Abstract
Olivet College is a private, residential liberal arts college in central Michigan that enrolls approximately 900 students. The College was founded in 1844 by abolitionists and was the first college in the nation, by charter, to open to women and people of color. Yet, over the last two decades Olivet College failed to acknowledge changing demographics and problems of intergroup relations. In 1992, a racial brawl involving White and African-American students put the college into crisis. The incident launched the college into a process of reassessment and redefinition that resulted in a major institutional transformation. Diversity was a major part of this initiative. As a result of its success in infusing multiculturalism into its structure, Olivet College was recently selected by the Association of American Colleges and Universities as a Model Institution for its diversity initiatives. Additionally, it was selected as one of 35 institutions out of 675 nationwide to participate in President Clinton's initiative on race and was spotlighted by the American Council on Education for its exemplary work in infusing diversity across the campus. This article presents all aspects of Olivet College's diversity initiative including mission, curriculum, co-curriculum, students, faculty, and staff. These strategies are applicable not only to small private liberal arts colleges, but to other institutions of learning as they attempt to create an action plan that addresses the challenge of diversity/multiculturalism in the higher education system.
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