Tuesday, December 2, 1997
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 3
Senate works to diversify
Continued from page 1A
The idea of a cultural diversity requirement has been raised frequently on the listserv and the idea has brought more questions than answers.
"I think diversity is so important, especially if you're not exposed to it in elementary or high school," said Becca Kelley, Liberal Arts and Sciences senator. "But as for a requirement, it gets complicated once you get into really specialized majors like engineering or business."
Kelley said finding a balance would be the key. Teaching students entering a global market what they will need to know about other cultures while at the same time respecting the students' rights to take courses they want to in the era of linear tuition could be tricky, Kelley said.
Whitney Black, Off-Campus senator, agrees that a more diverse curriculum is needed, but she said Senate shouldn't act without finding out more about how students feel about the subject.
"I think a diversity requirement is a good idea because even as a liberal arts major you can go through this university and only learn about white people," Black said. "But student input needs to be as much a factor as possible."
Scott Sullivan, student body president, isn't sure if a diversity requirement is the right way to achieve culturally-aware KU graduates.
"I think you can learn more from people and experiences than from a class that you may or may not want to take in the first place." Sullivan said.
Sullivan's view is in line with Chancellor Robert Hemenway's goal of increasing minority enrollment.
In pursuit of Hemenway's goal, the Multicultural Affairs Committee, one of Senate's five standing committees, is working to recruit more students of color with events such as "Colors of KU," which is scheduled for sometime in April.
"It would be a whole-day event where we bring in minority student leaders in from area high schools and have them meet with minority student leaders here on campus," said Keena McClendon, Multicultural Affairs committee chairwoman.
She said that the committee would like to see a diversity requirement but only as a short-term solution to the ongoing task of diversifying campus.
So far, the committees and Senate have confined efforts toward a diversity requirement to discussion on the listserv, unsure of exactly how their constituency feels about the issue.
But one senator, Rochelle Votaw, Liberal Arts and Sciences senator, is unwilling to wait for the rest of her colleagues in Senate to act.
Votaw formed an activist group which eventually led to the formation of an ad-hoc committee for a U.S. cultural diversity requirement.
Made up of students, faculty and administrators, the 12-person committee is attempting to determine which existing classes at the University could fit a U.S. cultural diversity requirement.
Votaw said that the proposed three-hour requirement would apply only to the college of liberal arts and sciences, but she hopes that eventually other university departments would adopt it.
"I think it comes down to an inequality in courses." Votaw said. "It's not very balanced."
Votaw said that between the European-based Western Civilization requirements and the non-Western Civilization requirement, more often than not, students are left unprepared to deal with diversity issues they will be facing after college.
"There are still some technicalities which have to be discussed," she said. "But it's only a matter of time now."
It is time for the University to catch up with its peer institutions. Of the five peer institutions established by the Board of Regents, four of them already have some form of U.S. cultural diversity requirement in place in their equivalents to the University's college of liberal arts and sciences.
Student Senate low in member diversity
The measurement of racial and ethnic diversity among a group ultimately comes down to numbers and percentages.
By Tim Harrington tharrington@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
Student Senate is no different.
Undoubtedly the most visible, if not the most influential, group of University student leaders. Senate ideally should be proportionally similar in race and ethnicity to University students as a whole.
With two minority groups, Senate exceeds that representative expectation.
Senate's percentage of African-American senators, 5.8 percent, is well above the percentage of black students among the undergraduate class as a whole, 3 percent, as reported by "University Profiles" for the fall of 1996.
Senate is 2.9 percent Hispanic, again above the undergraduate proportion of 2.2 percent listed in "University Profile."
However, these percentages seem less impressive when considered in terms of real people.
The 5.8 percent that is African American translates to four senators. The over-representative 2.9 percent of the Hispanic population translates to two Hispanic senators.
Technically, it's even less than that. Rochelle Votaw, Liberal Arts and Sciences senator, a Mexican-American, takes offense to the fact that the University refers to her as Hispanic.
Votaw said "Hispanic" first came about during the Nixon administration to categorize a large number of diverse groups under one name.
She prefers the term Chicano or at least Latina.
"It's problematic to correlate the Student Senate numbers with the University numbers," Votaw said. "It gives the impression that Senate is OK. Senate's not OK."
Though it may not be as ethnically diverse as it could be, some senators think it has improved.
Dion Jones, holdover senator, said that while diversity had improved in Senate this year, political affiliation was now a dividing factor.
"You can tell by the way we sit. It's Delta Force on the right and Unite on the left," Jones said of Senate meetings.
Becca Kellley, Liberal Arts and Sciences senator, agrees that the diversity has improved but has a different view of how Senate behaves.
"I don't think that diversity is just about skin color. It's also about diversity of thought, and that's improved a lot also—in a good way," Kelley said.
The Universities of Colorado, Iowa, North Carolina and Oregon all have a diversity requirement. The University of Oklahoma is the only peer institution that does not.
Votaw, a Mexican-American, said some students need a good dose of multiculturalism so as not to offend people of color at the present time.
"I'm tired of hearing ignorant statements like: 'The reason Mexican people are so short is because their diet is so poor' or 'Black people do better in the NBA because slave-masters bred them to have strong calves.'" Votaw said.
Votaw said that the racial and ethnic inequalities at this and other universities around the country cannot be ignored nor can they be solved easily.
"A diversity requirement won't solve the problems we have." Wotaw said. "But at least it's a start."
Push for recruitment requires help from all
Cerveny said that differences in regional diversity made minority recruitment more complicated.
Continued from page 1A
"One thing to understand is that many of the students we are interested in recruiting are not in the minority where they live or go to school," he said. "It is difficult to convince students that this University is the place for them when they come here, look around and wonder, 'Why would I want to enter into an environment where I would be in the minority?'"
Robert Page, assistant director of admissions, said although it was the admissions office's responsibility to coordinate minority recruitment, the University community needed to make an effort in recruiting minority students.
"What people need to understand is that everyone needs to help." Page said. "It's not just one person's job. Students and faculty need to help minority students understand that this is an exceptional university where everyone can succeed."
Aurora Marin, Leoti sophomore, said she realized during the recruiting process that the University was not as diverse as some schools she had considered.
She said she made an effort to attend recruiting programs and campus events where she would meet other minority students and faculty
Marin is a member of the Hispanic American Leadership Organization and Sigma Lambda Gamma, a Hispanic sorority.
"The only way a University can become more diverse is if you attend there and you bring others with you," Marin said.
Marin has been doing her part. She said her younger brother would attend the University next fall.
Robert Cobin, Kansas City, Kan., senior, said he considered a few colleges with high quality engineering programs, such as Kansas State University, before he chose to attend the University of Kansas. He chose the University because it had a comfortable atmosphere.
"KU had a good engineering program, but overall, I just felt that the University was pretty welcoming," he said. "My minority engineering advisor and diversity program director took me in and acted as a second mother to me. I feel pretty much like I have found a place at the University."
The University is committed to minority recruitment that will give prospective students a feel for the University and a glimpse of the campus.
Page said that the University's Multicultural Day recruitment program traditionally had been one of the most effective recruiting programs. This year it was changed to a two-day program to address more
American Indian - 1%
Black - 3%
Asian - 3%
Hispanic - 2%
"I don't think anyone is naive enough to believe that they'll be walking into some perfect environment. But I just think it would have been more helpful if the challenging aspects of the University were addressed."
Malik Abdul-Aizi Kansas City, Kan... senior
"This worked out well because there was a greater variety of minority students," he said. "We wanted to be more inclusive in meeting the needs of all the groups and we wanted to acclimate them better with the University."
Additionally, 37 representatives from four campus minority groups Black Student Union, AsianAmerican Student Union, International Student Association and Hispanic American Leadership Organization helped during recruitment this summer.
The University has high quality minority faculty and resources, but it does not want to focus entirely on that aspect during the minority recruitment process. Page said.
"We don't want to just try and produce this perfect picture," he said. "We just want them to know about the resources that are available to everyone at the University — the resources that people need to participate and succeed."
Abul-Aziz, who speaks to minorities who are considering attending the University, said the University of Kansas offered a lot of resources and opportunities for everyone to get involved.
"You just can't sit and expect things to come to you, whether you're a minority or not," he said. "You have to show some interest and get involved."
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YSA
December 4-5 10a.m. - 4p.m.
The Kansas Union Lobby
The University of Kansas School of Fine Arts Lied Center Series and Astor Universal present a Lied Family Series Event
A peaceful break from the hectic holiday season
state ice ballet * the Nutcracker
Swan Lake
Sunday, December 14, 1997
2:00 & 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 13, 1997
2:00 $ \textcircled{1} $ 7:00 p.m.
Lied Center Gift Certificates are a perfect holiday gift!
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Do your holiday shopping on our web site at
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