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| Educating the Chancellor | ||||
Where
we are going: Excellence Across the Board |
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Facilities
and Infrastructure | Academic Advising
|Teaching and Learning |
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| Diversity The topic of the University’s diversity commitments was a common denominator in many of the discussions I had on and off campus. People care; they know we must do better; they are not sure how to achieve our aspirations. I was extraordinarily proud to find myself affiliated with an institution that, across the board, is embracing the vision of a more diverse future. That commitment is exemplified in the dedicated efforts of those who comprise the University’s Diversity Council but can be found across campus. I consider myself (and UWGB) to be extraordinarily lucky to be surrounded by communities of color whose leadership told me, in meeting after meeting, that they want to help us reach that vision of a more diverse future. We are taking advantage of that offer through the newly established Chancellor’s Community Diversity Council. Among the many things I learned through my discussions include the following matters relevant to the topic of diversity: • Our students of color — those who have stayed — enjoy UWGB even though they too often find themselves in the uncomfortable position of being “pioneers.” They are extraordinarily positive in their outlook, their strength shining through as they describe as “character building” the experience of being the only person of color in a class, or of being the one standing alone when a class breaks into groups for group projects. • We lose too many students of color. Retention rates are not acceptable. Part of this may be the result of not yet having achieved a “critical mass” where each of our students of color need not feel like a “pioneer.” But, we certainly must understand what we can do to improve retention before we seek dramatic improvements in recruitment. Otherwise, we risk compounding tragedies. For those we recruit and then lose. For UWGB. • Our students of color want your engagement. They want to see you in the AIC, in the International Student Center, at the multitude of culturally diverse events on campus — those that are educationally and intellectually enriching; those that are simply downright fun. • Our students of color want to see more faculty and staff of color. In part this helps ameliorate the “pioneer” syndrome that too many of our students must currently deal with. This desire was also expressed by many who are not members of communities of color. • Our students of color are often expected, by others, to know their own culture. But, they really do not have that knowledge. They want academic programs that help them (and others) reinforce and learn their culture. You may wonder why you find the subject of “diversity” under the theme “excellence across the board.” To me, the connection is simple: We will never achieve excellence across the board if we continue to fall short of our vision for diversity. My logic is as follows: 1. Learning is a process, not a result. It is a social process. Much of what our students learn is determined by the social process in which they learn. 2. By providing our students — every one of them, whatever their background — with meaningful opportunities to work closely with, learn from, and problem solve with student peers (and faculty and staff) of diverse backgrounds, we are preparing our students to be effective and productive citizens in a world increasingly enriched by diversity. 3. If we do not provide such opportunities, our students do not get a truly higher education. They do not get the best we could offer. We cannot, therefore, achieve excellence across the board. These important academic reasons for embracing diversity are recognized on campus. There are also pragmatic reasons. First is the simple fact that the surrounding communities are increasingly diverse and, if we concentrate on meeting the needs of our region without reflecting its diversity, we will see our campus wither — in enrollments and in community support. Additionally, our society’s wealth (economic, cultural, political, social) has steadily improved because each generation has invested in the education of the generation to follow. Sometimes it has been a struggle. But that is how progress has been made. If we do not continue that pattern — and there are very real possibilities that the generation to come will be the first to enter adulthood academically less well prepared than the preceding generation — then our society and our country will find its position rapidly eroding as we enter an increasingly global and increasingly competitive “knowledge age.” So what should be the vision for a diverse UWGB? Through our discussions, I tested and refined one possibility. I will try it out again, here. One approach is to think in terms of demography: of numbers and percentages and mixes. It is, essentially, the language I see too much of when I read Plan 2008. I would like us, at UWGB, to set our sights higher. Instead of aspiring to a desired mixing, let’s aspire to a special feeling. Instead of seeking only a particular campus composition, let’s attain a particular campus culture. This vision draws upon a basic premise in my social science background: Melting pots do not melt. Never have, it’s a myth. We are an ever-evolving stew and, as with composites generally, one finds therein special properties of strength and richness. So, here, in a few words, is the vision I have suggested in my discussions with you: Students, faculty, and staff come to UWGB because it is a community known for enjoying and celebrating the strength and the richness found in a campus as diverse as the society the University exists to lead and serve. Gender Equity A number of groups discussed topics concerning the University’s commitments to gender equity. Topics included implementation of the recommendations of our Report on Equality for Women, the effectiveness of our implementation of our Affirmative Action processes and policies, and the role of the campus Ombudsperson. Establishment of campus child care was raised by faculty, staff, and student groups, our discussions of this topic usually being initiated by a request for me to provide an update on where our efforts stand. I would explain that students wanted first crack at this project, and we were expecting a report by the end of the academic year. |
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Following
that update, I would usually outline several principles I had suggested to the
student committee for guiding our efforts. They include the belief that, given
the importance of such a service and what we see around the country, a campus
like UWGB ought to be able to “pull off” a child care center; we need
to do the research in order to have reliable estimates of student demand; and
that the committee should assure whatever approach is developed has a realistic
business plan that recognizes we do not have GPR laying around not being used
already to serve students and because students themselves are unlikely to tax
themselves further to provide a service that meets the needs of a relatively small
percentage of students. One of my suggestions in particular stimulated considerable
discussion: that child care services today are highly regulated requiring expertise
that universities do not have and so we should be looking at subcontracting for
management services. A number of colleagues counseled against this direction,
citing the value of engaging our students and academic programs in a child care
center. There were also concerns about the quality and employee benefits that
a “for-profit” entity might provide (or not provide). I continue to worry, given that we will already have high overhead costs because of our relatively small size, that, in order to have a plan that is fiscally feasible, we must minimize any additional overhead. Developing in-house management expertise in this complex area is not cheap. Using public employees can also add expense. If the choice is to subcontract or not have a service because it cannot cover its costs, are we willing to accept the tradeoffs of subcontracting? The campus needs to decide. I would hope we could find a middle path: a respected not-for-profit provider in our area that would be required, as a part of our contract, to involve academic programs and students as we would specify in the contract. I did make a point to ask, in many groups, about the environment that women found in their unit, emphasizing, in particular, the experience of colleagues recently joining UWGB. Sometimes I was even blunter, asking: Why are we not as successful as we should be in retaining women? People mentioned general workload issues. But, consistently, I am pleased to be able to record that women reported that they found their colleagues providing a positive and supportive environment. Granted, these were meetings at which these colleagues were present, but the expressions were volunteered and seemed genuine. Further, at the conclusion of every session, I emphasized my desire to hear from anyone who had a concern that they felt uncomfortable expressing in a group session, using personal visit, e-mail, phone call or whatever method would be comfortable. While I did receive many helpful private communications, none involved concerns about an environment unsupportive for women. While this particular result is positive, we must not be blind to the continuing importance of providing a campus that will attract women, enable their success, and retain their affiliation with UWGB. We can point to successes. We can as easily point to the essential need for continuing and higher levels of success. Here, I suggested in several discussions a vision similar to that just reported under the subject of diversity: Students, faculty, and staff — men and women alike —seek out UWGB because it is a community known for the priority it attaches to effectively addressing issues of gender equity through enabling success in an atmosphere where we hold each other responsible for assuring a deeply collegial and fully respectful treatment of all faculty, staff, and students. People We cannot reach any of our dreams without dedicated people. The retention and the recruitment of the very best faculty, staff, and classified colleagues must always be our top priority for all else rests upon that foundation. This was obvious to the people with whom I met. It is obvious to me. There are frustrations. Some that I learned about were quickly dealt with: keys to access facilities after hours, inclusion on e-mail lists. Many involve significant resource issues and several of those issues are outside our direct control: e.g., salaries for classified positions. I will turn to resource issues in a concluding theme. I am pleased to report, though, that overall — I can think of only one setting in which body language testified to the contrary — morale is sound. Frustration, where it has arisen, has not turned into disgruntlement. Generally, people are understanding of the resource challenges we face and are willing to be engaged in innovative steps to expand the support we must have in order to achieve the high aspirations that result — fortunately! — from our success in recruiting the very best. Some of the frustrations that I heard ought to be within our scope to rather directly eliminate. Several groups were concerned about their treatment by others on campus. “Treated like second class citizens” was a phrase I heard at two of the meetings with UWGB employees, and I suspect most everybody else would be genuinely surprised to learn of such feelings let alone to have heard the passion with which they were expressed. This concern was raised mostly by colleagues holding classified responsibilities ranging from custodial to administrative assistance. There are some who might be surprised to learn of this, but when it comes to how we feel we are treated, perception is genuinely the reality, and we must each make sure, in our language, acknowledgements, and interactions that we do not imply that any role at UWGB — and, more to the point, that any person at UWGB — is less important than any other. And, where past experience has created extra sensitivities on this issue, we must make extra efforts to compensate. |
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| TOP OF NEXT COLUMN | TOP OF PAGE | |||
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| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS | INTRODUCTION | THEMES | WHERE WE HAVE BEEN | FOUNDATIONS | ||||
| WHERE WE ARE GOING: Engagement | Excellence Across the Board | Education for the 21st Century | ||||
| GETTING THERE | CONCLUSIONS | CONTINUING THE DISCUSSION | SUMMARY | APPENDIX | ||||
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| Office
of the Chancellor, David A Cofrin Library, Suite 810, University of Wisconsin-Green
Bay, 2420 Nicolet Drive, Green Bay, WI 54311-7001 Phone: 920-465-2207 E-mail: shepardb@uwgb.edu Comments to: Chancellor's Web Manager Revised: 7/31/06 |