Diversity is defined as those numerous elements of differencebetween groups of people that play significant roles in socialinstitutions, including (but not limited to) race and ethnicity,gender, socioeconomic class, sexual orientation, and culture. Sincedoctoral degree recipients go on to assume roles as faculty andeducators, diversity in doctoral programs is significant. Bysupporting graduate diversity across the academic disciplines,universities ensure that the nation's intellectual capacitiesand opportunities are fully realized.
The authors consider diversity broadly from multiple perspectives,from race and ethnicity to institutional type, academic discipline,and national origin. They demonstrate how diversity operatesthrough these venues and definitions, and hope to stimulate aconversation about a key aspect of American highereducation.

This volume is the 163rd volume of the Jossey-Bass quarterlyreport series New Directions for Higher Education.Addressed to presidents, vice presidents, deans, and other highereducation decision makers on all kinds of campuses, NewDirections for Higher Education provides timely informationand authoritative advice about major issues and administrativeproblems confronting every institution.