Students argued on Wednesday that a multicultural dean would provide much needed support networks for student of color (SOC) communities. The newly-formed Task Force on Multicultural Affairs held a forum for students and staff to discuss the needs of students of color, and plans to submit a proposal to Maria Cruz-Saco, the newly selected Dean of the College, who will make the final decision on the position.
The Task Force on Multicultural Affairs, which consists of students, faculty and administrative staff, is exploring the need for a dean or an office to tackle multicultural affairs on campus. Wednesday’s forum was designed to solicit student ideas on the position.
“There’s a strong effort in making this a collaborative effort,” said Renee Johnson-Thornton, Assistant Dean of Student Academic Resources. “What would this position look like? What are some of the concerns you have that would be addressed by a Dean or an office?”
Students had several concerns, including the need for greater coordination among SOC groups, a SOC mentoring program, and hiring more faculty of color. Much of the discussion, however, rested on students’ concern about not having a person to turn to for support on multicultural issues.
“There’s kind of a ‘where-to-go-with-a-problem’ situation going on,” said Iris Jacob ’06, a diversity intern at the Office of Affirmative Action. Jacob added that faculty and other staff could also use a place to address multicultural issues.
Several students suggested a place where students could go to discuss issues inside and outside the classroom, a place where they could solicit support or obtain resources to help them. That way, students said, difficult situations would not escalate into conflicts.
“This is about getting everyone on the same page so that it doesn’t come to a crisis point,” said B Lake ’06.
Currently the Office of Affirmative Action has tackled a majority of the multicultural issues on campus. However, students noted that the Office of Affirmative Action is overwhelmed and cannot focus on everyday multicultural affairs.
The creation of a new office or position would send an important message to the Wesleyan SOC community, according to Liz Andrews ’05, a student representative on the Task Force.
“It is an official institutional acknowledgement that oppression exists at this school,” Andrews said.
Michael Benn, interim director of the Office of Affirmative Action, said that the Administration is generally in favor of some sort of multicultural position. At the same time, Benn expressed disappointment that students did not know the extent of initiatives the Office of Affirmative Action has taken in regards to multicultural affairs.
Students also expressed concern with some faculty members who have offended students with a lack of sensitivity in their teaching material. Suggestions were made for mandatory diversity training and intervention from a multicultural dean.
Benn, however, said there is a “big disconnect” between those student concerns and the number of formal complaints he has received from students.
In addition, he said the new dean or office would not be able to impose curriculum requirements or alter a professor’s teaching styles that may bother students but are not discriminatory.
“You keep hearing issues related to faculty,” Benn said. “I’m not sure how much this office can do about it.”
Other contentious issues included the effectiveness of diversity training for staff, the need for more ethnic studies classes, and the apparent loss of one intern position next year at the University Organizing Center that currently helps deal with some multicultural issues.
Interim Dean of the College Peter Patton said the ideas from the discussion will be used in a “white paper,” a proposal filled with suggestions that will be given to incoming Dean of the College Cruz-Saco, who has already expressed interest in the position.
“We’d like to give her a head start by giving her our view,” Patton said.
Those students who were unable to attend the meeting can submit ideas online at http://www.wesleyan.edu/affirm.
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