Muhlenberg College Takes Strategic Step Toward Inclusiveness

Predominantly White colleges and universities across the country are facing similar quandaries in their efforts to become more fully inclusive and supportive of all members of their community. Increasingly, students are taking institutions to task over issues of campus climate. At Muhlenberg College, a small, four-year liberal arts institution located in Allentown, PA, that serves 2,200 students, a series of racist comments on Yik Yak, an anonymous online forum, precipitated a campuswide forum about race and inclusion. It was attended by nearly 40 percent of the student body. This May, Muhlenberg announced the hiring of 10 diverse tenure-track faculty. For many institutions, creating a more diverse faculty is a high priority, but sometimes a challenge.