By Zachary Clark
Statistics reveal that Black and Hispanic student retention rates lag behind the Bellarmine University average. While the overall student retention rate at Bellarmine in 2023 stood at 85%, the retention rates for Black and Hispanic students were 75% and 78%, respectively, according to Bellarmine University’s website.
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) website shows Bellarmine’s overall student retention rate is higher than the national average of 76.5%. However, the national average retention rates for Black and Hispanic students are greater than Bellarmine’s at 78% and 80.7%, respectively.
Students interact with peers at the Office of Identity and Inclusion.
Between 2019 and 2023, Bellarmine witnessed substantial growth in diversity among its student population. The number of students from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds surged.
“Bellarmine has seen a rise from about 19% in 2015 to approximately 33% in 2023,” said Dr. Emily Dixon, the director of Bellarmine’s Office of Identity and Inclusion (OII).
Bellarmine also invested in scholarships and financial aid for underrepresented students.
In 2023, the university allocated $2 million specifically for scholarships aimed at supporting students from diverse backgrounds, representing a 30% increase from the previous year.
Alisha Harper, chair of the department of business administration, said, "I’ve definitely seen a rise in diversity in Rubel (School of Business). It hasn’t been so much in the business administration major but more so the math and computer science side."
Bellarmine has taken proactive steps to address disparities and create a more inclusive learning environment in response to these challenges.
One of the pivotal initiatives was the establishing of the Office of Identity and Inclusion. Patricia Carver, an assistant professor of business administration, was an influential donor for the OII.
"The office has seen much greater use as time has gone on. As far as I can tell, more students have been a part of the identity and inclusion office with each year,” Carver said.
Senior business administration major Irlanda Flores said: “At first, diversity seemed more talked about than acted upon. I have seen real efforts from Bellarmine, though, with clubs and events and the OII getting more people.”
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