Comment by President Bienen on diversity from his 2001 State of the University speech
We're also seeing progress in our efforts to increase diversity here at Northwestern, although our work clearly is not complete in this important area. It was very encouraging last summer when Northwestern was honored as one of the top 25 institutions in the country in the number of doctoral degrees in mathematics, physical sciences and engineering awarded to minorities. In addition, we are now in the second year of the Chicago initiative, an effort to reach out to the African-American and Hispanic communities in the Chicago area. That has been going very well. And the excellent work done by our Multicultural Center has been instrumental in bringing students from varied backgrounds together.
I believe strongly that Northwestern's institutional responsibilities include creating an environment that welcomes students, faculty and staff of all races, nationalities and religions. In doing so, we offer our students the opportunity to learn in a diverse community, thereby preparing them better for their careers. This is particularly true in the 21st century, when the United States is becoming increasingly diverse and the working world increasingly globalized.