For the past few years, several major national corporations — including Alcoa, General Motors and Proctor & Gamble — have refused to recruit at the University of Wisconsin, citing what they consider unacceptably low levels of diversity among the student body.

Because only 10 percent of UW students are minorities, these companies say university graduates leave college ill prepared to deal with a world brimming with multiculturalism. Without improved initiatives aimed at creating more diversity on campus, they claim visiting UW is no longer worth it.

We beg to differ.

While a company is certainly allowed to recruit at whichever institutions it chooses, not visiting a particular school solely because of the racial makeup of its student body is not just foolhardy — it's bad business. UW annually produces one of the most skilled graduating classes in the country, filled with students ready to be the next generation of leaders in a bevy of industries.

Companies that refuse to recruit at UW needlessly narrow the pool from which they select new employees. The last thing a floundering company like GM needs is to ignore a group of potential workers who could help provide the reinvigoration the car giant so desperately needs.

Proctor & Gamble resumed recruitment efforts at UW last spring, a decision we strongly applaud. Any company choosing to recruit in Wisconsin is well advised to include the state's flagship school in its employment drives.

As other corporations consider whether to recruit here, we hope they see UW for what it truly is: a world-class institution overflowing with the best and brightest Wisconsin has to offer.