SPORTS: The Kansas women's basketball team defeats Southwest Missouri State 65-51. Page 9.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
VOL.102.NO.75
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
ADVERTISING: 864-4358
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9.1992
(USPS 650-640)
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Plans draw new attention to minorities
By Mark Martin Kansan staff writer
A recent proposal by the African American Student Concerns Task Force and a resolution passed by Student Senate three weeks ago have rekindled debate concerning the creation of an administrative position responsible for cultural affairs.
Administrators say they are looking into the recommendations, but many minority students at the University of Kansas wonder whether their concerns are really ever heard.
"It seems like nothing will be done with this until students make some noise about it," said Peter Braithwaite, off-campus student senator and member of the African American Student Concerns Task Force.
Braithwaite pointed out that in 1989, a task force recommended that the University create a new position to oversee minority affairs on campus.
That position was never created.
Braithwaite co-wrote the Senate resolution this year, which demanded that the Office of Minority Affairs, which operates within the division of student affairs, be moved up to operate within the executive vice chancellor's office. The resolution also calls for elevating the OMA director to assistant or associate vice chancellor status.
Some think raising OMA's status would allow it to be more effective. Hispanic students have complained that the OMA has been insensitive to their needs and lacks Hispanic resources such as magazines and journals. Most say that with an expanded role, the OMA could serve minority students better.
"The problem with the office currently is that come there with problems they're having on c that office has no power to change policies," I said. "They can just make suggestions. We're that the office needs more respect on campus power."
Tim Dawson, chairperson of Student Senate affairs committee and the co-author of the Serion, said that the OMA was lost in the shuffle if office was too low in KU's organizational struc
"Right now they have to go through too many get anything done," he said. "They have to go to student life, then to the vice chancellor for stu ck before you graduate." He was before people at the top even hear about them.
Before 1987, OMA worked within the chanel and the director reported straight to the chan office was moved into the student affairs divisic stands now.
David Ambler, vice chancellor for student at the office was moved to student affairs because determined that the office's main function w with students.
Moving the office to student affairs would a contact with students and with other offices.
Ambler said that because of KU's budget con did not think the University would be able to cr position in the administration.
"The University is carefully studying the r force report," he said, "One of their recommendation to create a University-wide council that could the programs that deal with minority needs."
Sherwood Thompson, director of minority a that as KU became more multicultural, more v
"With more and more minority students come may be necessary to have a representative at the trivative level," he said. "It would help to coord and assess the needs of minority students in all
Administrators point to the planned multicus as an example of KU's commitment to minor And minority enrollment has risen each of the years.
But a planning committee has yet to be form center, and the original opening date of Fall 198 pushed back a year. And despite the enrollment more than 90 percent of the student body is wha
"Right now, it seems like minority and culture treated as a program at KU, instead of within structure," Braithwaite said. "We need some campus with enough power to keep people what's going on, and what needs to go on."
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Knight-Ridder Tribune
A member of the U.S. armed forces takes cover after an early morning beach landing near the main airport in Mogadishu, Somalia.
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