Diversity in graduate nursing education: an experience in collaboration.

The recent shift in public policy away from the use of affirmative action programs in the admissions process of institutes of higher learning has motivated colleges and universities to explore alternative means for achieving their goal to increase the diversity of their student bodies. The imperative to promote diversity is particularly relevant in nursing education because there is an emphasis on preparing students to enter a profession that is committed to providing health care to all regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background. In 1997, the nursing programs at 2 Florida schools-Bethune-Cookman College (B-CC), a historic African-American college, and the University of Florida (UF), a land-grant university-initiated a collaborative relationship with the goals of improving access to graduate education for B-CC graduates and increasing the diversity of the graduate student body at UF. A central component of the collaboration is the Gator-Cats Mentoring Program in which students are recruited through career counseling and financial planning, mentored through the application process and the program, and offered continuing support in the skills required in graduate studies. This collaboration can serve as a model for other institutions seeking effective ways of increasing the diversity of their student populations.