Diversity at Santa Clara University

“Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We are different precisely in order to realize our need for one another.” - Archbishop Desmond Tutu

When Santa Clara University was established in 1851 it filled the void of higher education that existed in the western United States. The founders of the university understood the need for this level of education in the then one year old state of California, that the pursuit of knowledge is an important part of forming a functioning society. Although, as was the status quo then and for many years after, the school largely served to further the academic pursuits of white men. But if one was to walk around Santa Clara’s campus today, they would see that that is no longer the case, as the campus and student body reflect the climate of inclusivity and diversity championed by the school. 

Santa Clara University students Jack Moore, an English major, and Sai Panneerselvam, a Computer Science and Mathematics major, were intrigued by the disparity between the Santa Clara of the past and the Santa Clara of present, and chose to devote their investigations to discovering how that transition happened. Through their exhibit “Diversity at Santa Clara University” they wanted to explore the progress of the diversification of the student body over the years. 

The exhibit was developed over the course of ten weeks in the fall of 2016 by curating a wide variety of photos and documents from Santa Clara University’s Archives and Special Collections. Half of the exhibit includes documents and letters regarding the outreach that Santa Clara University did to minorities via financial aid and scholarships. The other half uses photos and yearbooks to illustrate the changing social climate on campus through the depiction of clubs, athletics, and student life in general.

What “Diversity at Santa Clara University” hopes to illustrate is how the administration at Santa Clara was galvanized by the void left by students of color at their university, and how the diversification of students would lead to the more successful creation of women and men for others.