Idaho State University ranked first in Idaho for serving black students

Research was pulled from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System to measure the following:

• Whether the institution’s percentage of black undergraduates matches the overall black population, ages 18 to 24, in that university’s home state.

• If the college or university enrolls the same percentage of black men and women as the percentage of men and women across all racial and ethnic groups nationwide.

• The extent to which black students graduate from a university within six years, and if it matches an institution’s overall graduation rate.

• The ratio of black students to full time professors.

For each of these requirements, researchers assigned a letter grade ranging from A to F, and then averaged the score to create an equity index score for each university.

Idaho State University’s score was 2.5, which is the highest in Idaho compared to Boise State University’s 2.25 score and University of Idaho’s score of 2.

ISU’s own Diversity Resource Center aims to help create and promote diversity on campus. The mission of the DRC is to provide programming and education to all students on topics of diversity, inclusion and cultural competency. The DRC strives to connect students of color to the ISU community and enhance and enrich the cultural experience of all our students, faculty and staff.  

“The DRC collaborates with faculty and students across campus to build relationships of mutual trust and community,” said Stacey Gibson, director of diversity. “Our goal is to support and enhance the student experience and prepare them to thrive both on campus and after graduation. ISU has faculty and staff dedicated to supporting the success of our students of color.”

For more information on the report on serving black students, visit https://idahostateu.com/Equity.

For more information on ISU’s Diversity Resource Center, contact Stacey Gibson at 208-282-7973.