OPINION
University makes progress; has long way to go
How would you account for
the difference of opinions bo
tween students and adminis
trators toward the University's
efforts to foster a positive edu
cational environment for mi
nority students?
This question assumes there
is a fundamental differ
ence of opinion, an as
sumption I do not wholly ac
cept.
1 believe students and admin
istrators share the same basic
goals for achieving true racial
and ethnic diversity on this
eampus and reflecting a
multicultural perspective in the
curriculum.
Also, we agree that while
some progress has been made
in fostering a positive educa
tional environment for minor
ity students ut the University,
much — very much — remains
to bo done. In fact, 1 believe
these feelings prevail across
campus, including among fac
ulty and staff, although with
somewhat varying degrees of
conviction.
In fact, the one mu}or differ
ence I can think of overall l«
that students tend to view these
issues within the contoxt of
their own experience on cam
pus over a fixed period. Ad
ministrators and faculty,
though, tend to have a longor
term vlow. spanning several
years.
Cloarly, we have moved for
ward in recent years in hiring
new faculty of color, especially
Hispanic faculty. In other areas,
particularly among African
American and Natlve-Amarlcan
faculty, wo nither have lost
ground or barely have managed
to stay even Not surprisingly,
because there is a clear rela
tionship between the presence
of faculty of color and our abili
ty to attract students of color,
there have been corresponding
shifts up and down among stu
dents in each of these groups
We cannot be satisfied until
there is clear, obvious and sus
tained progress across the
board This will not be easy,
given the harsh fiscal realities
in which we operate currently
— an environment In which
"progress.” sadly, often means
simply not losing ground. More
than one potential new faculty
member of color has cited
tU'HI’s Measure 5 and the Uni
versity's continuing budgetary
uncertainties, and their effects
on recruitment and retention of
new faculty and students of
color, as reason enough not to
join thn University.
Il is also worth noting that
our problems are not unique
although this is no excuse for
inaction. We should not over
look that we have made pro
gress: not as much or as fust as
we would like, and certainly
not across the board. But pro
gress. nonetheless. Within the
past year, for example, we have
seen significant increases in
percentages of students on our
campus who identify them
selves, ethnically, as
Asian/I’acific Islanders (6.1
percent this yuHr versus 5 4
percent In 1991). His pan its (2 3
percent this year, 2 percent In
1991); and Native Americans
(1.1 percent this year, 0.9 per
cent in 1991). Most unfortu
nately. wo lost ground slightly
in the past year In the percent
age of African-American slu
dents on our campus (1.3 per
cent. compared to 1.4 percent
In 1991) — a setback we are
committed to reversing
Students know there is much
I At Rainbow Optics,
students are at the
too of our list.
rainbov^®
optics 1
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resistance to constructive
change at the University They
need to keep pushing for
change, because as long as this
resistance persists, we will find
it difficult to foster a campus
climate that truly encourages
faculty and students of color to
come here, and to remain It
does no good for a department
to recruit and hire new faculty
members of color, only to have
them leave In a year or two be
cause they find the campus
lacks diversity
And we still have far to go In
raising awareness among the
campus community its a whole
that diversity is good, that we
all win and grow because of it
It takes many routes to get this
across. Including repeatedly
bringing speakers to campus to
tell us about the importance of
diversity and what we gain
from it The challenge of deliv
ering this message is height
ened by the fact that roughly
one-quarter of all students ea< h
year are new to campus.
As we consular ways in re
(iuce resistance to < hango. il
would help to keep in mtnd the
late James Baldwin's challenge
to U S society to live up to its
promise of freedom and justice
for all a challenge reflected
In his sage observation, in
1961, that "... the question of
color, especially in this coun
try, operates to hide the graver
questions of self.”
What did Baldwin mean by
this? And what does his state
ment say to us. us people of
conscience on a campus strug
gling to reverse a gap that
seems determined, here as else
where, to widen rather than
close? — the gap. that is, be
tween what we intend to
achieve and what we have
achieved in racial and ethnic
diversity and multiculturalism
In my view. Baldwin's state
ment, in part, touches on the
fundamental issue of hypo
crisy. that old ally of racism If
we are honest about It, any at
tempt we make as a campus
community to address llald
win's "graver questions of self”
will get at whether we are what
we think we are or are we
only pretending?
As an institution, of course,
the University is formally coni
milted to providing "a student
body and a faculty and staff
that reflect the cultural, ethnic
and racial diversity of modern
society
That is the intent But what is
the reality' As a community,
how do we really see ourselves
on issues o I rate a n d
niultii ulluralism7 Is there gen
eral acceptance, for example,
that diversity makes us better7
Or do we only pay lip servin'
to this goal7
Kecently. nmeraui lias
run an excellent series on rui lal
issues on our campus Taken
together, the articles suggest
1 belli've correctly that wu
arc far short of the mark in clos
ing the gap I mentioned In
liis’ti, I have the impression
one shareiI hy many students,
faculty unit stuff that some
members of our community
think they are far more progres
sive anil activist on racial Is
suits than they really are
liven so, we are heading In
the right direction. The chal
lenge now to administrators,
faculty, staff, and yes, I dare say
even some students ts to
make our self perception of
progressiveness a definite reali
ty
Klylos Brand Is President of
the University
Editor's note: Brand agreed
to take part In the "Ask the
President" columns. In which
the hmeruld forwards a ques
tion to the President's Office for
Brand's response
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