The faculty discussed the future makeup of Phillips Academy’s student body at the faculty meeting on Monday, following a series of forums and meetings convened by the Admissions Office since last January. Faculty members discussed the diversity of the student body and the roles and admissions portions that each grade brings. Faculty members interviewed said that diversity was a key part of the Phillips Academy experience. Anthony Rotundo, Instructor in History and Social Science, said, “Diversity used to be a code word for black-white diversity and maybe economic diversity, but as the American population has changed and as people living in other countries become more interested in American boarding schools, we have broadened our definition of diversity at Andover.” He continued, “Diversity is much more complicated now and we need to discuss again what it means to us in a changing society and a changing world.” Previously, during four meetings in October, in which 53 students and 47 faculty members participated, many students had said that Phillips Academy’s diversity constituted part of reason why they decided to apply and matriculate into Andover. The majority of the faculty members believed the current level of diversity among the student body appropriate. Faculty groups also discussed the role of critical masses – students of similar backgrounds – and the type of diversity that the student body needed. “It is so important for the students to have others around them that they can relate to so that they can thrive in this challenging environment,” said Director of the Academic Support Center Patricia Davison. “A problem we had in my group was defining diversity” said Marc Koolen, Instructor in Biology. “Are they referring to geological diversity, socio-economic, ethnic, or religious? This is the most important question.” Many faculty members emphasized the importance of encouraging socio-economic diversity as well. Pine Knoll Cluster Dean Aya Murata said, “When a child from a middle-class family comes home saying ‘I want to go to boarding school,’ most parents just dismiss it because there income is equal to or less then the price of tuition. It’s difficult to get beyond the price tag and realize that there is financial aid available.” The discussion concluded with the overall consensus that the current student body encompassed sufficient diversity and that a continued effort should be made in order to maintain a diverse environment and facilitating students’ transition to the school. The faculty also addressed the extent to which special interests and talents, such as exceptional proficiency in mathematics, athletics or music, should be considered during the admission process. During the October meetings, many students felt they did not possess very well-developed special interests or talents, a notion the faculty deemed as humble but untrue. The students said that those who did have well-developed special interests set very high standards for other students to achieve high levels of competency in the respective areas. Among the faculty, many of those interviewed said that new Uppers and Seniors should possess specialized skills in order to facilitate their adjusting to Phillips Academy. This idea raised another issue about admitting a well-rounded student versus a special-interest student. Faculty believed that, although both possess the potential to transform their profiles once they arrive at PA, special-interest students may experience more difficulty thriving in an environment where they are expected to excel in a variety of areas, not just one. The faculty discussed several other issues, including the benefits and disadvantages of matriculating into PA in each of the five years – 9, 10, 11, 12, PG – as well as the level of support the school should exhibit for different student constituencies. “It was nice for the faculty to have a chance to voice our opinion,” said Koolen. “We’re not always heard, and it felt like there was a genuine interest in hearing what the faculty is thinking.” Davison said, “I appreciated that the admission office reached out for our opinion. It showed a lot of respect for us.” The admission office plans to continue the discussions at a second faculty meeting during Winter or Spring term. The final results from these meetings will be presented in a report, to be written during Spring or Summer 2008, to the Admissions Office in an effort to enhance its recruitments.
