Our Continuing Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

President Elizabeth S. Marcuse

LIM College has a long-standing commitment to fostering a diverse student body. This is embodied in one of our institutional core values to champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability. We welcome students of any race, color, religion, disability, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, age, sex, or marital status into all our programs and prohibit discrimination.

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As a result of this ongoing commitment, our community of students is exceptionally diverse. Our students come from 44 states, half identify as students of color, and another 13% of our population are international students hailing from 28 different countries. We are also a socio-economically diverse campus, with over 37% of our undergraduates receiving federal Pell Grants for low-income students.

Historically, LIM has also been a leader in promoting gender equity in the business of fashion and lifestyle, having been founded as a women-only institution in 1939.

The College has made, and will continue to make, great strides in being a vehicle for change and improved representation in the fashion industry. That said, we are disappointed with the recent Supreme Court affirmative action decision, which could prove to limit access for some students, particularly at “highly selective” colleges and universities.

While this Supreme Court decision does not directly impact LIM College’s admission policies, we are committed to continuing efforts that have been in place for many years to build strong partnerships and pipelines with many high schools, college-bound programs, and community colleges that have ethnically, racially, and socioeconomically diverse populations both in the NYC Metro area and throughout the United States.

We have also taken a leadership position in building Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion into our curriculum, offering a DEI minor that focuses on building workplace-relevant DEI skills, strengthening the knowledge and expertise of those entering the fashion industry workforce. The development and growth of this curriculum is just one initiative within the LIM College DEI Strategic Plan, which is interwoven into the College’s overall institutional Strategic Plan and overseen by a standing DEI Committee comprised of administrators, faculty, students, and staff, and co-chaired by our Assistant Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility.

While there is work to be done, LIM College is optimistic about the future of the fashion industry as we and other educational institutions continue our work to reinforce that the tenets of diversity, equity, and inclusive representation are fundamental to a successful business in our increasingly connected world.

-Elizabeth S. Marcuse President, LIM College