University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, October 3, 1990
5
KU tries to end discrimination
Last spring, a deplorable incident in an off-campus living unit precipitated a series of events that led the campus community to re-examine its commitment to cultural diversity. As a result of that re-examination, the University stated unequivocally that it would increase its efforts to make the campus environment safe and nurturing to all who study and work here. Those efforts could not be achieved without an opportunity to describe some of the events that have occurred since spring, some of which built upon earlier efforts.
- The search for a new director of minority affairs is progressing. The search committee is reviewing the more than 100 dossiers and selecting the top candidates to invite for campus visits in November. We have also established an advisory committee to the Office of Minority Affairs.
■ We have continued a program to increase lighting on campus. We have recently installed 13 new light poles along the walk east of Robinson Center to Watkins Memorial Health Center and around the Watkins parking lot. Nine new light poles were placed along the walk to Murphy Hall between the Visual Arts Building and Lindley Hall. Four new post lights have been placed between Watson Library and Twente Hall, and 10 post lights were put along the west side of Watson Library and 15th streets. In addition, this summer we put in a number of new lights around Gertrude Sellards Pearson-Corbin Hall. This program continues and additional lighting is planned.
■ We have raised new funds for undergraduate minority scholarships. At the end of the spring semester, we established 35 new minority scholarships. This fall, we announced a new $1 million endowed fund that will support 35 additional undergraduate scholarships each year over more years – a total of 140 new minority scholarships.
■ We are working hard to increase the enrollment of ethnic minority students. The total this year is 1,747, an increase of 3 percent from last year's record-setting enrollment. At 6.6 percent of the student body, it is the highest percentage in more than a decade. In regard to Black students specifically, total enrollment has increased slightly to 644, arresting a downward trend seen here and around the nation. In addition, there are 158 Native American, 521 Asian American and 424 Hispanic students at the University.
■ We also are working diligently to recruit minority faculty. This year, we hired 22 new Hispanic, African American, Native American and Asian people to tenured or tenure-track positions.
■ We have adopted a new racial and ethnic harassment policy. We also have distributed a brochure describing that policy and the procedures to follow when harassment occurs.
We have put in place a comprehensive program about cultural diversity and sensitivity, including special emphasis on this topic in faculty, graduate teaching assistant and student orientation programs. More than 450 faculty, staff and student leaders have participated in these training programs this fall. Forty-five members of the community are now trained to conduct additional workshops during the remainder of the academic year.
We will soon announce the appointment of a project manager and a project advisory board on sexual assault. An initial allocation of funds has been made to support the work of this project.
Del
Shankel
Guest column
Guest columnist
- Chancellor Gene A. Budig has asked Frances Ingemann, chairperson of University Senate Executive Committee, and me to visit Washington, D.C., to discuss our concerns about the discriminatory policies of the Department of Defense.
“
As I said in my talk to the opening faculty convocation this fall, 'We must abhor harassment by anonymous and cowardly phone callers and defacers just as we must abhor gay-bashing sexual harassment, harassment of ROTC students, or any illegitimately based discrimination.'
Deplorable incidents do happen, but the University remains committed to the community concept. KU should strive, and I think is striving, to be the kind of community where we share goals and work together; where we affirm civility and freedom of expression; where we honor the individual and pursue diversity; where we provide for the common good; where we support each other; and where we remember and affirm our heritage.
As I said in my talk to the opening faculty convocation this fall. "We must aborb harassment by anonymous and cowardly phone callers and defacers, just as we must aborgay-bashing, sexual harassment, harassment of ROTC students or any illegitimately based discrimination."
We hope that all members of the University community will join our efforts to eliminate discrimination and to serve as a model community of a civil and rational society.
In his annual report, University Ombudman Robert Shelton reminded us that anti-Semitism is flourishing; it that it takes a major effort to keep up with new expressions of racism as well as to recognize that many old forms are still alive; that same-sex affection continues to produce seemingly acceptable acts of terror; that sexism operates widely; that foreign visitors experience distressing levels of ignorance and prejudice; and that persons with disabilities regularly encounter an unwillingness to recognize their rights.
► Del Shankel is executive vice chancellor for the Lawrence campus.
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