Diversity. You can never have enough. It provides perspective, inspires innovation and cracks quandaries. Recently, Guilford College’s Honors Program has come under fire for its lack of diversity.

“Currently the Honors Program is a white-dominated space,” said junior and Student Body President Molly Anne Marcotte.

Conversely, Director of the Honors Program and Professor of English Heather Hayton defended the program’s diversity.

“We were successful last year in bringing in a more diverse population in the Honors Program,” Hayton said.

What? 

Before forming an opinion, let’s first unearth the facts.

Based on statistics from the admissions office for this year,  30 percent of the 26 first-year honors students were students of color.

In past years there have been fewer: 14 percent in 2014 and only nine percent in 2013. The combined total of students of color currently enrolled in the Honors Program comes to 18 percent.

This number looks strikingly low, but don’t pass any judgements yet. Further probing into enrollment statistics reveals 387 students of color currently enrolled at Guilford College.

That 387 is 34 percent of the traditional student body.

So, statistically, is the Honors Program diverse? Not as diverse as our student body, at least in terms of race. This leads to the perception of a “white-dominated” program, which I find exacerbated by certain circumstances.

If one were to stand up and glance around in an honors meeting, concern over diversity would justly come to mind. Several students sit at round tables to discuss future events and announcements. A scattered population of international students and other students of color would be swamped by the 60 or so white people present.

I applaud the students and committees who have questioned important issues such as this on campus. Diversity is a delicate subject and such students are holding Guilford accountable to its values.

With diversity in mind, Hayton, along with admissions staff, have been given the green light to expand the Honors Program next year.

“Our goal is to eventually double the size … (and) get 200 students in the program,” Hayton said. “What this means is … we can pay more attention to a further range of diversity, not just racial diversity but things like: are they first-generation students, are they Quaker … do they bring some other kind of passion beyond their passion for academics?”

That said, Hayton highlights how the Honors Program will always be grounded in academics.

“We need a place on campus … for students who are really devoted to academics to be able to live a life of the mind,” Hayton said.

I agree. Guilford has countless opportunities for leadership in service, athletics, clubs, organizations and social justice. Honors programs cater to those intellectually driven students, who, as Hayton put it, “love learning for learning’s sake.”

For comparison, I interviewed sophomore and Honor Scholar at Vanderbilt University Kelly Perry, who attributes the success and excellence of her program to the diverse range of students the program recruits.

“I believe that diversity and inclusion are crucial to any program on campus because it allows for a solid basis for a discussion with a variety of viewpoints and provides a multi-lens approach to the task at hand,” she said.

With the Honors Program growing yearly in racial diversity—and an incredible 35 percent of first-generation college students selected this year—we are heading down the path that will give Guilford an invaluable multi-lens through which we can tackle any problem. 

I say that’s two steps in the right direction.