Diversity’s use as a buzzword has reached fever pitch on campus lately, especially given the recent focus on the acceptance of GLBT students. Although students may be tired of hearing it, the campus encompasses a diverse body of students, faculty and staff. This means it’s a hard word to avoid.

But some students will see it once more after the University released a survey Wednesday to test the campus climate regarding diversity. Students can tell the administration how they feel about diversity, acceptance and how they view others’ opinions. They can even express themselves freely in an open-ended response box at the end.

This shows the University is interested in hearing what students think about diversity, and we should not take this for granted. If you get it, take the time to fill it out. It is important students respond to this survey, whether they think diversity is important or not. Whatever the response, the University should be aware of its student body’s opinion.

One of the most interesting parts of the survey is its measurement of students’ perception of others’ opinions towards diversity. The students’ perceptions of others are just as important as their personal opinions. The survey also asks about how welcome students feel in different scenarios. While general feelings are important to consider, students are also affected by interactions. Students are also asked about how faculty talk in their classes and if there are any instances with students regarding diversity. This is critical, because this will reflect what happens every day.

The University really wanted to hear what the students have to say, so students should tell them. We shouldn’t let this be another tuition town hall meeting, where we do not take an opportunity to let ourselves be heard. This is our time to really express our thoughts, instead of continuing to let the University go with a blind, general feeling that all students like diversity. Students can confirm or deny this perception and allow the University to move forward based on the true feeling of students.

The University should also think about extending this survey to faculty. If they ask students about their opinions toward professors, professors should also be able to tell the University what they have seen. The administration will also be able to gauge how diverse the faculty, who are the ones teaching and interacting with students daily, think the campus is or should be.

Ultimately if given the chance, we should take this survey and show the University administration how we all feel. We can build a realistic image of how diverse we think we are and how we think we should be. We cannot truly move forward if we are constantly referring to an ideal that doesn’t reflect the student and faculty opinion.