Nearly all colleges are looking for ways to make their institutions more inclusive, but how does that play out in real life?

NACAC member Angel B. Perez shared some ideas in a recent column published by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.

“If we are truly going to open our doors wider, we can’t do so without transforming our own policies and practices,” wrote Perez, vice president for enrollment and student success at Trinity College in Hartford (CT).

After all, the county’s demographics are changing, representing an educational pipeline that is “the most diverse in American history.”

To best serve this new population of students, Perez called on colleges to rethink their testing requirements and simplify the financial aid process. He also urged admission professionals to remain engaged with the students they recruit.

“Admissions should be working in close collaboration with academic advisers, student affairs professionals, counseling services, and even career offices to set students on a path to success,” Perez wrote. “If one of those pieces of the chain breaks, students could be the ones who suffer.”

Read the full column on the Diverse website.

Admitted writer/editor Mary Stegmeir welcomes additional comments and story ideas at mstegmeir@nacacnet.org.