New research supports the CW that diversity has benefits

Interesting article in Dec. 19 Inside Higher Education that finds research support for what has previously been the conventional wisdom--diversity can offer real benefits to all, not just the culturally non-dominant group members. The study found that, "Generally, and regardless of the attitudes with which students entered UCLA, those who lived with members of other ethnic groups showed statistically significant gains in comfort levels with people of different groups, having circles of friends beyond one’s own group, and a variety of other measures of tolerance toward different groups." There were other more controversial findings as well, so read the article. I'll put the book, The Diversity Challenge: Social Identity and Intergroup Relations on the College Campus, on order for the Lied collection as well.

Medical school study documents the value of affirmative action

An article in today's (Sept. 10) CHE also alerted me to this study that just came out in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Saha, S., Guiton, G, Wimmers, P.F. and Wilkerson, L. (2008). Student body racial and ethnic composition and diversity-related outcomes in U.S. medical schools. JAMA, 300(10), 1135-1145.
The authors state in their abstract, " White students within the highest quintile for student body racial and ethnic diversity, measured by the proportion of underrepresented minority (URM) students, were more likely to rate themselves as highly prepared to care for minority populations than those in the lowest diversity quintile ... This association was strongest in schools in which students perceived a positive climate for interracial interaction. White students in the highest URM quintile were also more likely to have strong attitudes endorsing equitable access to care..."