3
Engage New and Diverse Populations
The soul of this University is its people. As in all God’s handiwork, we discern majesty in the richness of creation and seek to embrace it more fully. Creating space for the underrepresented, the disadvantaged, the broken and the strong, all united in a common search to find their personal mission, will enhance the spirit of our learning community and better reflect the world that we serve.
To achieve this Aspiration, we will…
Define the 21st-century Richmont student and reimagine our approach to recruitment to broaden the size and plurality of our prospective student pool through a master enrollment growth plan that includes critical emphasis on underrepresented, socio-economically disadvantaged, and trauma-affected subpopulations.
Create and sustain a Diversity Advisory Council to articulate and guide inclusion efforts and ensure continuing mindfulness on this core element of campus culture.
Establish a virtual foothold in cyberspace through an emerging thought leadership presence in our areas of expertise.
Build professional and educational relationships with other universities, church networks, and other for- as well as non-profit organizations to expand our recruiting base and attract new students.
Become a leader in multi-cultural competency training through an Institute on Diversity and Inclusion.
Introduce targeted techniques to engage new and diverse students by entering into relationships with the front line “home” institutions that currently serve them: veteran’s affairs offices, law enforcement, first-responders, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, African-American churches, and other related agencies or networks.
Principle Initiatives
2019
- Assemble an evidence-based University enrollment growth plan for 2019-2021 with an emphasis on tapping new student clienteles
- Establish a cabinet-level Diversity Advisory Council
- Form partnerships with other non-profit organizations or foundations in developing an outreach strategy to serving veterans
- Aggressively market and facilitate trauma-centered training opportunities for partner Christian ministries and community mental health agencies
- Compose and publish an institutional Commitment to Inclusiveness statement
2020
- Begin intercultural competency training for all faculty, staff, students
- Seal articulation agreements with Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Atlanta, as well as Hispanic Serving Institutions in the southeast region to expand and diversify enrollment
- Introduce a campaign to specifically market our trauma expertise, therapeutic interventions, and degrees/certificates to “first responders”, including EMTS, law enforcement, ex-military, firefighters, and chaplains
- Launch a targeted fund-raising campaign to increase by 100% the financial base of the Bridge Scholarship program and triple the number of recipients by 2021
2021
- Pursue with Global Servants the possibility of a partnership to bring significant international student enrollments into the School of Ministry
- Establish an Institute for Diversity and Inclusion to become a recognized “thought leader” and primary training certification site within Christian higher education and religious organizations