Barrows says campus climate, comfort for minorities still lacking
As Plan 2008, a UW System-wide effort to create a more diverse campus, enters its final years, the opinions of administration and students voice glaringly different definitions of diversity. This distinction may be hindering the success of Plan 2008 and the future expansion of a more diverse campus.
In an April 28 interview with The Daily Cardinal, Chancellor John Wiley classified the idea of diversity as human nature.
There's just no fundamental or scientific or logical reason behind it. Part of an education is learning to not only accept diversity, but to relish it,\ he said.
David Glish-Sanchez, academic affairs director for the United Council of UW Students and a panelist at Friday's forum, agreed that ""learning to accept and enjoy and relish differences is great … but it doesn't get to the institutionalization of racism and deconstruct it.""
Racial differences are only one aspect of diversity, Wiley said. He also wants to expand ""all kinds of diversity.""
He highlighted the culture shock students face when they arrive at UW-Madison, such as students who come from big cities meeting those who grew up on farms.
""I understand the chancellor's take in trying to broaden the idea of diversity. However, I think when we broaden it too much ... it can be dangerous because it waters down serious needs that need to be addressed,"" said Katrina Flores, a UW-Madison senior and Multicultural Student Coalition executive staff member.
""Students of color are still being faced with a poor campus climate—and a hostile environment often times—at this university,"" she said.
Compounding the difficulties, the Division of Student Affairs experienced ""an unanticipated period of adjustment"" when former Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Paul Barrows was removed from his position overlooking Plan 2008, said Bernice Durand, co-author of the plan and associate vice chancellor for diversity and climate.
Durand said without a doubt the DSA was shaken up.
""Paul was a very prominent leader and go-to person in the diversity scene on campus and it was a really unanticipated change. People have certainly had to adjust to that,"" she said.
Barrows told The Daily Cardinal that diversity on campus is still inadequate.
""We over-sample students of color, and the record has shown consistently that students of color feel less safe and less welcome on this campus,"" Barrows said. ""The gap between majority students versus students of color hasn't closed hardly at all in the 17 years that I've been here.""
Despite suits and pending decisions on the Barrows case, Wiley and other administrators continue to rework initiatives and challenge the definition of diversity on campus.
Coincidentally, Plan 2008's end comes at the start of a university-wide study that will inspect every aspect of the university in order to secure federal aid funding.
""I think we can fold our diversity planning for the next 10 years into our overall institution planning in a more integrated way so that it might not stand aside as a completely separate plan,"" Wiley said.
However, the likelihood of an integrated plan working is ""slim to none,"" said Glish-Sanchez.
Flores said there was not a huge effort to make any of Plan 2008's goals a full success. The main problem, she said, lay in the lack of accountability of carrying out the plans.
""There's nobody at the end of the day that's going to lose their job for not accomplishing this, or even get a slap on the wrist. It's like—if we do, we do, if we don't, we don't,"" Flores said
Despite criticisms of Plan 2008, Wiley said that ""at any given time, we do have a strategic plans.""
""I don't expect that this is an issue where we can ever just declare victory and say, ‘it's all over and that this is no longer of any interest or concern for us,'"" he said.
contributed to this report.
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