Just the facts: Minority students are 20 percent less likely
to graduate within six years, compared to the average freshman at the
University of Wisconsin, according to the Office of Academic Planning and
Analysis. The 2006 undergraduate survey found minorities rated the campus
community as “excellent” or “very good” 15 percent less
than non-minorities. On the other hand, underrepresented minorities in groups
such as the Chancellor’s Scholars program have higher retention and graduation
rates than the whole cohort of first-year students.

The problem exposed by this data is one of campus climate.
The idea is simple enough: If you find that you feel comfortable here, you are
more likely to stay at this school and succeed. The Chancellor’s Scholars
program creates a sense of community and fosters comfort. Multicultural
“identity” organizations do the exact same thing and make it their
overarching mission to improve campus climate, contributing to the university’s
goals of increasing retention and graduation rates.

I personally have felt more comfortable on campus because of
my involvement with the Indian Students Association. For me, it’s not just
interacting with people who look like me or speak my language; it’s about
valuing my culture and heritage and bringing awareness and acceptance to the
greater campus. All the events ISA puts on, such as the annual India Night
performance, allow some people like myself to find a community. It also allows
others, particularly those not of South Asian backgrounds, to interact with a
community different from their own.

ISA is organized to serve my needs, whether that means
satisfying my craving for a traditional garba dance or finding people who
understand my family structure. The ISA and other multicultural organizations,
like the Wisconsin Black Student Union or the Chinese Undergraduate Student
Association, are no different from the LGBT Campus Center, Hillel, the Women in
Science and Engineering learning community, fraternities and sororities, the
Campus Vegetarian Society, Sober Students on Campus, etc. Every student organization
exists to build community for people with similar interests and to help anyone
find others with whom to connect.

These “identity” organizations effectively bolster
campus climate, but not just for the specific groups they target. With missions
of education, awareness and outreach, multicultural organizations are rarely
exclusionary. In fact, the vast majority of the time, they are actively
inviting all of campus to join. It would seem the only thing isolating these
groups is the unwillingness or reluctance of others to interact or attend the
events.

I will concede such clubs can become self-segregating. One
can make the argument that multicultural identity organizations perpetuate the
notion of “separate but equal” because we desire equal treatment yet
choose to separate ourselves. However, the members must strive to ensure this
is not the case. The comfort zone must be used as a stepping-off point. We must
not allow ourselves to become too comfortable or remain in an insulated
community.

Just as we ask majority students to challenge themselves by
exposure to and interaction with people of diverse backgrounds, minorities as
well must reciprocate and challenge themselves to expand beyond the relative
comfort of multicultural groups. The path to improving campus climate should
begin with these grassroots organizations, but it should not be limited by
them.

The fact is that to truly make headway in improving the
climate, we must all be invested and challenge ourselves. Multicultural student
organizations are only one way we can broaden our educational experience. A
single ethnic studies course doesn’t enable one to understand the many varied
perspectives and challenges that exist for minority students, which adversely
affect retention, graduation and satisfaction from their university experience.
But fasting with the Muslim Students Association is a step toward building
community. So is attending a traditional powwow organized by Wunk Sheek or
picnicking with the Multicultural Student Coalition. Each interaction is a step
forward, possible because of the infrastructure and engagement of these
identity organizations.

Neither America nor this campus is a melting pot where we
all gain a collective identity at the expense of homogenization. The collective
identity we should take is that we are students at UW, unique members of the
Badger community. If we are to cultivate a sustainable campus climate, we
mustn’t emphasize these differences solely for the sake of highlighting them,
but rather to invite others to understand them.

I’m going to say it: We are not all the same. We are equal,
but we are not the same. And we shouldn’t pretend as much, either. Whether it
is the first-generation college student from Antigo, Wis., or the
first-generation American from Argentina, we could all benefit from a little
community and togetherness. And if that comes from the vibrancy of vital groups
like WBSU or CUSA or ISA, wonderful.

However, we must continue to take steps forward. There exist
marked disparities in campus climate perceptions, retention and graduation
rates. We’re not at that point yet as a society or as a campus community where
we can eliminate these gaps without appreciating the role of multicultural
identity organizations. Truly, we’re not yet a campus community.

Suchita Shah ([email protected]) is a senior
studying neurobiology.