Black Culture Center hosts talk about minority recruiting

Despite a rainy day, students and faculty members came together Wednesday in the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center’s Grand Hall to talk about the status of minorities on campus. \nThe panel discussion “Going Beyond Numbers: The Recruitment and Retention of Black and Latino Faculty and Graduate Students featured various IU diversity officials, a sociology graduate student and a visiting lecturer. The talk focused on how IU can increase the number of minorities at the graduate level and among faculty, including mentoring new black and Latino students. \nIU alumna and research analyst Susan Johnson, said she attended the discussion to hear just that.\n“As a former African-American student, I’m interested in seeing what the University plans to do to recruit and retain students of color,” Johnson said.\nKim Stanley, a member of the Black Scholars Collective, began the discussion by explaining how the group created the event to start a dialogue on increasing diversity.\nBefore the event, Stanley said the discussion would focus on graduate students because minority undergraduate students have more outlets for help.\n“We don’t have the mentorship or representation of enough faculty of color,” she said. \nEach panelist had a chance to say what he or she thought was the best way to increase and keep the number of black and Latino faculty and graduate students. \nOverall, the consensus of the group was that the University needs a plan to recruit more minorities. \n“Diversity is new knowledge in action,” said visiting lecturer Maritza Quinones-Rivera. \nDepartment of Folklore and Ethnomusicology professor Portia Maultsby said one way to have a successful recruitment plan is to begin identifying scholars when students are at the undergraduate level. Special assistant to the chancellor at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis Sherree Wilson said teachers should also start encouraging students at a younger level, such as middle school, to begin thinking about future education.\nThe discussion also focused on ensuring that faculty members know what their expectations are. \nGraduate student Melissa Quintela said she came to the panel discussion to get ideas on how to become a good faculty member when the time comes.\nInterim director of the Latino Studies Program Arlene Diaz and Maultsby agreed that many faculty members have to “publish or perish.” This means many of them are required to do a great deal of research. This commitment to research makes it difficult for them to accomplish other goals, such as mentoring said Edwardo Rhodes, associate vice president for the Office of Academic Support and Diversity.\nIt is important for minority students to see someone who has a similar cultural background, Rhodes said. He added that he believed he wouldn’t have gotten through his doctoral program if it weren’t for three other students that were from his same cultural background.\nEdwin Marshall, vice president of Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs, agreed with Rhodes and thought it was important, especially for minority students, to have a support system.\n“It’s key that one has the support mechanism in place,” Marshall said. “There has to be a passion around that dedication and commitment.”\nAlmost everyone agreed that before any of these changes occur, the culture of IU has to change in order to accept a diverse graduate student body and faculty. \nUniversity Graduate School Dean James Wimbush discussed various times he felt uncomfortable because of racial slurs that were said around him when he first came to IU.\nWilson suggested that each department conduct a cultural audit before any major change comes.\nRhodes said IU has a plan in place to double the minority population on campus by 2014. Still, all panelists agreed more deliberate action has to occur to reach this goal. \n“We can create change,” Marshall said, “but it is not going to come easy.”