Race colors discussion of Herbert

IU faculty say that references to race have had a significant effect on the dialogue surrounding the job performance of Adam Herbert, IU's first black president. \nWhether it is faculty members feeling offended by comments about Herbert or uncomfortable discussing the president critically because of race, it is obvious that race -- the "elephant in the room" -- has altered the discussion. \n"I think it has sombered the debate somewhat," said Interim IU-Bloomington Chancellor Ken Gros Louis. "I think it made people realize that there are so many issues involved in this discussion." \nOn Nov. 21, law professor Kevin Brown held a press conference, along with fellow black faculty, encouraging members of what he called the "anti-Herbert movement" to vote against a resolution which would ask for a review of the president's job performance. \n"One of the messages we are going to convey to them is when you are attacking the first African-American president in the 185-year history of this institution, there should have been at least a consultation and recognition and understanding of the implication that this will have on the entire African-American community of the state of Indiana," Brown said in a statement prior to the vote. \nAngered by an unsuccessful chancellor search, more than two-thirds of the faculty voted to have Herbert reviewed and then to reconsider the role of chancellor. The IU board of trustees plans to discuss both issues in an emergency session Saturday.\nStill, the debate about Herbert is raging on and race has become an integral part of the discussion.\n"I think that race does play a factor," said Eric Love, diversity educator and adviser to the Black Student Union. "I don't think he should be judged based on his race, but on his performance. The issue is that when the faculty criticized him, they were very disrespectful." \nLove said he feels, whether or it was not intentional, some faculty members who were angry with Herbert said things about him they might not have said if he were white. \n"Some of the criticisms were very stereotypical and unfounded," he said. "When they called him lazy ... they would never call another president lazy. Even the president of the board of trustees (Stephen Ferguson) says that he is very hardworking. So I think that was unfair." \nOn the other side, some faculty said they feel Herbert might be using "the race card" to his advantage in order to squelch opposition.\nChemistry professor Ted Widlanski, a vocal opponent of Herbert, said the president met with the black faculty for his first time as president directly after an emergency meeting of the faculty. Widlanski said he thinks Herbert was trying to garner support from black faculty to change the direction of the conversation. \n"I think he'll do anything to save his job," he said.\nIU spokesman Larry MacIntyre said he could not confirm if Herbert met with black faculty or if it was his first time doing so.\nOther professors said they are upset because it distracts from the real issues at hand regarding Herbert's presidency. Law professor Fred Cate acknowledged that race has played a role in the discussion, but said he feels "these are two separate issues." \n"I don't think there was any racial motivation at all," Cate said. "I think those issues, or maybe the ways they were raised, might have caused some concern on campus." \nJames Capshew, professor of history and philosophy of science, said he thinks race shouldn't play a role at all in the discussion, but blames Herbert for doing nothing to stop such rhetoric. \n"Everyone knows how it looks when the critics are mostly white and the president is black," he said. "But the problem is that he isn't addressing his critics and diffusing the racial aspect of this. He needs to come forward and say it isn't about race and to make it about presidential performance." \nCapshew said he feels the debate will suffer because many feel uncomfortable because of the racial aspect.\n"The conversation, the debate has really died down and I think race has a lot to do with it," he said. "As a white faculty member, I feel like I've been shut out of the debate because of this." \nMacIntyre said Herbert will stay silent on the subject of race and his presidency.\n"The president has chosen not to respond to those types of comments because anything he says will be misinterpreted," he said. "He has done all that he can do, which is to be silent on this." \nIU trustee Cora Smith Breckenridge said the members of the board of trustees won't concern themselves with issues of race at their meeting Saturday, but said that it is inevitable that race will be part of the public discussion. She said she just doesn't want anyone to be afraid to speak up. \n"I think anytime you have the first African-American president of Indiana University, you are going to have people question why he does certain things and make certain decisions and race will be in the discussion," she said. "But we want to make it clear that red, white, black, yellow, all faculty are listened to here, not just the white faculty"