Grad students to hold forum to discuss Stanfield

The African American and African Diaspora Studies Department will hold a public forum at 5:30 p.m. tonight at the Indiana Memorial Union to discuss several matters relating to the department, including the dismissal of former Chairman John Stanfield.\nThe forum will be held in the Dogwood Room and will last until 7:30 p.m.\n"The main point of the meeting is to talk about issues that concern the AAADS," said graduate student and panel member Keon Gilbert.\nThe meeting will address the stability of the department and Stanfield's dismissal.\nStanfield was appointed as chair in July 2002 and was recently replaced by former College of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean Michael McGerr. Stanfield made alterations to the department in a bid to remedy the department's finances. He also changed the department's name.\nStanfield's plan to combat excessive spending involved running records throughout his office and listing office and phone use policies.\nOfficials in the COAS department say COAS Dean Kumble R. Subbaswamy made the decision to demote Stanfield.\nMany department faculty could not pinpoint an exact reason for the replacement of Stanfield. Former AAADS department finance manager Linda Jean would not say whether the decision was based on financial problems faced by the department.\nSome members of the AAADS department have said they would like to help the former chair attempt to petition his demotion.\nStanfield still remains at IU as part of the faculty of the AAADS department.\nThe panel will address the department's graduate students and faculty about the potential of AAADS.\nA statement by graduate student Byron Thomas listed some of the expectations the public forum wishes to accomplish: "The goal of (the forum) is to give the graduate students in the department the opportunity to articulate what the AAADS department means to us, as well as to characterize the manner in which the decision will impact our academic and professional development," Thomas wrote.\nGilbert said he hopes much will be accomplished at the meeting.\n"For me, this forum will hopefully help to provide a greater understanding of our expectations of the University," Gilbert said. "This forum is also to discuss where we would like to see our department go."\n-- Contact staff writer Lindsay Jancek at lmjancek@indiana.edu.