Idaho Pushes Diversity On Campus

The University of Idaho has a new diversity center and a new student organization dedicated to boosting awareness of the many cultural backgrounds represented on campus.

Linda Morris, director of the office of multicultural affairs, said she is pleased to see the enthusiasm of student government in helping to create the center.

Through a grant from the Western Interstate Commission of Education, Elizabeth Escamillo, a minority doctoral scholar, will be the supervisor of the new center.

A new student group, STAR or Students Talk About Race, will be in charge of peer diversity education and activities. The group will facilitate student discussions about discrimination, inequality and related issues.

Morris said the STAR program is modeled after Washington State University’s diversity education program, Dialogue.

Leslie Hilbert, associate director/ minority counselor of New Student Services, said the current number of multicultural students at the Moscow school won’t be available until the second week of September.

During the 1995-96 school year, there were 160 Asian-American students on campus, down 14.9 percent from the year before. There were 63 African-American students, down 17.1 percent from the previous year.

The 187 Hispanic students was up 8.7 percent and the 126 Indian students also was up 18.9 percent.