This past Friday, Jan. 22, the Commission on Race and Diversity held a forum in the Gowen Room in order to report current progress made in response to the demands made by underrepresented minority students on campus. If you were unable to attend, you actually didn’t miss much. I have included the commission’s response given from this forum to every demand made this past semester. This is not a complete transcript, as it is a summarized version of the forum after reviewing a personal recording of the event.

1. Provide a Safe and Productive Learning Environment

a. WE DEMAND the immediate blocking and/or removal of anonymous social media applications such as YikYak from the University of Rochester server.

Was not mentioned at all by the commission until a student questioned the current progress of the subpoena filed through the District Attorney. Even then, no information was released.

b. WE DEMAND that the university create and enforce comprehensive racial awareness and inclusion curriculum and training throughout all campus departments and units, mandatory for all faculty, staff, students and administrators. This curriculum must be vetted, maintained and overseen by a board comprised of students, staff and faculty of color and allies. It must include, but not be limited to addressing the effects of implicit and explicit bias, racism, prejudice and bigotry, and how these things negatively impact our campus community. This commitment should start during freshman orientation for students.

Norm Burnett mentioned that One Community, a mandatory freshman orientation event, will be focused on race this next year.

c. WE DEMAND the university put as much emphasis and funding in promoting the “Bias Related Incidents” reporting program as they have the CARE Program. The lack of focus on this important tool sends the wrong message about the university’s commitment to combating racial injustice.

Dr. Jessica Guzmán-Rea, the director of the Intercultural Center, announced that “Bias Related Incidents” form is currently live here. There also exists a form, in addition to the individual care report and “Bias Related Incidents,” called the “Community Concern” form that covers any issue regarding a natural disaster or humanitarian concern affecting a student. In addition, CARE has created two posters to promote these different incident forms. The flier for “Bias Related Incidents” states, “I can’t believe they used that word,” while the “Community Concern” poster mentions, “That tragedy happened in my roommate’s hometown.”

d. WE DEMAND that the university create and implement a campaign to combat racial injustice at our university similar to signing onto the national campaign to combat sexual misconduct, “It’s On Us.”

Norm Burnett and Beth Olivares are currently leading this campaign and released a few details about the progress: they’re working on it. There was a brainstorming group of about 70 to 75 people present. Beth mentioned that slogans are in the works, and a possible video contest in promotion of this campaign.

e. WE DEMAND a statement of recognition from President Seligman, the Dean of the College and the Dean of Students to many current and former students of color for the hostile and exclusionary climate.

Seligman released an email following the delivery of these demands where he mentioned the racial climate of the university.

f. WE DEMAND the protection of faculty and staff members who voice solidarity with students and/or express their concerns and experiences with the administration.

Not mentioned.

g. WE DEMAND President Seligman hold a Town Hall Meeting focusing on issues specific to race. This issue has not received the recognition and attention it requires.

There was a previous Town Hall regarding Yik Yak, and this was the sixth open forum for the commission.

2. Improve Inclusion and Representation

a. WE DEMAND transparency in the recruitment processes utilized by the Office of Faculty Development and Diversity to increase the number of faculty members from underrepresented minority backgrounds. In addition, we would like undergraduate minority students included in the process by speaking with candidates and attending job talks. Studies show that students that are taught by teachers that look like them generally do better academically. It is important that race is not confused with diversity, and it is imperative that we focus on growing the number of faculty members from minority backgrounds specifically.

Was not mentioned specifically in this forum.

b. WE DEMAND the revision of the Student Code of Conduct. The Discrimination and Harassment Policy needs to be expanded to further protect students. In comparison, the Sexual Misconduct Policy is more detailed than the Discrimination and Harassment Policy. Revisions to the Student Code of Conduct should address hate speech both in person and through social media. We demand the university follow harassment policies consistently to protect students from hostility.

Not mentioned specifically.

3. Increase Funding and Support of Underrepresented Minority Students and Departments

a. WE DEMAND the creation of a fund to support cultural groups served by the Minority Student Advisory Board (MSAB). These funds will allow our organizations to develop programming without barriers. These funds should be managed by the Office of Minority Student Affairs (OMSA).

Dean Burns mentioned that disbursement of funding would have to go through the Dean of Students Office. There will be additional grants and supplemental funding offered to these groups similar to the Communal Principles grants. Funding for these grants is currently being sought. Apart from this demand, the school is working on streamlining the process in which student groups seek funding for events through various departments on campus.

b. WE DEMAND OMSA be provided with their own office space separate from the Center for Education Abroad in order to efficiently serve their students. We, as students, do not have adequate space to receive the proper resources, support and open environment that we need.

Dean Richard Feldman said how troublesome finding office space is, and how burdensome moving office space is. Dean Feldman stated, “There’s just not available space.”

c. WE DEMAND that the David T. Kearns Center and Minority Student Affairs be provided additional funding to provide enrichment programming and support to minority students. Also, that the Paul Burgett Intercultural Center have adequate staffing to address the needs of students on campus.

Dean Richard Feldman basically reiterated the process of approving budget, and he may or may not approve additional funding. The directors of programs send in budget requests, and Dean Feldman, “does his best to honor those requests.” The requests will be considered “very carefully.”

d. WE DEMAND the Frederick Douglass Institute be established as its own department by 2018. For several years, students majoring in African American Studies have had limited course options, which has affected their ability to fulfill their major; this is unacceptable. If the Frederick Douglass Institute is made into its own department, this will give the administration a chance to hire more diverse faculty. In 1999, students fought to have this department supported and expanded. The fact that FDI has been underfunded and received minimal support for the last 10 years sends the wrong message about our university's commitment to the legacy and history of Frederick Douglass.

A curriculum review is underway, and will be due by the end of the semester. In parallel, a review of all Arts and Sciences courses that could be cross-listed as an AAS (African and African- American Studies) course will occur by the end of the semester. Two FDI post-doctoral fellows are currently in place, and one of those fellows will be transitioned into tenured track faculty member next year.

e. WE DEMAND the establishment of the Douglass Leadership House as a permanent part of our community with funding. DLH is one of the few safe spaces for students to convene and discuss various issues around race. The Douglass Leadership House serves as a vital resource for all students, especially minority students, and needs to become a permanent landmark at the University of Rochester. This will provide DLH the ability to become a permanent space for students to feel safe, learn and dialogue around issues of race and culture.

Dean Feldman said the commission is working on trying to make Academic Living Centers more “permanent.” Feldman says that this will require, “a bit more thought.”

DISCLAIMER:

This is the point where I give my two cents regarding this recent forum and the university’s current response to the demands given by students on campus.

Alanna Hardy, the Treasurer of DLH, questioned the flier for the “Bias Related Incidents” in asking, “Why can’t we be direct and talk about race?” This seemed to be a common sentiment from those attending this Town Hall meeting. I, myself, am questioning the motives and progress of this commission. After listening to the commission’s responses, they weren’t concerned about race relations, they were concerned about diversity: the ultimate scapegoat to avoid the conversation about race. Diversity is very important to me given that I am a gay student, but I wasn’t the one physically threatened through racist Yaks. That happened to, and explicitly against, students of a different skin tone— of a different race. As a university, we need to be conscious and educated of this in order to correct the disgusting racism present on campus.

Now, on to the commission itself: The commissions’ strive for transparency is great, except I don’t see any progress. A common theme that I’ve noticed are the words, in particular, “We’re working on it.” I’m rather confused because the commission’s report is scheduled to be released by the Jan. 31, less than a week away. When do they plan to have guidelines and plans for the future? I have no confidence that the university is taking these issues into careful consideration given the lackluster and vague responses from this forum. Why did the administration form this commission if they didn’t intend to proactively revolutionize and improve the current state of racial affairs on campus?

Joel Seligman stated the reason of forming this commission by saying, “It’s not because of a protest and march. It was because some students felt unsafe.” My largest question is: If this commission was truly put in place because students’ safety, why didn’t the university create this commission in response to the initial racially threatening Yik Yaks against minority students a year ago? This wasn’t because of student’s safety; this was because you, Joel Seligman, were in hot water with the students, academic community and the media. Do not attempt to give us this incessant spiel where you say that you were always concerned about our minority students when you have yet to sit in on a Commission meeting or attend the previous Town Halls dedicated to this commission. You are a fake.

Black and Latino/Latina lives were threatened in racist Yaks, yet the university has done absolutely nothing to guarantee their safety across campus. How much longer will this university ignore the safety of our black and Latino/Latina students, especially those that live in the Douglass Leadership House? The University of Rochester is just confirming the disenfranchisement of our minority students on campus by the ignorance of the students’ concerns. These students pay this university large sums of money, and all the university has given back is the notion that they are of lesser value than their white peers—three-fifths of a student, to be exact. It’s time that the commission, the administration, Joel Seligman and the campus community take the concerns of these students seriously to make the campus a more comfortable place to live.