One of the most beneficial programs to underprivileged families, Kabbaz said, is the Miami Access Initiative. This program gives grants and scholarships to students from families that make less than $35,000 a year. In 2011-2012 the Miami Access Initiative covered tuition and academic fees amounting to $13,156. The only cost that it does not cover is room and board.

“For a family that is in that income bracket, it really starts to build a way for Miami to be an option,” Kabbaz said.

Bringing in diversity is a slow process and students are split on how successful a job Miami is doing.

Tarek Saed, an Arab American first-year, expressed his disappointment in his university’s efforts.

“I’ve been to other colleges with large Arab and Muslim populations and we went to nearby mosques everyday,” Saed said. “Unfortunately, at Miami, you can’t find one. The nearest mosque is in Cincinnati and, for a freshman with no car, that is extremely inconvenient. I feel like they make efforts, but nothing major.”

On the other hand, Himanshu Sachdeva, an Indian and a sophomore, is conscious of what statistics suggest is an increasing rate of diversity.

“I am definitely noticing a growing trend of diversity at Miami, even from last year to this year,” Sachdeva said. “Programs like the Diwali Show, put on by the Indian Student Association, reflect the rates of change.”

Kabbaz and Pruckno said they are certain of what they’re trying to accomplish.

“When schools across Ohio and perspective students across Ohio don’t have the perception that Miami isn’t an option, that’s when we know that we have gotten there,” Kabbaz said.