E-mail sparks discussion

IU trustee Cora Smith Breckenridge of Elkhart, Ind., wants to get the word out that the board of trustees is working hard to increase diversity at IU, despite recent controversy regarding an e-mail sent to trustees from trustee Tom Reilly Jr.\n"All of the trustees are on the same page at IU regarding our recruiting, retaining and enhancing diversity," she said.\nBreckenridge, one of two black IU trustees , provided this insight following a dispute over an e-mail Reilly sent to trustees, which included his observations of a conference featuring a minority student recruiter, Patti Dulik, from Purdue.\n"She is tall, blond, Scandinavian and attractive," the e-mail reads. "Purdue has found out that enthusiastic whites do better in black high schools in contacts, trips booked, follow-ups."\nThese words sparked conversation about IU's recruitment of underrepresented students. Articles regarding the dispute among trustees who received the e-mail were printed in The Indianapolis Star and The Bloomington Herald-Times last week. \nTrustee Clarence Boone of Gary, who is also black, said the e-mail lacked articulation.\n"He should have used better words," Boone said. "It's quite obvious, if you read the e-mail, what it's trying to say."\nBoone said white recruiters probably aren't actually as effective as implied in the e-mail because low percentages of minority students at both IU and Purdue have existed since he attended college in 1949. \n"I don't think the percentage is much better now," he said.\nBoone said to actually increase the minority population, the University will have to "make a genuine commitment" to enhancing recruitment efforts.\n"If we're going to be the great University, which I think we are, I think we're going to have to move in a more sincere matter," he said. "For too long we may have just been talking about it."\nStill, Reilly said the dispute over his e-mail was weeks ago and that now all the trustees are on the same page. He acknowledged that his words were misinterpreted and said he was merely pointing out the aggressive recruiting endeavors of Purdue to inspire IU.\n"That one sentence got lost somehow," he said of the sentence describing Dulik. "Nobody picked up that it was an ironic statement, so I regret that."\nBreckenridge emphasized the importance of unity among trustees and said "enough has been said about that e-mail." \n"We (need to) keep education accessible, affordable and enhance it for every student in our state who is capable of retaining college education.."\nIU Director of Diversity Education Eric Love said recruiters should be dedicated to seeking out a diverse group of students and their own race shouldn't matter.\nStill, Love pointed out the ongoing efforts, such as outreach days, that some campus offices are making to develop increased outreach.\nLove added that the Reilly's e-mail "may have not been the best choice of words," but was written with concern of increasing minority recruitment.\nBreckenridge said members of the board of trustees are on the same page.\n"We are all together," she said.