The past few weeks have displayed a rejuvenated focus on the subjects of diversity and inclusion at the University of Alabama. Events like the Moody Hall chalking and the Not Isolated March have attracted increased awareness to what many perceive as an ongoing issue in the campus community.
The Black Faculty and Staff Association has a plan to help turn these problems into solutions.
On June 1, 2011, the BFSA submitted its Blueprint for Systemic Diversity Education to the office of Provost Judy Bonner, challenging the University in the blueprint’s introduction to create a diversity education system that would “raise the levels of civility, respect for differences and the value of human dignity among students on this campus.”
The plan outlines a set of reforms, centered on several primary tenets, to be initiated beginning in the fall semester of 2012.
In its first provision, the Blueprint proposes that the University use the results from a campus-wide survey to create a diversity education program. Students would complete the program during both freshman orientation and the fraternity and sorority selection process, while periodical training would be administered to faculty and staff in conjunction with their regular routine.
Josh Gray, president of the Black Student Union, believes that diversity education, if it could be worked into the busy orientation schedule, would yield significant benefits for the University community.
“You have to start building these ideas at an early stage of being a part of the campus community,” he said. “Orientation is the earliest stage of students’ time at the Capstone. It’s when they start to build fundamental relationships and develop ideas about others.”
The proposal also calls for the establishment of an advisory board comprised of parents of scholars and athletes at the University as well as alumni that fill leadership roles at the local, state and national levels.
Joyce Stallworth, president of the BFSA, described the board in an emailed statement as a forum for “collaboratively involving diverse University constituents who…could be instrumental in improving the University’s public perception with respect to appreciation for diversity.”
Bonner, in an emailed statement, said President Robert Witt created the Multicultural Task Force in 2004 to fulfill this role. She said the group was “tasked with reviewing the support needs of minority and international students and the University’s overall efforts to promote diversity” and providing recommendations on administrative policy.
To handle instances in which students or faculty are the subjects of inappropriate conduct, the Blueprint outlines the creation of a system for campus citizens to report transgressions confidentially. This system would be headed by a senior administrator chosen by the University and would facilitate the reporting of how instances are handled in addition to when they occur.
Bonner stressed the significance of the University’s current level of diversity, citing the results of a study performed under the administration’s 2008 Strategic Diversity Plan, which found that the University of Alabama ranks second among the nation’s 50 flagship universities in terms of African-American student enrollment.
Stallworth insisted there could still be room for improvement. She said the Blueprint’s instructions would hold members of the University community to the expectation that they “celebrate the strengths of a diverse and inclusive campus.”
Proponents of change assert that the significance of this harmony and acceptance extends beyond the realm of black and white.
“This is not just a racially or sexually based issue,” said Gray. “This program is important for all aspects and examples of diversity.”
Stallworth stated that the Blueprint not only respects interpersonal diversity but also seeks to incorporate the diverse proposals of how to achieve campus harmony that have surfaced throughout the past several years.
“The Blueprint is a cogent framework that campus administrators might use for strategic action,” she said. “It encompasses past BFSA statements and diverse campus perspectives.”
Bonner echoed this sentiment, stating, “every college at the University of Alabama and every division of the University contributes significantly to the progress that we are making.”
Gray is optimistic that the Blueprint is an important step towards a more positive education environment.
“I’m interested to see where the campus goes from here,” Gray said. “I hope we’re approaching a time when students can all come together and form a cohesive, supportive Capstone community.”
