IU professors form Black Faculty and Staff Caucus

IU professors formally announced on Wednesday the formation of the Black Faculty and Staff Caucus at the IUPUI Conference Center as part of IU's ongoing effort to diversify its student body and faculty.\nThe caucus, proposed at an October summit of black faculty and staff members, aims to be "an umbrella organization to assist the University in carrying out its commitments to diversity and equity and to advocate for improving conditions for Blacks on all campuses," according to an IU news release.\nThe University has been under pressure to form such a group since an IU board of trustees retreat Sept. 20, when the board adopted a resolution supporting the University's goal to double minority enrollment by the 2013-2014 school year.\nA "commitment to diversity and equity" is one of IU's four core mission activities, according to the IU news release.\nThough the caucus has no official powers, it has a list of objectives and plans to make recommendations for increasing campus diversity.\nIUPUI has been making an outward effort to increase diversity, announcing Nov. 15 that the campus will establish a multicultural center and other diversity initiatives. The announcement came in response to concerns from minority leaders that black students were not adequately supported by the University.