Although Iowa State has made strides in diversifying the campus, student and university leaders agree that more progress is needed toward racial diversity.

According to Iowa State’s strategic plan in the Board of Regents general docket, underrepresented students account for 6.6 percent of ISU’s populations, and the university’s goal is to reach 10 percent.

President Martin Jischke said the university emphasizes student success through a number of programs, including the Hixson Scholarship fund, learning communities and the academic support system in the intercollegiate athletic department.

However, Jischke said there are still issues that need to be addressed to improve the situation.

“First, we need to work harder to encourage more people from underrepresented groups to prepare for college,” Jischke said, “and second, we at the university have to do a better job [of improving retention].”

Bryan Burkhardt, president of the Government of the Student Body, said the university needs to begin to identify “why [minorities] leave ISU, and why they won’t come to ISU.”

Steven Muhammad, director of university relations for the Black Student Alliance, agreed that one of the biggest problems ISU faces is retention.

“Many minorities do not feel they are received with open arms,” said Muhammad, sophomore in sociology. “They move back home because that is what they are familiar with.”

Muhammad said the university should be ready to take further action.

“[ISU] has a lot of potential to be a diverse climate,” Muhammad said. “The climate is already there; they just have to take the steps to improve.”

Burkhardt said ISU has “a long ways to go” to improve diversity on campus. He said the university’s leaders need to look at a more diverse culture in the future.

“We need the administration to embrace diversity more than they have in the past,” Burkhardt said.

Jischke said the university currently is reviewing the programs that are now in place to learn from them and improve the diversity, but he could not say when ISU would be able to achieve its goals.

Thomas Hill, vice president for Student Affairs, said any racial “tension” felt on campus is positive tension that is calling for change.

“I would characterize the mood as wanting to accomplish things,” Hill said. “It’s a healthy tension.”