Eastern Mennonite University: Promoting Community for a Diverse Student Population

Abstract

Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) is a private, nonprofit institution of higher education located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and affiliated with the Mennonite Church USA. The institution enrolls 1,880 students; approximately 1,000 are traditional undergraduates. In the last 20 years, the student body at EMU has become less Mennonite and more racially and ethnically diverse. EMU is interested in applying data to develop a better understanding of the differential experiences of diverse students on campus, to identify improvements and changes that can extend the quality of the "EMU experience" to all students, and to create a framework for continuing assessment.