The University of Florida, and its Religion Department, “are dedicated to increasing college access and providing opportunities for students from all backgrounds.” Furthermore, we celebrate and value a student body with diverse experiences and scholarly perspectives.
It is with this in mind that we are excited to share some statistics on diversity within our department’s graduate program. While our first cohorts (2003-2005) were largely Euro-American in background and predominately male, our recent cohorts reflect our department’s commitment to diversity and a vibrant, inclusive, environment for all students across multiple identities.
To be specific, between 2003-2005, our department accepted 23 graduate students, 15 of whom were male, eight female. There were 20 of European-American background, a single Asian-American, and two international students from India and South Korea.
Contrast this with 2017 when we have 24 graduate students enrolled, eight of whom are men, with 16 women. There are two of European background, ten European-American, two of Latinx background, three Asian-Americans, six from Asia, and one of African background. Of these, seven are international students representing India, South Korea, China, Belgium, Ethiopia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
Reflecting on this diversity Dr. David Hackett, Graduate Student Adviser for the Department, said this is “quite a change.” Further, it showcases the department’s continuing dedication to diversity and the value it places on rigorous scholarship coming from graduate students with an array of backgrounds and world views.