Black leaders reject IUPUI's offer

INDIANAPOLIS -- Dissatisfied black student leaders at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis on Sunday night publicly rejected the administration's response to a list of demands the students gave the university last week.\nTwo weeks ago, black student leaders declared university policies, as well as certain faculty and staff, racist. The students threatened to sue the university if demands, including the introduction of a black culture center on campus, a major in African-American studies and $78,000 in funding for black organizations, were not met. Administrators responded to the demands by the set deadline, but the initiatives they outlined were deemed "unsatisfactory" by black student leaders.\n"They didn't properly outline a timeline to have all of their initiatives achieved, and they didn't address the issues of the cultural center or an African-American undergraduate studies degree or a definitive cultural initiative," said senior Dominic Dorsey, president of the IUPUI Black Student Union.\nAbout 40 Black Student Union members filed down the aisles with their fists proudly raised. During the presentation, students presented tear-filled testimonies, chronicling racism they had experienced on campus. Dorsey and other students who lead the forum cited specific instances that illustrated what they felt to be the exclusion of black student groups on campus.\n"There is $5 million allotted to student activity fees for the entire university, but black organizations are denied funding time and time again," Dorsey said. "Other organizations get funding for their events through the same loopholes that trip us up."\nDorsey and others claimed traditionally black greek organizations were not invited to participate in Campus Day, an event that promotes greek unity, despite a display board advertising the event that featured a picture of a black student wearing greek letters. \nTraditionally black greek organizations put on 130 days of educational programming a year, said senior Jocellyn Ford. \n"We don't see administrators at any of our educational functions, yet they are quick to go to the Union during one of our parties to make sure nothing's happening that's not supposed to be," Ford said. "We don't want to just be tolerated anymore; we want to be respected." \nThe student leaders concluded the forum with a speech titled "You Didn't Listen" and gave university officials until 5 p.m. Wednesday to adhere to the demands or face further action. \n"I think they want to be able to address it, but in all actuality, I'm skeptical. They don't have a really good track record at this point, but we'll see what happens," Dorsey said.\nUniversity officials are more confident a resolution both sides can agree on will come. \n"I am impressed with our students, and I am concerned about the experiences that they are having," said IUPUI Chancellor Charles Bantz. "I'm optimistic that we can work on moving forward to making IUPUI a better university for everyone, and the next step is to continue to communicate and respond. We will respond as fast as we can." \nDorsey said dissatisfied minority students are not going to file a lawsuit, but he said that option is still on the table. \n"Suing is one of many possible end results, but we're not trying to go about it in an ugly way," he said. "We are against IUPUI slipping things around the rug. We'll put that card if its necessary. Otherwise we are trying to be amicable and make sure all of our needs are met, and once we get to that point, we will be the one big happy diverse family they want us to be."\nStudents from IU-Bloomington's Black Student Union said they will continue to support their IUPUI counterparts. But because of the Black Student Union's Soul Food Dinner Sunday night, IUB black leaders did not attend the meeting. \n"We do support them in their efforts and I appreciate their activism, and I think it's going to go a long way," said D'Anna Wade, the organization's president.