IX - Columbia University



IX. STUDENTS

B. DIVERSITY

Criterion IX.B. Stated application, admission, and degree-granting requirements and regulations shall be applied equitably to individual applicants and students regardless of age, sex, race, disability, religion or national origin.

Documentation

1. Description of policies, procedures and affirmative action plans to achieve a diverse student population.

2. Quantitative information on the demographic characteristics of the student body, including data on applicants and admissions, over the last three years.

3. Identification of measures by which the school may evaluate its success in achieving a demographically diverse student body, along with the data regarding the school’s performance against these measures over the last five years.

4. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met.

IX.B.1. Description of policies, procedures and affirmative action plans to achieve a diverse student population.

The School rigorously pursues a policy of non-discrimination with respect to all qualified applicants, regardless of their age, race, sex, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or national origin. In keeping with the affirmative actions policy of Columbia University, the School actively seeks qualified minority applicants through advertisements in The New York Times (identifying Columbia as an affirmative action organization), all of its recruitment events, and faculty contacts with health agencies. Additionally, in its continued effort to promote diversity, the School has hired a Director of Admissions, and is currently planning to hire an Admissions Recruiter. The Director, with the support of the Recruiter, is responsible for designing and implementing a recruitment strategy that will further enhance the diversity and intellectual strength of the student applicant pool.

IX.B.2. Quantitative information on the demographic characteristics of the student body, including data on applicants and admissions, over the last three years.

Student enrollment overview

Overall, foreign and minority students now constitute approximately half of the students enrolled in the School.

In the last five years, the enrollment of MPH, MS, and DrPH programs increased from 596 to 686 (Table IX.B.2.a). The number of PhD students, enrolled through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, increased from 83 to 127 during this period. The total enrollment of students in degree programs in Fall 2001 was 813. (This total does not include the 23 non-degree, Special students, mentioned in the prior section.)

Table IX.B.2.a, presents the number of enrolled MPH, MS, and DrPH students by gender, citizenship, and race/ethnicity, 1997-2001. The majority of Columbia students are female, with the percentage female ranging from 70-75% during the past five years. The percentage of foreign students increased from 8% in 1997, to 10% in 2001, with a high of 13% in 1999. It should be noted that foreign student numbers do not include permanent U.S. residents.

Among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, the percentage of white students decreased during this five-year period from 59% to 56%. The percentage of Asian students increased slightly, from 20% in 1997, to 22% in 2001. The percentage of black students decreased slightly from 13% in 1997, to 12 % in 2001, while the percentage of Hispanic students increased from 7% to 10%.

Focusing on PhD students, in Fall 2001 there were 127 PhD students, 94 female (74%) and 33 male (26%). There were 98 U.S. citizens and permanent residents (77%) and 29 foreign citizens (23%). The distribution of race/ethnicity among U.S. citizens and permanent residents was 13% Asian, 6% black, 7% Hispanic, and 74% white.

MPH applicants, admits and enrollees

Overall, foreign and minority students constituted slightly more than half of the new MPH enrollees in 2001.

Tables IX.B.2.b-g present information on the gender, race/ethnicity and citizenship of applicants, admitted, and enrolled students by degree program, from 1997 to 2001.

The vast majority of applicants to the School (approximately 75%) apply to the MPH program. As shown in Tables IX.B.2.b and c, during the 1997-2001 period the number of MPH applicants grew from 936 to 1054. The most striking change over this period is the 131% increase in international applicants, increasing from 106 to 245, or 23% of all MPH applicants in 2001. In contrast, there was a decrease (from 830 to 809) in applications from U.S. citizens or permanent residents, with all of that decrease occurring between 2000 and 2001. Among applicants who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, blacks were the only group to show an increase in applications (113 to 130), whereas each of the other racial/ethnic groups showed a decrease in number of applications: white: 375 to 366; Asian: 236 to 173; and Hispanic, 55 to 51. As a result of this pattern of changes, among applicants who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, the percentage of applications from blacks increased from 13.6% to 16.1%, the percent of applications from whites (45%) and Hispanics (6 %) remained virtually constant, and the percentage of applications from Asians dropped from 28% to 24%.

The number of female applicants increased from 679 in 1997, to 797 in 2001, whereas the number of male applicants remained constant at 257. As a result, female applicants to the MPH program increased from 73% to 76%.

The percentage of MPH applicants offered admission increased from 56% in 1997, to 62% in 2001. From 1997 to 2001, among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, the percentage of applicants offered admission increased among whites (67% to 75%); Asians (49% to 65%); Hispanics (64% to 65%); and decreased among blacks (47% to 37%). Among international applicants, the percentage accepted increased from 38% to 50%. In both periods, women were more likely to be admitted than were men: women (58% and 62%), men (50% and 59%).

The percentage of admitted MPH applicants who enrolled ranged from 49% in 1997, to 42% in 2001. The drop in yield was largely attributable to international students; as previously noted there was a great increase in the number of international applicants but their yield (29%) is much lower then that for any other group. The low yield is attributable, in part, to the difficulty of obtaining financial aid for these students.

In 2001, among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, Hispanic admits were most likely to enroll (58%), followed by blacks (52%), whites (44%) and Asians (43%). The yield rankings among the racial/ethnic groups were very similar over the five-year interval. Finally, there is a very similar likelihood for men and women to enroll if admitted.

MS applicants, admits and enrollees

Overall, foreign and minority students constituted 70% of the new enrollees in the MS program in 2001.

The MS program, offered only in the Departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, accounts for 7% of all students. Tables IX.B.2.d and e present information on the applicants, admitted, and enrolled MS students by gender, race/ethnicity, and international status for the period 1997-2001. During this period, the number of MS applicants has grown from 42 to 72, and new enrollments have doubled, from 16 to 34, primarily due to the growth of the Clinical Research Methods MS track in Biostatistics.

The MS programs are intended primarily for professionals possessing another terminal graduate-level degree in a related field. For example, the Clinical Research Methods Track is designed to serve physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, and other health care professions planning careers or actively engaged in clinical research. Due to the admissions requirements and targeted recruiting for this and the other MS programs, the percentage of applicants accepted to the MS program is the highest of all degree programs, ranging between 67% and 81% in the five-year interval. The small numbers in each sub-category of students leads to considerable variability in admit and yield rates over time. In 2001, among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, applicants most likely to be offered admission were Hispanics (100%) and Asians (100%), followed by whites (82%) and blacks (67%). Similar to the MPH program, women were more likely to be admitted then men (84% versus 75%). The percentage of international applicants offered admission ranged from 65% to 76% during this period.

The percentage of admitted MS applicants who enrolled was 57% in 1997 and 59% in 2001. In 2001, among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, those most likely to enroll were blacks (100%) and Hispanics (100%), followed by Asians (67%) and whites (55%). Men were more likely to enroll (67%) than women (54%). Similar to the MPH students, the yield rate for international students (45%) was lower than that for U.S. and permanent residents (66%).

Among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, in 2001, whites made up 42% of the new enrollees, followed by Asians (33%), Hispanics (17%) and blacks (8%). As in other programs, the majority of MS students (59%) are female. The percentage of international students among new enrollees in 2001 was 26%.

DrPH applicants, admits and enrollees

Overall, foreign and minority students constituted 50% of the new enrollees in the DrPH program in 2001.

Students in the DrPH program comprised 10% of the student body in 2001. Tables IX.B.2.f. and g describe the number and percentages of applicants, admits, and enrollees by gender, race/ethnicity, and international status for the five-year period 1997-2001. The number of applicants to the DrPH program has remained relatively stable during the period, ranging between 80 and 88, with the exception of 2000, in which 110 applications were received. In the DrPH program, women applicants far outnumber men, 71% to 29% in 2001, with similar percentages throughout the period. International applicants comprised 30% of the applicant pool in 2001. Among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, the largest percentage of applicants was white (32%), followed by blacks (24%), Asians (20%), and Hispanics (10%).

The percentage of applicants offered admission in the DrPH program was 31% in 1997, declining to 26% in 2001. Women were more likely to be offered admission (28% in 2001) than men (21%), but this advantage fluctuated from year to year. U.S. citizens and permanent residents were more likely to be offered admission (32%) than international students (12%); this difference was more pronounced in 2001 than in previous years. In 2001, among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, Hispanics applicants were most likely to be offered admission (50%), followed by blacks (43%), whites (42%) and Asians (17%).

The percentage of applicants offered admission who enrolled in the DrPH program was the same in 1997 and 2001, 64%. There was little difference in the percentage of accepted male and female applicants that enrolled. As was the case for the MS and MPH students, the yield rate for international students (24%) was much lower than that for U.S. citizens and permanent residents (64%).

The information on the race/ethnicity, citizenship and gender of PhD students was presented above.

Age of newly enrolled students

Table IX.B.2.h, presents the mean age of newly enrolled students in the four degree programs for the last three years. The mean age of MPH students remained stable at 29 years. The MS and doctoral students are older and, because of the small number of new students in those programs, there is variability over time in their mean age. The mean age of MS students ranging from 34 to 39, DrPH students ranged from 31 to 35, and PhD students ranged from 29 to 30.

Table IX.B.2.a

Student Enrollment (MPH, MS, and DrPH Programs)

1997-2001

|Characteristic |1997 |1998 |1999 |2000 |2001 |

|Gender | |N |% |N |% |

| | | | | | |

| |Female | | | | |

|Citizenship | |N |% |N |% |

| |U.S. & Permanent | | | | |

| |residents | | | | |

|Ethnicity/Race (U.S. Citizens & Permanent Residents) | |

| | |

| |Asian |

| | |

| |Total | |U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident | |

| |Number | | | |

| | |Gender |Race/Ethnicity* | |Internat|

| | | | | |ional |

| | |

| | |

| |Total | |U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident | |

| |Number | | | |

| | |Gender |Race/Ethnicity* | |Internat|

| | | | | |ional |

| | |

| |Total | |U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident | |

| |Number | | | |

| | |Gender |Race/Ethnicity* | |Internat|

| | | | | |ional |

| | |

| | |

| |Total | |U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident | |

| |Number | | | |

| | |Gender |Race/Ethnicity* | |Internat|

| | | | | |ional |

| | |

| |Total | |U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident | |

| |Number | | | |

| | |Gender |Race/Ethnicity* | |Internat|

| | | | | |ional |

| | |

| | |

| |Total | |U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident | |

| |Number | | | |

| | |Gender |Race/Ethnicity* | |Internat|

| | | | | |ional |

| | |

| |1999 |2000 |2001 |

| | | | |

|MPH |29.4 |29.3 |29.3 |

| | | | |

|MS |35.5 |38.8 |33.7 |

| | | | |

|DrPH |31.9 |31.4 |34.8 |

| | | | |

|PhD |29.8 |28.9 |30.1 |

IX.B.3. Identification of measures by which the school may evaluate its success in achieving a demographically diverse student body, along with the data regarding the school’s performance against these measures over the last five years.

The School measures its success in achieving a demographically diverse student body by monitoring the gender, race/ethnicity, international status, and age of students, and graduates, and by comparing our student enrollment to that of the other accredited schools of public health. In the previous section we presented the data, for the prior five years, that the School uses to monitor its success in achieving a demographically diverse student body. The comparison to other schools is limited to 1998-2000 because ASPH did not publish student data in 1997, and the 2001 data are not available at the time of this writing.

As described in the previous section, and as shown in Table IX.B.3.a, the percent of female students has remained quite stable during the past three years, ranging between 73% and 75% of all students. In the most recent (2000) data on schools of public health published by ASPH, the School ranked 5th highest of the 28 accredited schools in the percent of female students.

During the past three years, the percent of black students has varied between 12% and 13%, and the percent of Hispanic students has increased slightly from 7% to 9% of all students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents (Table IX.B.3.a). As shown in the same table, in the most recent year the Mailman School ranked 7th highest of the schools in the percent of combined black and Hispanic students enrolled, 11th highest in the percent of black students enrolled, and 6th highest in the percent of Hispanic students enrolled.

Focusing on international students (Table IX.B.3.a), in the most recent year, the Mailman School ranked 19th among the schools, with 14% international students, compared to the 20% average of all schools. It should be noted that Schools vary in terms of whether they include non-US citizens who are permanent residents with international students or with U.S .students. Columbia includes permanent residents with U.S. students, which has the effect of decreasing its relative ranking in terms of international students.

In addition to enrollment characteristics, we track the gender, race/ethnicity, and citizenship of graduates. As shown in Table IX.B.3.b, the proportion of graduates in each of those categories closely mirrors their respective percentages in the student body.

IX.B.4. Assessment of the extent to which this criterion is met.

The School has in place policies and procedures that enable it to achieve a demographically diverse student body. The School has shown comparative success in recruiting, admitting and, equally important, graduating women and members of racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in the public health professions. The School perceives that it is in compliance with Criterion IX.B.

Table IX.B.3.a

Comparison of Columbia to Other Schools of Public Health:

Gender, International Status and Race/Ethnicity

| |Mailman’s Rank |Mailman’s # or % |Average # or % all|

| | | |SPH’s |

| | | | |

|1998 | | | |

|Total Students |11 |581 |537 |

|% Female |6 |73% |66% |

|% Foreign |22 |11% |15% |

|% U.S. Hispanic** |7 |7% |5% |

|% U.S. Black |7 |12% |9% |

|% U.S. Hispanic & Black** |4 |20% |14% |

| | | | |

|1999 | | | |

|Total Students |10 |622 |566 |

|% Female |4 |75% |67% |

|% Foreign |16 |14% |15% |

|% U.S. Hispanic** |4 |9% |5% |

|% U.S. Black |6 |13% |9% |

|% U.S. Hispanic & Black** |6 |22% |15% |

| | | | |

|2000* | | | |

|Total Students |7 |759* |599 |

|% Female |5 |75% |68% |

|% Foreign |19 |14% |20% |

|% U.S. Hispanic** |6 |9% |5% |

|% U.S. Black |11 |12% |10% |

|% U.S. Hispanic & Black** |7 |20% |15% |

*Columbia PhD’s Included For 1st Time

**Excluding Puerto Rico

Table IX.B.3.b

Numbers and Percentages of Graduates, by Gender, Ethnicity/Race,

and Citizenship, 1997-2001

|Characteristic |1997 |1998 |1999 |2000* |2001 |

|Gender | |N |% |N |% |

| | | | | | |

| |Female | | | | |

Ethnicity/Race (U.S. Citizens & Permanent) Residents) |

Asian |N |% |N |% |N |% |N |% |N |% | | | |

25 |

13.2 |

28 |

13.7 |

47 |

25.3 |

22 |

12.1 |

55 |

24.8 | | |Black |19 |10.1 |30 |14.7 |18 |9.7 |29 |15.9 |31 |14.0 | | |Hispanic |6 |3.2 |9 |4.4 |12 |6.4 |17 |9.3 |16 |7.2 | | |White |139 |73.5 |137 |67.2 |109 |58.6 |114 |62.6 |120 |54.0 | | |Unknown |27 | |18 | |10 | |45 | |13 | | | |

Total |

216 | |

222 | |

196 | |

227 | |

235 | | |

*Columbia PhD’s Included For 1st Time

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