[Vision2020] Diversity: A Tale of Two Cities

Art Deco aka W. Fox deco@moscow.com
Tue, 6 Apr 2004 14:43:47 -0700


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A Tale of Two Cities:  A followup to Heather Jordon's posting.


>From the Argonaut, Tuesday, April 6, 2004
Diversity office, two positions will be cut this month

By Jessie Bonner
Assistant News Editor

University administrators have announced the Office of Diversity and Human
Rights will close later this month.

Funding for the office will be reallocated to other diversity-related offices on
campus, according to a memo released by the president's office Monday.

"In an effort to devote more money to diversity programming than to diversity
administration, the University of Idaho will close the Office of Diversity and
Human Rights," states a university press release.

"The whole idea is to streamline administration and increase the dollars
available for programming," said Kathy Barnard, UI spokesperson.

The office currently has two full-time employees. Raul Sanchez, special
assistant to the president for diversity and human rights, and Karen Caffrey,
management assistant, were notified Monday that the office will close at 5 p.m.
April 27.

Sanchez has been offered a one-year contract as a visiting faculty member in the
College of Law, Barnard said.

Sanchez had no comment on the decision to cut the office and his position.
Former President Bob Hoover created the administrative position for diversity
and human rights four years ago.

"My reaction, unfortunately, was not a surprise," Caffrey said. "I think it's a
huge step back that the university is closing this office."

Caffrey was told she will be reassigned within the Office of the Dean of
Students.

"I am thankful that I will be able to continue working with diversity programs,"
she said.

According to UI administrators, the office's $100,000 operating budget will be
reallocated within other diversity offices on campus, primarily the Office for
Multicultural Affairs and the UI Women's Center. A presidential committee
comprising administrators, faculty, staff and students will also help distribute
the money, Barnard said.

"The university's commitment to diversity continues to be strong, and a priority
is university-wide implementation of the diversity and human rights plan,"
interim President Gary Michael said Monday in a press release. "This
restructuring puts more discretionary funds in the hands of the people on the
front lines, providing oversight and programming that positively impacts the
entire university community."

Francisco Salinas, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, said he was
saddened to see the office closed and Sanchez's position eliminated.

"I was initially disappointed, I have to say," he said. "On a personal level,
this is a colleague that I regard as a friend."

Salinas was assured by UI administrators that financial resources from the
office will be redistributed within diversity programs on campus.

"We're pretty confident we'll receive some of that funding here," he said. "When
it's at the cost of a program you value and a colleague you have a relationship
with, obviously you have mixed feelings."

Salinas said he is concerned about programs currently being carried out by the
Office of Diversity and Human Rights. The Diversity and Human Rights Plan was
initiated in February.

"Raul's position was an executive level position with authority to implement a
plan like that," Salinas said. "We are not positioned with the authority to
implement all parts of that plan."

The office was on the chopping block only 11 months ago as UI administrators
tried to deal with a $10 million cut in funding from state legislators.

After more than 200 students gathered in May 2003 on the Administration Lawn for
a sit-in protest, Provost Brian Pitcher announced the program would not be
eliminated and Sanchez's position would remain intact for one more year.
_____________________
>From the Daily News, Monday, April 5, 2004
WSU minority numbers grow


E. Kirsten Peters

The number of minority undergraduate students at Washington State University has
grown since 1990, and the proportion of minority students has increased in every
racial category.
Recruiting, retention, scholarships and societal changes all play a part in
WSU's slowly but steadily increasing minority student numbers.

James Bledsoe has worked at WSU for five years as a recruiter with a special
emphasis on minority students. He is pleased with how WSU is evolving.

"Our enrollments are steadily increasing. Our percentages (of minorities) look
like the statewide averages. But that's not enough. It's not enough to sit
still, so now WSU needs to move toward national demographic numbers (of minority
students)," he said.

Provost Robert Bates, who was a graduate student at WSU in the late 1960s,
remembers when the campus consisted more than 95 percent white students.

"In the past 20 years, from all the data I've seen, WSU's numbers for minorities
have slowly but steadily grown," he said.

Recruiting is the first step in the process of increasing diversity at WSU.
Retaining minority students once they live and study on the Palouse is the
second. WSU statistics indicate that race does not play a major role in
retaining full-time freshmen after their first year in college, often viewed as
a crucial time that universities lose students.

Ultimately, graduation rates at WSU do show some disparity by race, although the
figures do not take into account students who transfer to other universities and
complete their degrees.

"I'll be transferring to the UW after this semester," said Nina Kim, head of the
undergraduate Asian women's group. "It's good for my family to have me closer to
home because my mother has had some health problems."

Recruitment and retention always will be two sides of the same coin for WSU. But
it appears the university is moving toward both of the twin goals necessary to
increase the presence of minority students on campus.

"I've been a recruiter on and off since the early 1990s at several
institutions," said Bledsoe, who is black. "But I sought out this job at WSU. I
can't say enough about how special it is to have not just recruitment, but the
infrastructure of campuswide support for minority students once they get here.
At WSU, unlike other universities I've worked for, I don't have to work on
retention because I know the systems are in place to take care of that. I can
concentrate on recruiting."

Bledsoe travels from American Indian reservations in Montana and Alaska to
predominately minority school districts in Washington, Oregon, and parts of
California.

"And I go to every county in Washington, every one. I've logged 40,000 miles on
the university car doing recruiting," he said.

Bledsoe is proud that WSU has written grants to implement both Upward Bound and
Gear Up programs in central and eastern Washington. The programs are federally
funded and help first-generation college students prepare themselves for, then
attend, universities.

Associate Vice Provost Felicia Gaskins knows the statistics on the student body
are slowly changing in the direction of more diversity, but she also thinks the
minority students at WSU need a more visible presence of minorities on the
university's faculty.

"The students of color are hungry to speak with and see people like themselves
on the faculty," she said.

Retired faculty member Wilhelmenia O. Sarai-Clark, the first minority woman in
WSU's history to achieve the rank of full professor, came to Pullman in the
1960s. Most of Sarai-Clark's family heritage has its roots in the Lakota-Sioux
tribe. She also has white and black ancestors and was raised as a "colored"
person in the segregated American South.

Sarai-Clark says there are more minorities on the WSU faculty since she arrived
in Pullman almost 40 years ago, but she also makes it clear that WSU has a long
road yet to travel in that regard.

Because the numbers of minority faculty members are small, individual decisions
by a handful of faculty can greatly affect statistics.

"When I retired, WSU lost a woman faculty member, a Native American, and an
African-American," Sarai-Clark said.

Like other institutions, WSU relies on students to report their race when they
enroll. The administration therefore has figures only for this type of
"self-reported" race.

Some students decline to identify their race. In the past 14 years, the
proportion of such students has roughly doubled.

"We keep those declining-to-report in their own category. We simply have no way
of knowing what groups they may belong to," Jim Roche, of WSU's office of
institutional research, said.


Question of race

The percentage of students (self-reported) of selected races at Washington State
University in 1990 and 2003.

Race 1990 2003

Caucasian 81.9 74.0

Nonreporting 4.5 8.2

International 5.6 5.5

Asian/Pacific Islander 4.2 5.0

Hispanic 1.5 3.7

Black/African-American 1.5 2.4

Native American 0.8 1.2

Source: The Office of Institutional Research at WSU


E. Kirsten Peters can be reached at (509) 334-6397, ext. 310, or by e-mail at
ekpeters@dnews.com.

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<DIV><FONT size=3D4></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4>A Tale of Two Cities:&nbsp; A followup to Heather =
Jordon's=20
posting.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4>From the <EM>Argonaut</EM>, Tuesday, April 6,=20
2004</FONT></DIV>
<H2>Diversity office, two positions will be cut this month<BR></H2>
<DIV><SPAN class=3Dsmall><FONT size=3D2>By Jessie Bonner<BR>Assistant =
News=20
Editor<BR><BR></FONT></SPAN>University administrators have announced the =
Office=20
of Diversity and Human Rights will close later this =
month.<BR><BR>Funding for=20
the office will be reallocated to other diversity-related offices on =
campus,=20
according to a memo released by the president=92s office =
Monday.<BR><BR>=93In an=20
effort to devote more money to diversity programming than to diversity=20
administration, the University of Idaho will close the Office of =
Diversity and=20
Human Rights,=94 states a university press release.<BR><BR>=93The whole =
idea is to=20
streamline administration and increase the dollars available for =
programming,=94=20
said Kathy Barnard, UI spokesperson.<BR><BR>The office currently has two =

full-time employees. Raul Sanchez, special assistant to the president =
for=20
diversity and human rights, and Karen Caffrey, management assistant, =
were=20
notified Monday that the office will close at 5 p.m. April =
27.<BR><BR>Sanchez=20
has been offered a one-year contract as a visiting faculty member in the =
College=20
of Law, Barnard said.<BR><BR>Sanchez had no comment on the decision to =
cut the=20
office and his position. Former President Bob Hoover created the =
administrative=20
position for diversity and human rights four years ago.<BR><BR>=93My =
reaction,=20
unfortunately, was not a surprise,=94 Caffrey said. =93I think it=92s a =
huge step back=20
that the university is closing this office.=94<BR><BR>Caffrey was told =
she will be=20
reassigned within the Office of the Dean of Students.<BR><BR>=93I am =
thankful that=20
I will be able to continue working with diversity programs,=94 she=20
said.<BR><BR>According to UI administrators, the office=92s $100,000 =
operating=20
budget will be reallocated within other diversity offices on campus, =
primarily=20
the Office for Multicultural Affairs and the UI Women=92s Center. A =
presidential=20
committee comprising administrators, faculty, staff and students will =
also help=20
distribute the money, Barnard said.<BR><BR>=93The university=92s =
commitment to=20
diversity continues to be strong, and a priority is university-wide=20
implementation of the diversity and human rights plan,=94 interim =
President Gary=20
Michael said Monday in a press release. =93This restructuring puts more=20
discretionary funds in the hands of the people on the front lines, =
providing=20
oversight and programming that positively impacts the entire university=20
community.=94<BR><BR>Francisco Salinas, director of the Office of =
Multicultural=20
Affairs, said he was saddened to see the office closed and Sanchez=92s =
position=20
eliminated.<BR><BR>=93I was initially disappointed, I have to say,=94 he =
said. =93On a=20
personal level, this is a colleague that I regard as a =
friend.=94<BR><BR>Salinas=20
was assured by UI administrators that financial resources from the =
office will=20
be redistributed within diversity programs on campus.<BR><BR>=93We=92re =
pretty=20
confident we=92ll receive some of that funding here,=94 he said. =93When =
it=92s at the=20
cost of a program you value and a colleague you have a relationship =
with,=20
obviously you have mixed feelings.=94<BR><BR>Salinas said he is =
concerned about=20
programs currently being carried out by the Office of Diversity and =
Human=20
Rights. The Diversity and Human Rights Plan was initiated in=20
February.<BR><BR>=93Raul=92s position was an executive level position =
with authority=20
to implement a plan like that,=94 Salinas said. =93We are not positioned =
with the=20
authority to implement all parts of that plan.=94<BR><BR>The office was =
on the=20
chopping block only 11 months ago as UI administrators tried to deal =
with a $10=20
million cut in funding from state legislators.<BR><BR>After more than =
200=20
students gathered in May 2003 on the Administration Lawn for a sit-in =
protest,=20
Provost Brian Pitcher announced the program would not be eliminated and=20
Sanchez=92s position would remain intact for one more year.<BR><FONT=20
size=3D4>_____________________</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D4>From the <EM>Daily News</EM>, Monday, April 5,=20
2004</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>
<H2>WSU minority numbers grow</H2><BR>
<ADDRESS>E. Kirsten Peters</ADDRESS><BR>The number of minority =
undergraduate=20
students at Washington State University has grown since 1990, and the =
proportion=20
of minority students has increased in every racial category.=20
<P>Recruiting, retention, scholarships and societal changes all play a =
part in=20
WSU's slowly but steadily increasing minority student numbers.=20
<P>James Bledsoe has worked at WSU for five years as a recruiter with a =
special=20
emphasis on minority students. He is pleased with how WSU is evolving.=20
<P>"Our enrollments are steadily increasing. Our percentages (of =
minorities)=20
look like the statewide averages. But that's not enough. It's not enough =
to sit=20
still, so now WSU needs to move toward national demographic numbers (of =
minority=20
students)," he said.=20
<P>Provost Robert Bates, who was a graduate student at WSU in the late =
1960s,=20
remembers when the campus consisted more than 95 percent white students. =

<P>"In the past 20 years, from all the data I've seen, WSU's numbers for =

minorities have slowly but steadily grown," he said.=20
<P>Recruiting is the first step in the process of increasing diversity =
at WSU.=20
Retaining minority students once they live and study on the Palouse is =
the=20
second. WSU statistics indicate that race does not play a major role in=20
retaining full-time freshmen after their first year in college, often =
viewed as=20
a crucial time that universities lose students.=20
<P>Ultimately, graduation rates at WSU do show some disparity by race, =
although=20
the figures do not take into account students who transfer to other =
universities=20
and complete their degrees.=20
<P>"I'll be transferring to the UW after this semester," said Nina Kim, =
head of=20
the undergraduate Asian women's group. "It's good for my family to have =
me=20
closer to home because my mother has had some health problems."=20
<P>Recruitment and retention always will be two sides of the same coin =
for WSU.=20
But it appears the university is moving toward both of the twin goals =
necessary=20
to increase the presence of minority students on campus.=20
<P>"I've been a recruiter on and off since the early 1990s at several=20
institutions," said Bledsoe, who is black. "But I sought out this job at =
WSU. I=20
can't say enough about how special it is to have not just recruitment, =
but the=20
infrastructure of campuswide support for minority students once they get =
here.=20
At WSU, unlike other universities I've worked for, I don't have to work =
on=20
retention because I know the systems are in place to take care of that. =
I can=20
concentrate on recruiting."=20
<P>Bledsoe travels from American Indian reservations in Montana and =
Alaska to=20
predominately minority school districts in Washington, Oregon, and parts =
of=20
California.=20
<P>"And I go to every county in Washington, every one. I've logged =
40,000 miles=20
on the university car doing recruiting," he said.=20
<P>Bledsoe is proud that WSU has written grants to implement both Upward =
Bound=20
and Gear Up programs in central and eastern Washington. The programs are =

federally funded and help first-generation college students prepare =
themselves=20
for, then attend, universities.=20
<P>Associate Vice Provost Felicia Gaskins knows the statistics on the =
student=20
body are slowly changing in the direction of more diversity, but she =
also thinks=20
the minority students at WSU need a more visible presence of minorities =
on the=20
university's faculty.=20
<P>"The students of color are hungry to speak with and see people like=20
themselves on the faculty," she said.=20
<P>Retired faculty member Wilhelmenia O. Sarai-Clark, the first minority =
woman=20
in WSU's history to achieve the rank of full professor, came to Pullman =
in the=20
1960s. Most of Sarai-Clark's family heritage has its roots in the =
Lakota-Sioux=20
tribe. She also has white and black ancestors and was raised as a =
"colored"=20
person in the segregated American South.=20
<P>Sarai-Clark says there are more minorities on the WSU faculty since =
she=20
arrived in Pullman almost 40 years ago, but she also makes it clear that =
WSU has=20
a long road yet to travel in that regard.=20
<P>Because the numbers of minority faculty members are small, individual =

decisions by a handful of faculty can greatly affect statistics.=20
<P>"When I retired, WSU lost a woman faculty member, a Native American, =
and an=20
African-American," Sarai-Clark said.=20
<P>Like other institutions, WSU relies on students to report their race =
when=20
they enroll. The administration therefore has figures only for this type =
of=20
"self-reported" race.=20
<P>Some students decline to identify their race. In the past 14 years, =
the=20
proportion of such students has roughly doubled.=20
<P>"We keep those declining-to-report in their own category. We simply =
have no=20
way of knowing what groups they may belong to," Jim Roche, of WSU's =
office of=20
institutional research, said.=20
<P>
<P>Question of race=20
<P>The percentage of students (self-reported) of selected races at =
Washington=20
State University in 1990 and 2003.=20
<P>Race 1990 2003=20
<P>Caucasian 81.9 74.0=20
<P>Nonreporting 4.5 8.2=20
<P>International 5.6 5.5=20
<P>Asian/Pacific Islander 4.2 5.0=20
<P>Hispanic 1.5 3.7=20
<P>Black/African-American 1.5 2.4=20
<P>Native American 0.8 1.2=20
<P>Source: The Office of Institutional Research at WSU=20
<P>
<P><B>E. Kirsten Peters</B> can be reached at (509) 334-6397, ext. 310, =
or by=20
e-mail at ekpeters@dnews.com. </P></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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