United World College-USA
PA-7: Support for Underrepresented Groups

The UWC-USA website includes the following non-discrimination statement: "UWC-USA admits students of any race, color, national, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national, and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs." (https://www.uwc-usa.org/learn-with-us/admissions/). A similar statement is provided in the UWC-USA Student Handbook (p. 6) and the UWC-USA Faculty Handbook (Policy 003).

A non-discrimination statement is also included on all job applications and UWC student applications.

The admissions process for students at UWC-USA is distinct. Students are not selected directly by the school; they are selected by 160 volunteer National Committees (NCs) in country or through a Global Selection Programme (GSP) managed through the international office. The UWC International Office has a common set of selection criteria for all NCs, but each NC adapts it to tailors the yearly application process to the local education system and culture (see https://www.uwc.org/selectioncriteria for more details).

To help with recruiting of underrepresented groups in the US, the UWC-USA admissions team has created relationships with community groups and high school counselors within the US who work with students from underrepresented groups to encourage their application to the College.

Recruitment of non-academic staff is primarily and intentionally done in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and the surrounding areas of San Miguel and Mora Counties. According to New Mexico's Indicator-Based Information System, San Miguel County is 77.4% Hispanic and Mora County is 80.7% Hispanic (2017 data). Given the ethnic composition in the region, the majority of UWC non-academic staff members are Hispanic. In 1982 UWC-USA chose to locate its campus near Las Vegas, NM for a number of reasons, one of which was to serve the local community through economic development opportunities created by the institution. The school has decided to stay at this location with this same purpose in mind. UWC-USA is the largest private employer in the county and in the entire region of northeastern New Mexico.

The College has several programs that are accessible to all students, but particularly for students from underrepresented groups. A primary focus is helping students with English as an Additional Languages. The College usually holds English Language Learning classes before the start of the academic year for students who have been identified by the National Committee as needing additional language training. There is also a writing center on campus with writing coaches who help students who are having difficulties with their writing. There is also a Math Center, which provides peer counseling programs for students. Students also participate in a wellness program which addresses issues of stress, cross-cultural conflict, and personal well-being. Two certified counselors on campus provide a range of services to students who experience emotional, academic, or social difficulties.