Beyond the Numbers: How Bellarmine’s Growing Diversity is Reshaping Campus Life
By: Avery Kleier
Over the past decade, Bellarmine University’s undergraduate population has undergone a steady demographic transformation. Minority student enrollment at Bellarmine has consistently increased year after year, with this fall’s incoming class marking the most diverse first-year class in the university’s history.
According to the Interactive Data Book published by Bellarmine’s Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, not only is this year’s incoming first-year class the largest Bellarmine has seen in recent years, but it is also its most diverse.
Recent data reflects growth across underrepresented minority groups : Black/African American, Hispanic/Latin X, Asian, Indigenous American, Hawaiian/ Pacific Island; first-generation students (students who reported both parents as nonrecipients of bachelor's degree); and Pell Grant recipient students (student who receives a federal Pell Grant, which is a need based financial aid that doesn’t have to be repaid).
Specifically, ethnically diverse students make up 33.60% of the student body this semester. This is a steady climb from 13.84% in fall of 2016, and 23.23% in fall of 2022.
While the numbers mark a major institutional milestone for Bellarmine's growing diversity, getting students to Bellarmine is only the first step. The real work is ensuring these students have adequate resources to help support them while on campus.
According to Helen-Grace Ryan, vice president of student affairs, the university's retention strategy begins long before students arrive on campus.
“We reach out to students who either self-identify, or who we identify could use some extra support, and encourage them to participate in summer programs,” Ryan said. “Whether that’s Bridge to BU, Early Knights, Adventures in Leadership, or taking a summer class, we want to help you immediately before the fall semester begins.”
Bellarmine offers several crucial programs that focus on supporting incoming first-year students’ transition to college life.
Bridge to BU is a summer readiness program that prepares accepted incoming first-year students for success during their college careers. Early Knights is an optional early arrival and transition program to help incoming first-year students settle into campus. Adventures in Leadership is a multiple-day summer experience directed toward incoming first-year students to explore campus involvement and leadership.
As demographic trends shift, demand has increased for specialized resources ranging from financial aid to academic advising. Programs such as Pioneer Scholars, which supports first-generation students through faculty mentoring and peer networks, have become central to keeping students engaged and involved on campus.
As a first-generation, Pell Grant recipient, and minority scholar, Akriti Lagun said she had unique challenges navigating her time at Bellarmine. “As a first generation student you're going through everything on your own, since nobody in your family has been to college, so it's difficult trying to navigate it all on your own,” she said.
“The biggest communities on campus that helped me were Pioneer Scholars, because it connected me with resources, the financial aid office, because they help with scholarships and filling out FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), as well as the tutoring center,” Lagun said.
Ryan said the Student Affairs office has continuously modified its services to adapt to these growing needs, expanding counseling services, on-call responding, and initiatives that address basic student needs.
“We’ve implemented the clothing closet and Knights food pantry, and even started things like the Bridge program and EarlyKnights,” Ryan said.
For many underrepresented students, the center of campus life sits within the Dr. Patricia Carver Center, located on the first floor of Centro. The Carver Center as a vital spot for community building and anchors seven identity-based Registered Student Organizations (RSOs): Black Student Union (BSU), Hispanic Organization and Latino Alliance (HOLA), Muslim Student Association (MSU), Multicultural Association of Pre-Health Students (MAPS), Asian and Asian American Student Union (AAASU), African Student Association (ASA), and Access BU.
“Because they [the organizations] are anchored here, we see them [students in the anchored RSOs] all the time,” Phyllis Clark, Carver Center director said. “They're in the Carver Center all the time, making connections, planning events, and hosting meetings.”
For Clark, promoting an inclusive environment on campus comes down to a simple equation.
“Community plus support equals belonging,” Clark said. “It’s a formula, not just pillars. We are building cohorts. We are re-establishing programs that help students transition.”
Clark said the effective support requires active listening and direct dialogue with the student population.
“I understand how important it is for students to be supported, so we have to understand what that means to them,” Clark said. “We’re doing a lot of talking, meeting with students one-on-one and joining their [students] conversations in the lobby to better understand their minds.”
As Bellarmine continues to become more diverse, maintaining an inclusive environment will remain a central focus for the university’s future. For leaders like Clark, the ultimate goal isn’t just increasing the numbers, it’s creating a genuine sense of home and belonging.
“Our drive is to make sure that students understand that they have a place to go, that they have their people. People want their people, and it doesn’t have to be everybody, it just has to be somebody," she said