As Leach points out, “there has been change.” Student engagement and minority retention programs like the Black Male Initiative (BMI) and the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE) have been created to provide institutional support for minority students. Likewise, FSU students drive change through initiatives like the recently established Student Diversity and Inclusion Council.
Yet, there is room for improvement. According to the 2018 Fact Sheet, black students account for only 8.8% of the student body (for comparison, Florida is 16.1%, Leon County is 31.2% and Tallahassee is 35% African American). Likewise, only 4% of full-time faculty are African American, 4.6% are Hispanic, and 0.2% are Native American. (Florida State University Office of Institutional Research, Fact Book, 2018, page 78). Leach often stressed that black representation (especially in leadership) is vital.
Renisha Gibbs, assistant vice president for human resources, affirms that, “We have worked hard over the last couple of years to move diversity from being one person’s responsibility - not just being the HR or EEO office’s, the provost’s, or the president’s responsibility - to fully engage the entire university community. It is everyone’s responsibility.” (Vollman, 2016).