Scholars meeting addresses vacancies

At a town hall meeting for Hudson and Holland Scholars on Tuesday, University officials answered student questions about a number of vacancies in the Hudson and Holland staff.

Along with multiple staff positions that are currently vacant, former director of the Hudson and Holland Scholars Program Virginia LeBlanc has filed a federal discrimination case against the University.

LeBlanc, who resigned Aug. 22, 2011, filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming the University had committed “serial violations of the Equal Pay Act.”

Interim Director Anthony Scott did not go into detail about LeBlanc’s departure and refused to comment on the issue when questioned by students at the meeting.

“That is ongoing litigation, and I can’t comment on that right now,” Scott said.

LeBlanc’s attorney, Amos Jones of the Amos Jones Law Firm based in Washington, D.C., said the case included evidence “going back years” that documents
discrepancies in pay for women and men of equal positions.

“It’s quite unfortunate that in 2012 women are still paid less,” Jones said. “It became obvious that action needed to be taken.”

The Hudson and Holland Scholars Program is a division of Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs and offers programs and assistance to students of underrepresented backgrounds.

Students involved in Hudson and Holland can receive a base scholarship of $6,000 a year for four years and can be recommended for programs such as the Cox Scholarship Award and the Herbert Presidential Scholarship.

As of now, Hudson and Holland also has four open adviser positions, including that of Dan Woodside, a long-time math and science adviser for the program who left Hudson and Holland last week.

When Scott asked how many students worked with Woodside, almost every hand in the Indiana Memorial Union’s Alumni Hall went up.

Currently, the program is missing an academic coordinator for science and math, a coordinator of career and academic advancement and an academic adviser for each of those departments.

Scott said at the regularly scheduled town hall meeting that a search will be in place for both a new full-time director and replacement advisers, and that the University Division will train two to three new advisers during the summer.

“Change happens, change happens,” Scott said when asked why Woodside left.

He went on to say that Woodside has taken a position as an adviser for the athletics department.

One student questioned Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs Edwin Marshall, who was in attendance, about the recent vacancies.

“I really wonder what’s being done, any incentives to keep these people who are really influential to our education,” she said to waves of applause from other students.

“We are very, very committed to the success of this program,” Marshall said. “Change occurs. I can’t speak to why change occurs, but change occurs.”