievement (James, 1998). These burdens include issues such as discrimination,

poor schools, and poverty. On predominantly white campuses, the underrepresentation of

students who are racially or ethnically diverse can produce both negative social stigma (Fries-

Britt & Turner, 2001) and stressors (Smedley, Myers, & Harrell, 1993) that negatively impact

their academic performance.

Students who attend colleges that are more racially diverse tend to have fewer negative

stereotypes about people of other races and they are less fearful in interracial settings (Hurtado,

Milem, Clayton-Pedersen, & Allen, 1998); perspectives that are essential for social workers

practicing in diverse environments. Greater diversity on campus also results in greater

satisfaction with the college setting and increased self-esteem (Hurtado et al., 1998). Finally,

increased racial and ethnic diversity can also benefit existing faculty who may experience an

enhanced learning environment as well as personal growth (Maruyama, Moreno, Gudeman, &

Marin, 2000).

Perhaps the most important factor is that promoting the education of students who are

racially and ethnically diverse is significant to our society as a whole. Educating diverse

populations means that our community leaders and our policy makers will be more racially and

ethnically diverse (Klomegah, 2006). Furthermore, involvement with diverse populations in

college can influence graduates as they become leaders beyond college (Luo & Jamieson-

Drake, 2009).

The benefits of racial and ethnic diversity on college campuses extend beyond the

student body. Faculty who are racially or ethnically diverse may experience less isolation when

teaching on a campus where there is greater diversity among faculty and students (Antonio,

2003). University leaders understand that while culture, perception, and history make it difficult

for colleges and universities to recruit and maintain faculty who are racially or ethnically

diverse, it is important for students who represent similar diversity that efforts are made to

expand diversity among faculty (Brunner, 2006).

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Undergraduate Social Work Programs: How are Programs in Rural Areas Faring? 2

As a profession, social work has long been committed to diversity in education. The

Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Commission on Accreditation has had a mandatory

nondiscrimination standard for more than 50 years (Van Soest, 1995). As a whole, social work

education does an adequate job of granting degrees to students from racially and ethnically

backgrounds that have been historically underrepresented in higher education. In 2009, 37% of

graduates at the baccalaureate social work (BSW) level were from historically underrepresented

populations (CSWE, 2011), a number that mirrors the overall proportion of the population in

the United States (Humes et al., 2011).

Clearly, social work programs should, and many do, foster environments that promote

the education of students who are racially and ethnically diverse. Yet, some social work

programs, especially those in rural areas, tend to lack racial and ethnic diversity among the

student population. Research suggests that BSW programs can successfully retain students who

are racially or ethnically diverse, once they are enrolled (Clark, Garza, & Hipple, 2003). While

there is a sizeable historical literature on recruitment of racially and ethnically diverse students

into the social work profession (e.g., Raber, Febb, & Berg-Weger, 1998), there is limited

research in this area over the past few decades, despite the fact that schools still struggle with

this issue.

Lack of racial and ethnic diversity poses two key challenges for social work programs.

First, a lack of racial and ethnic diversity among the student population is inconsistent with the

values of the social work profession. Second, social work programs are charged by the CSWE

in accreditation standard 3.1.3 to have “specific plans to improve the learning environment to

affirm and support persons with diverse identities” (CSWE, 2008, p.11). While racial and ethnic

diversity represent only one aspect of diversity, it is an area where social workers can anticipate

increased practice exposure.

One important element of the academic learning environment is the demographic

make-up of the students, faculty, and staff in the social work program and on the campus

at-large. As such, it is incumbent upon BSW programs to know their demographics, to have

clear plans to increase racial and ethnic diversity, and to examine whether those plans are

effective.

This research study was conducted as part of a self-study of a rural, Midwestern public

university in preparation for reaffirmation of accreditation of their BSW program. The

institution recognized that in order to better respond to the CSWE accreditation standard 3.1, it

would be helpful to understand the learning environment of other BSW programs within the

region and the strategies that those BSW programs used to recruit and support students who are

racially or ethnically diverse on their campuses. The authors recognize that race and ethnicity

represent only two aspects of diversity and difference with which social work programs should

be concerned. The present study focuses explicitly on race and ethnicity primarily because these

are areas of diversity where the university has struggled despite efforts to improve the learning

environment specifically for faculty and students who are racially and ethnically diverse. The

goal of the present study was to address this specific programmatic concern by exploring the

experiences of other similar schools. The research questions guiding this study were:

Beimers, Warner, & Mackie, Contemporary Rural Social Work, Vol. 5, 2013 3

1. Do BSW program directors believe their programs lack racial and ethnic diversity?

2. What relationship exists between geographic location and racial and ethnic diversity

of students and instructors?

3. What interventions (if any) have the BSW program directors used in an effort to

increase racial and ethnic diversity within their programs?

Literature Review

Increasing Diversity

There have been several suggestions on how to increase racial and ethnic diversity

among students on college campuses in general and within social work programs in particular.

However, the literature in this area is quite sparse with little attention to schools in rural

settings. One strategy is to increase the proportion of faculty who are racially and ethnically

diverse. The logic is that students who are racially or ethnically diverse may feel more

comfortable in a social work program if there is greater diversity represented among the faculty

members (Roberts & Smith, 2002). Similarly, faculty who are racially or ethnically diverse may

also feel less isolated on campuses where there is greater diversity among faculty (Antonio,

2003).

In order to promote enrollment, one suggestion is to use alternative methods for

admission to social work programs (James, 1998; Watson & Rycraft, 2010). Using strictly

GPA’s and standardized test scores may keep racially and ethnically diverse students out of

social work programs. One strategy that has been shown effective is to provide an enhancement

seminar to develop the basic skills and knowledge needed for success in a social work program

(Watson & Rycraft, 2010).

Colleges and universities can also develop targeted programs that recruit and retain

students who are ethnically and racially diverse (Clark et al., 2003; Misra & McMahon, 2006),

although retention services may be underutilized if not sufficiently marketed (Clark et al.,

2003). There is some evidence that colleges in rural areas can successfully recruit and retain

faculty who are ethnically or racially diverse, with the appropriate supports (Shinnar &

Williams, 2008). Faculty are an especially important recruitment and retention resource for first

generation students who may struggle with the transition to college (McHatton, Zalaquett, &

Cranson-Gingras, 2006).

Assistance with payment for the costs of college is another important consideration for

students (McHatton et al., 2006). Financial aid can be an influential factor in determining

college enrollment among African-American and Latino college students (St. John & Noell,

1989). As perceived costs of college rise, likelihood of enrolling in college decreases among

African-American and Latino students (Perna, 2000). A related concern is that some parents

and students may lack information about opportunities for financing college, which could

ultimately delay any considerations of attending college (Zarate & Burciaga, 2010). Making

available more institution-based financial aid, grants, and scholarships is helpful not only for

attracting racially and ethnically diverse students, but also for retaining those students once they

enter college (Seidman, 2005).

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Undergraduate Social Work Programs: How are Programs in Rural Areas Faring? 4

Methodology

The research design chosen for this study is a cross-sectional survey. The sample for this

cross-sectional survey consists of BSW program directors at colleges and universities from a 10

state area in the upper Midwest part of the United States. Only schools that have a BSW

program accredited by the CSWE were included in the study. Contact information for programs

was obtained from the CSWE website, which has a list of every BSW program director’s name

and contact information. The survey was administered electronically using email and Survey-

Monkey. Initial emails were sent out giving the BSW program directors two weeks to respond.

Two follow up email requests were sent in that span to encourage responses.

Measures

The survey consisted of 14 questions. The questions focused on program demographics,

perspectives of diversity in their programs, strategies used to increase enrollment of racially and

ethnically diverse students, and the perceived effectiveness of those strategies.

Demographics. Eight questions focused on BSW program demographics. These

included the state in which the institution resided, the type of institution, the social work

degrees offered, the setting of the institution, the number of students in the BSW program, the

number of full-time and part time-staff, and the ethnic and racial diversity of the social work

students and faculty.

Diversity perspectives. BSW program directors were asked their perception of diversity

within the program. If there was a perceived lack of diversity, the respondent was asked

whether the lack of diversity was a problem, ranging from not at all a problem to a serious

problem.

Strategies used to increase diversity. Several questions asked about specific

interventions that the school might have used to attract students, such as financial aid,

alternative methods for admissions (e.g., using methods other than GPA and test scores to admit

students), and available academic support, such as tutoring sessions. Respondents were asked to

identify which of these strategies their program utilized. The respondents were also asked to

rate the effectiveness of the strategies using a five-item Likert scale ranging from 1 (not at all

effective) to 5 (extremely effective).

Findings

A total of 123 BSW programs were surveyed. Forty responses contained valid data and

were used for data analysis. The 40 programs represented three geographic areas: 12 (30.0%)

identified themselves as rural, 15 (37.5%) identified themselves as urban, and 13 (32.5%)

identified themselves as residing in a suburban area.

Beimers, Warner, & Mackie, Contemporary Rural Social Work, Vol. 5, 2013 5

Racial and Ethnic Makeup of BSW Students

On average, programs reported that there were 121.2 students in their BSW program. Of

those students, an average of 25.9 (23.5%) were identified as representing a racially or

ethnically diverse population. The mean number of students, overall and by geographic region,

is represented in Table 1. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test for

differences in the proportion of BSW students across the three geographic settings. The

proportion of students differed significantly, F(2, 36) = 8.11, p = .001. Post-hoc comparisons of

the three groups indicate that the rural setting, M = 0.086, 95% CI [0.064, 0.108], had a

significantly lower proportion of racially or ethnically diverse students as compared to the

suburban setting, M = 0.350, 95% CI [0.226, 0.473], p < .001 or the urban setting, M = 0.272,

95% CI [0.161, 0.384], p = .006. Comparisons between the urban and suburban settings were

not significantly different.

Table 1

Program Characteristics by

Setting

* = p < .05 (F value)

Racial and Ethnic Makeup of BSW Faculty

Thirty-seven respondents reported data on faculty in their BSW programs. Thirty-five of

those respondents also reported the number of faculty that represented a racially or ethnically

diverse population. Overall, respondents posted an average of 6.71 full-time faculty in the BSW

programs. Of those faculty, an average of 1.75 (20.5%) were identified as racially or ethnically

diverse. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test for differences in the

proportion of full-time faculty across the three geographic settings. Among full-time faculty,

the proportion of diverse faculty differed significantly by geographic setting, F(2, 32) = 3.86,

p = .032. Post-hoc comparisons of the three groups indicate that the rural setting, M = 0.108,

Setting

Rural
Institutions

(n = 12)

Urban
Institutions

(n = 15)

Suburban
Institutions

(n = 13)

Student Characteristics

Mean number of BSW students 110.8 135.4 99.1

Mean number of diverse BSW students* 9.3 33.3 32.8

Faculty Characteristics

Mean number full-time BSW faculty 3.6 11.5 4.0

Mean number of full-time diverse BSW

faculty*

0.4 3.6 0.9

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Undergraduate Social Work Programs: How are Programs in Rural Areas Faring? 6

95% CI [0.003, 0.214], had a significantly lower proportion of faculty identified as racially or

ethnically diverse as compared to the BSW programs in an urban setting, M = 0.312,

95% CI [0.201, 0.423], p = .012. Differences among the suburban settings were not significant.

Interventions to Increase Diversity

Respondents were asked to identify what interventions were used to increase enrollment

of racially or ethnically diverse students into their BSW programs. Thirty-six BSW program

directors responded to this question (see Table 2). Overall, there were two strategies that were

used by the majority of the schools surveyed. The most commonly endorsed strategy was

additional academic support with 68.1% of schools reporting that they offered academic support

as a way to increase racial and ethnic diversity in their BSW program. The second most

common strategy was the provision of financial assistance, such as academic scholarships, with

55.9% of schools using this approach.

Table 2

Percentage of Interventions Used by Rural, Urban, and Suburban Institutions to Recruit and

Retain Diverse Students

There were some differences in the use of strategies by geographic location of the

schools. For rural institutions, the most popular interventions were scholarships for students

(66.7%), followed by additional academic assistance (58.3%). All of the respondents from rural

BSW programs indicated that they used at least one intervention to increase enrollment of

racially or ethnically diverse students.

Urban schools used fewer interventions to recruit students. Respondents from urban

institutions identified additional academic support as the most popular interventions (40%),

followed by financial scholarships (26.7%). Interestingly, one-third of urban respondents stated

that they did not use any strategies to recruit students who represent a racially or ethnically

diverse population.

Interventions

Rural
Institutions

(n = 10)

Urban
Institutions

(n = 13)

Suburban
Institutions

(n = 12)

Offers financial scholarships 66.7 26.7 53.8

Offers financial aid 33.3 6.7 23.1

Offers additional academic assistance 58.3 40.0 61.5

Offers alternative admissions process 8.3 13.3 15.4

Beimers, Warner, & Mackie, Contemporary Rural Social Work, Vol. 5, 2013 7

Respondents from suburban institutions listed additional academic support as the most

popular intervention (61.5%), followed by additional scholarships (53.8%). A small number of

suburban institutions (16.7%) reported that they did not use any interventions to increase

enrollment of racially or ethnically diverse students in their BSW programs.

Respondents were asked to rate the effectiveness of their interventions. Rural

institutions gave an average effectiveness rating of 2.73. In contrast, suburban schools gave an

average effective rating of 3.40, with 50% of schools giving a rating of four or above. Urban

schools that used strategies had an average effective rating of 3.70 with 60% of respondents

giving a rating of four or above. A Mann-Whitney U test was conducted to evaluate whether the

rural schools would score lower, on the average, than non-rural schools (urban and suburban

combined) when comparing the effectiveness of their interventions. The results of the test were

significant, z = 2.07, p < .05. Rural schools had an average rank of 11.64, while non-rural

schools had an average rank of 18.40.

Programs that Lack Diversity

Finally, BSW program directors were asked their perception as to whether their program

lacked racial or ethnic diversity. Thirty-eight BSW program directors responded to this question

with 19 (50%) responding that their program did lack racial and ethnic diversity and the other

half reporting that they did not believe their BSW program lacked diversity. Of those that stated

they believed their program lacked diversity, three (15.8%) stated that it was a minor problem;

10 (52.6%) believed it was somewhat of a problem, and six (31.6%) reported it as a serious

problem.

Those BSW programs that perceived a lack in racial and ethnic diversity differed in

some significant ways from the programs that did not perceive a lack of diversity. First, the size

of the program differed dramatically, as programs that did not believe they lacked diversity

(M = 89.5) were significantly smaller, t(36) = 2.76, p < .01, than the programs that perceived a

lack of diversity (M = 152.6). A second difference was the proportion of BSW students who

represented a racially or ethnically diverse population. The proportion of students who were

identified as racially or ethnically diverse was significantly higher in the programs that did not

perceive a lack of diversity (M = 32.12) as compared to those schools that did perceive a lack of

diversity (M = 15.35). A t–test confirmed the difference between the two groups, t(36) = 2.88,

p < .01.

There was little difference between the two groups of programs in strategies used to

enhance racial and ethnic diversity (see Table 3). The group of BSW programs that did not

perceive a lack of racial or ethnic diversity more commonly used strategies to enhance diversity

(e.g., 57.9% as compared to 42.1% offered scholarships), although the differences were not

significant. However, the one difference that was significant is in the perceived effectiveness of

the strategies that were used to enhance diversity. Programs that perceived a lack of diversity

rated their strategies as less effective (M = 2.75) as compared to those programs that did not

perceive a lack of effectiveness (M = 3.75), resulting in a significant difference, t(30) = 3.16,

p < .01.

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Undergraduate Social Work Programs: How are Programs in Rural Areas Faring? 8

Table 3

Percentage Difference in Perception of Racial and Ethnic Diversity

Discussion

There are several findings here that warrant further discussion. We will focus on the

differences based upon rural setting, the perception of diversity among program directors, and

success of interventions at increasing diversity. However, we would first like to acknowledge

that there were some limitations to the design of the study. The response rate was somewhat

low, with only one-third of contacted programs responding to the request for information. There

were also some inconsistencies with the reported data from some of the cases, which required

data to be excluded. Also, because the study utilized a survey methodology, there was limited

ability to control for the accuracy of reported data. However, as the data was obtained from

BSW program directors who have responsibility for reporting program statistics to CSWE, the

data is expected to have strong reliability. Finally, the research focuses only on one aspect of

diversity (structural), whereas other, potentially more meaningful types of diversity are not

included here.

Perceptions of Diversity

One finding that deserves further discussion is the difference in perceptions of diversity

among program directors. Half of the respondents indicated that their BSW program lacked the

level of racial or ethnic diversity that they would like their program to have. The responses of

those program directors were logical. Those programs that felt they lacked racial and ethnic

diversity did have fewer diverse students, suggesting that programs are aware of their patterns

of enrollment and that the program directors are thinking about how it reflects on their social

work program. Interestingly, BSW programs that believed that they lacked diversity were

nearly twice as large in number of students (152.58 to 89.47), yet they had similar numbers of

students who are racially or ethnically diverse (26.37 to 25.40). This suggests that the size of

Categories

Diverse
(n = 19)

Not Diverse
(n = 19)

Strategies to Enhance Diversity

Offers financial scholarships 57.9 42.1

Offers financial aid 31.6 10.5

Offers additional academic assistance 63.2 47.4

Offers alternative admissions process 15.8 10.5

No interventions used 15.8 15.8

Beimers, Warner, & Mackie, Contemporary Rural Social Work, Vol. 5, 2013 9

the BSW program may not matter in terms of building or increasing diversity in the program.

Rather, it may be that the context of the college or university, as expressed through their

commitment to diversity and potential as an academic institution, that leads to success of

initiatives to increase racial and ethnic diversity on campus (Milem, Chang, & Antonio, 2005).

Rural Institutions

A second finding that is worthy of further discussion is the difference in diversity

between rural and suburban or urban BSW programs. Programs that self-identified as rural had

the least racial and ethnic diversity among their BSW students. BSW programs in rural areas

were concerned about this lack of diversity, as they were more likely to state that it was a

serious problem than schools in other geographic settings. While rural schools were more likely

to use interventions to address the lack of diversity, the BSW directors from those schools gave

their interventions a lower effectiveness rating than their urban and suburban counterparts.

Social work programs in rural areas also tended to have fewer faculty who are racially

or ethnically diverse. One of the challenges in attracting students who are racially or ethnically

diverse is that the students will sometimes look to the faculty for examples of the university’s

commitment to diversity (Smith, Turner, Osei-Kofi, & Richards, 2004). If faculty lack

diversity, it can influence student decisions. BSW programs and students themselves recognize

the role faculty can serve in supporting the retention of students who are racially or ethnically

diverse (Clark et al., 2003). However, schools may have a difficult time attracting faculty who

are racially or ethnically diverse if there is not a perception of commitment to diversity on the

part of the institution as a whole.

To a significant degree, this is an issue that must be addressed institutionally (Antonio,

2003). BSW programs in rural areas will have difficulty attaining more diversity in their social

work programs unless there is a concerted, sustained, multi-dimensional effort among the

college as a whole to promote a culture of diversity within the student body, the staff, the

administration, and the faculty (Chang, Milem, & Antonio, 2010). Furthermore, it isn’t

sufficient to only address compositional diversity through faculty on campus. In order to

develop an environment committed to diversity, other aspects of diversity need to be fostered,

such as curriculum content that reflects diverse perspectives, opportunities on campus for

students to experience cultural diversity, and interaction among students.

One suggested strategy is to reach out to diverse populations that live within rural areas

(Milem et al., 2005). While many rural communities remain predominantly white, this has been

changing over the past decade as Hispanic populations have experienced dramatic growth in

rural areas. Between 2000 and 2010, Hispanic residents in non-metro areas increased by 45% in

the United States (Cromartie, 2011). Colleges and universities as a whole, but also social work

programs in specific, need to reach out to these emerging populations and create an inviting

environment on campus.

When BSW Directors were asked the qualitative question, “Why do you believe that

your program lacks diversity?” nearly two-thirds of the respondents stated either that being in a

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Undergraduate Social Work Programs: How are Programs in Rural Areas Faring? 10

rural area or the current racial or ethnic composition of their university was the reason for the

lack of diversity. The fact that many rural communities where rural institutions reside are

historically racially and ethnically homogenous is no doubt a barrier that rural institutions have

yet to effectively overcome. This only strengthens the argument for a concerted effort to reach

out to those student populations (Milem et al., 2005).

Interventions

The most popular intervention for rural schools was scholarships for students who are

racially or ethnically diverse. More than two-thirds of the respondents from rural areas reported

that they incorporate this type of intervention. However, the effectiveness rating for rural

schools was much lower than suburban and urban schools. For both of these institutions,

additional academic support was the most popular form of intervention and overall, urban and

suburban schools felt that their interventions were more effective at helping to promote more

racial and ethnic diversity among their students.

Scholarships are commonly used, yet in this study they were not considered very

effective. Interestingly, the research is not conclusive on this subject. Historically, availability

of financial support, such as scholarships, has not been as influential in decisions to attend

college as one might initially think (Hurtado, Inkelas, Briggs, & Rhee, 1997). In fact, financial

resources were considered such a limited factor that early studies excluded finances from

models predicting college success (Goldrick-Rab, Harris, & Trostel, 2009). From a human

capital theory perspective, financial assistance should be a driving influence for students

making rational choices about where to attend or what to study (DesJardins & Toutkoushian,

2005). However, recent research raises questions about the reasonableness of expecting students

to be rational actors, as students and their families may not have complete information about all

their options for study or how scholarships and other forms of financial assistance may

ultimately benefit them (Dowd, 2008). What this means for social work programs is that they

shouldn’t expect to enhance racial and ethnic diversity solely through the use of financial

assistance, but rather in combination with other programmatic and school-wide strategies that

recognize other predictive factors that influence decisions to attend certain colleges or

universities.

Areas for Further Research

While there are some specific lessons that social work programs can learn from this

study, there are also some areas where additional work is still needed. First, this study focused

on a specific geographic region of the United States. It is possible that the experiences of

schools in the upper Midwest may not extend to other areas of the United States. Replicating

the study in other regions would provide insight as to whether this is a localized issue or one

that is shared throughout the country. Second, there are clearly additional questions that should

be explored as to the effectiveness of interventions in increasing racial and ethnic diversity.

In fact, there may be some opportunity to design more rigorous studies utilizing specific

interventions to test the effectiveness of interventions.

Beimers, Warner, & Mackie, Contemporary Rural Social Work, Vol. 5, 2013 11

Conclusion

The study identified that among social work programs in the upper Midwest, racial and

ethnic diversity among students remains a concern. Programs that are located in rural areas tend

to have fewer students and faculty who are racially or ethnically diverse. Furthermore, program

directors recognize this lack of diversity as a problem. While programs do use an array of

interventions to attempt to increase diversity, the effectiveness of those interventions is unclear.

For programs that are interested in increasing racial and ethnic diversity among students, more

strategic recruitment efforts should be considered both at the programmatic level as well as the

university level.

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Undergraduate Social Work Programs: How are Programs in Rural Areas Faring? 12

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Authors’ Note

The authors would like to note that this research was conducted as part of a BSW

program redesign. David L. Beimers, Ph.D., teaches in the Social Work Department at

Minnesota State University, Mankato, Brian Warner, MSW is a graduate of the MSW program

at Minnesota State University, Mankato, & Paul Force-Emery Mackie, Ph.D. is the Coordinator

of Institutional Assessment at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Correspondence should be

directed to David Beimers, david.beimers@mnsu.edu.

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Undergraduate Social Work Programs: How are Programs in Rural Areas Faring? 16

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