Geneva CollegeDiversity Summary

Geneva offers financial incentives for minority students and boasts students from 35 states and nine nations, but nevertheless the school seems to have topped out at 15 percent African Americans and a mere handful of other ethnicities and internationals. Few Democratic or non-Protestant students populate the school. It’s tough to be Catholic because the school is so strongly Reformed, but a few are always around. The College intentionally enrolls a percentage of non-Christian students for diversity of opinion. The school prohibits flagrant homosexuality, but counseling services are offered to students struggling with unwanted tendencies, and other students are usually accepting of gay peers, if not of their homosexuality. It’s sort of an unofficial “don’t ask, don’t tell” situation. Minority status of any sort doesn’t seem to play into social acceptance much—if you’re here, you’re family.

Geneva strives for diversity, but its policies are not forceful enough to break the WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) mold. The Multiethnic Student Services office tries to fight back with diversity discussions and multicultural holidays, but it’s hampered by the College funneling resources to departments that help more students. There isn’t a strong minority population, so minorities aren’t drawn, and Geneva lacks or misdirects the resources to lure minority students financially. Unfortunately, part of Geneva’s diversity problem is inherent in the system. Geneva is a Reformed institution. Most Reformed families are white middle-class conservatives. Not all students are Reformed, but "like" attracts "like," and Geneva will have to try a lot harder to overcome that.