Deaton discusses diversity, degrees

The meeting uncovered concerns about gender and cultural equalities.

By Megan Pearl

Published March 5, 2010

Minority student organization leaders met with Chancellor Brady Deaton and other administrators to discuss diversity concerns on campus Tuesday in the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center.

"People that I've spoken to have told me that the chancellor has done a good job in terms of being more accessible, but I would like to see more contact between you and the minority groups," said Carolina Astrain, Hispanic American Leadership Organization president and former Maneater staff member. "I feel like there are more interactions with MSA and Greek Life and that we are sort of shunned."

The meeting was held to allow minority student group leaders to voice their concerns and also foster discussion of how to fix issues.

"Some of it is being invited," Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Cathy Scroggs said in reply to Astrain's assertion. "When he (the chancellor) or I get an invitation to something, we try to go. Don't forget to say, 'We're having a program and you should come.' "

Scroggs said it's sometimes better to have a relaxed environment than to have an agenda when meeting with student groups.

The forum as a whole was not focused around a particular issue, so student leaders were able to ask any question pertaining to diversity on campus.

Jessica Beezhold, of the Feminist Student Union, said she would like to see women's and gender studies as a major in itself, not written as interdisciplinary on diplomas.

"It did not have the approval to be its own major," Chief Diversity Officer Roger Worthington said. "It has to do with enrollment and faculty numbers to make it possible for a department to award a major."

The women's and gender studies department is a newer addition to the MU campus, established around a year and a half ago, Chancellor Brady Deaton said.

Much of the meeting was concerned with the cultural awareness of faculty and students. Deaton said they are not looking into required cultural training for faculty members.

"Imposing a faculty requirement looks too heavy-handed," Deaton said. "We don't want a university that tells its faculty what they should and shouldn't do and how they go about teaching. We can alert them to the need to understand."

Alex Holley, Missouri Students Association Multicultural Issues Committee chairwoman, said she has been investigating the diversity shown to incoming students through the tours. The committee is pushing for the BCC to be an official tour stop, not a feature for those who ask about it or come from a minority background.

"There is a tendency of people to focus on minority students for the BCC," Deaton said. "I've always told my faculty to not expect that a minority student can speak for that country, and they shouldn't be singled out. They are here to learn like every other student."

Holley said she wants the BCC to be perceived as a resource for all students, not just black or minority students.

There were other suggestions of ways to make campus more culturally aware, beginning with incoming freshman classes, but there are no official new plans being acted upon now.

"Students have the ability to take action if they feel like they are being mistreated by faculty," Worthington said. "If it ever were to go that far, you do have recourse if you feel mistreated or harassed in any way."