New degree programs will be at risk if Western fails to meet diversity guidelines.

Richard Miller, associate vice president of Academic Affairs, said Western won’t get to add new degree programs if the school doesn’t meet at least five of the eight objectives set by the Kentucky Plan for Equal Opportunities.

The Kentucky Plan for Equal Opportunities is a statewide agreement between the state’s Council on Post-Secondary Education and public secondary education institutions, he said.

Miller, who serves as the chief officer of diversity for Diversity Programs, said the plan’s eight objectives include the retention, admission and graduation rate of freshmen black students who are Kentucky residents, as well as the number of hired black faculty members.

“The goal is to build on the numbers from the previous year,” Miller said.

Now, Western officials are continuing their nationwide recruitment effort to help find qualified black faculty members.

Monica Burke, counseling and student affairs assistant professor and Diversity Enhancement Committee member, said Western met six of the eight objectives for the 2008-2009 academic school year, which is a decrease from the 2007-2008 academic year, when the school met all eight objectives.

“We consistently have problems with the retention rates of first-year Kentucky resident students and their graduation rates,” Burke said.

She said Western is also working diligently to hire more minority faculty members. As of August, blacks made up about 8 percent of Western’s faculty and staff.

The plan doesn’t require that a specific number of black faculty be hired, Miller said. Western just has to show progress.

“It’s not only important to hire minorities but provide the resources they need for professional development,” he said.

He said a hiring plan targeting qualified blacks was approved in August by President Gary Ransdell, the Council of Academic Deans and the Diversity Enhancement Committee.

Miller said the goal is to hire a minimum of six qualified black faculty over the next two years.

Equal Opportunity Director Huda Melky said that, even though the diversity plan is mandating that more minorities be hired, the university’s hiring process hasn’t changed.

As an incentive to academic departments for the first year only, the Office of Diversity Programs has budgeted about $120,000 to pay for half of the salary and benefits for the new hires, Miller said.

Burke said the CPE, Committee on Equal Opportunities and public institutions are collaborating on a statewide diversity workgroup.

She said the workgroup is establishing goals and will finish drafting a diversity plan by the summer 2010 to expand the definition of diversity beyond blacks.

“My hope is that we’ll establish an ongoing plan to hire a broader definition of minority faculty in addition to African-Americans,” Miller said.