These are important tangible issues that can be discussed without name
calling or anyone feeling defensive or attacked.
Stuart
-----Original Message-----
From: UTC Staff E-Mail List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Susan Ritz
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2007 3:27 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [UTCSTAFF] racism emails
I agree that a forthright discussion is in order, but what I had in mind was
a discussion related to the specific incident(s) at hand, which seem to be
related to the work climate for (at least one) faculty of color.
The questions that I have after reading the dialogue are:
1) are faculty of color experiencing racism here at UTC?
2) do we have a low and disproportionate representation of ethnic minority
faculty members here?
3) if so, why, and how do we recruit and retain more faculty of color?
4) what factors make the work environment uncomfortable, unwelcoming, and/or
unsatisfying for current minority faculty?
5) do we have/need diversity training here at UTC?
This is what I had in mind when I read through the emails and this is the
sort of discussion I think that all UTC faculty and staff and even students
should be actively involved in.
By the way, I am a psychology graduate from UTC and am currently getting my
PhD in Multicultural Psychology. This is why I am so concerned the issue at
hand.
Susan
-----Original Message-----
From: Stuart Benkert <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:42:02 -0400
Subject: Re: [UTCSTAFF] racism emails
Except that we have yet to have discussion. What we have had are vague
generalities, allusions, and insinuations. If someone is willing to go
beyond then by all means lets discuss... what we have had up till now does
nothing other than raise the point that there are issues we should discuss.
Point taken. Now lets do something about it by focusing and not making
allusions to promised lands (which may or may not exist), poor
administrative behavior (which should have been documented) and colleagues
who talk down to others (which happens all the time to me because I am a
loud mouth). Example. I once worked with a percussion professor who spent
all her time complaining over how hard it was to be a female percussionist.
This, in a department where only two of 9 full time faculty members were
male. Before I quit I finally told her that my problem with her was not that
she was a female percussionist, my problem stemmed from the fact that she
was a bad percussionist and her students were even worse. By the way, the
person who replaced me was a woman as well so that left only one man in the
department. I am not saying this is the case here, but I am saying that when
communication is not full, if no one is willing to lay it out there, it
makes little sense to continue with this approach. I would like to have this
discussion every Friday during happy hour, seriously. I spend a lot of time
talking with many of you about it anyway because I am always trying to
figure out if playing Rap music in the stands is Racist or if I am Racist
for not playing it. Am I racist for letting the Elite dress the way they
want or for not letting them dress the way they want? Funny thing is that
there is rarely a unified answer. Further, when you do get together
understand that many folks take offense to the term African American and I
was brought up to believe that was polite. My students inform me that this
is not so. Best not to refer to anyone by their race but if you must, the
majority of my students prefer black (as in HBC) and a few have jackets
where they call themselves "the Browns" as they do not like either. In fact,
when we start talking about experts, has anyone agreed as to who gets to
represent the offended parties? A faculty is comprised of individuals who
just happen to be of one sex or another or one race or another. To assume
that you speak for someone because you share a color, race etc. is plain
thoughtless and you often upset the people you are supposedly representing.
So, if it is important enough to stir up the university then it is important
enough to be specific. If we start getting specific then we might get
somewhere. As it is now all that's happening is that lines being drawn. How
many psych professors out here think we can accomplish anything when
everyone puts their shields up first? Let's define terms, categorize
behaviors and roll up our sleeves instead of hurling rhetorical water
balloons and we might be worthy of being called a faculty.
stuart
-----Original Message-----
From: UTC Staff E-Mail List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
Susan Ritz
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2007 2:12 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [UTCSTAFF] racism emails
I would like to politely disagree with Dr. Holder's opinion that the topic
of alleged racism on our campus would be more appropriate if discussed
through private emails. I believe that this discussion IS absolutely of
public concern and should be discussed openly. Keeping discussions of these
sort "private" only compound and minimize the problem. As a recent graduate
of UTC, a current staff member here, and all around concerned citizen, I
want to hear about multicultural issues that may be affecting the climate at
my beloved UTC.
Sincerely,
Susan Faye Ritz
M.S./Ph.D Candidate
Assistant to the Director
Center for Applied Social Research
Dept 2162 - (423) 425-2342
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