MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The vice president of the University of Minnesota’s board of trustees has apologized for questioning whether a college’s declining enrollment was due to its diversity.
Steve Sviggum said in a statement on Tuesday evening that he was ready to learn and needed to do better, referring to his comment regarding declining student numbers at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
Sviggum told a board meeting last week that he had received a few letters from friends who had decided not to attend Morris because it was “too diverse”. He said potential students “just didn’t feel comfortable there.”
The statement released by the board’s public relations office on Tuesday said Sviggum was “truly sorry” to those he had offended. He added that his question was meant to encourage discussion regarding the signup, which is down 50% from its peak.
“Allow me to unequivocally apologize for my questions, and in particular for any unintended harm my questions may have caused,” he wrote. “They weren’t meant to cause harm, but my intent doesn’t matter.”
Morris currently has 1,068 students enrolled. Of these, 54% are white and 32% are Native American. Overall, 41% are Black, Indigenous and People of Color.
The Associated Press
