Alabama Faculty Senate Diversity Report

[Titchou]

Realizing this may blow up into a big todo, I thought I'd post this link.

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/articl...reek-diversity

At least Mr. Baldwin admits that some of the recommendations may be beyond the pale, so to speak.

[thetalady]

Can you imagine trying to move Recruitment to Winter Break? I can't imagine the impact on the numbers going through NPC recruitment. Incredibly intrusive suggestions by this committee.

[SydneyK]

Interesting read. Thanks, Titchou.

I found page 3 most interesting. Particularly that the recommendations include an "increase [in] university assistance and oversight in the organizations" and the suggestion of providing "an explanation of the denial of membership for a minority recruit."

What type of university assistance do they intend to provide? How will university oversight be implemented, and into what aspects of the organizations? It definitely seems like they're targeting membership selection, especially with the suggestion that minorities receive an explanation if they are not offered a bid.

It'll be interesting to see where all this leads...

[DeltaBetaBaby]

Originally Posted by thetalady

Incredibly intrusive suggestions by this committee.

As a public university that grants quite a bit of resources to the Greek organizations it hosts, they have every right to "intrude" in an attempt to end racial discrimination.

[Cheerio]

What purpose is served with a recommended Standard Recruitment System?

Why not just put all rushee names into a hat if no single group will have the right to refuse the 2.8 GPA students or the gals from Antarctica High School. Too much messin' with MS for my taste.

I like the recommendation (in page 4 of story) for equal housing help from UA toward their traditionally black Greek organizations.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by SydneyK

Interesting read. Thanks, Titchou.

I found page 3 most interesting. Particularly that the recommendations include an "increase [in] university assistance and oversight in the organizations" and the suggestion of providing "an explanation of the denial of membership for a minority recruit."

What type of university assistance do they intend to provide? How will university oversight be implemented, and into what aspects of the organizations? It definitely seems like they're targeting membership selection, especially with the suggestion that minorities receive an explanation if they are not offered a bid.

It'll be interesting to see where all this leads...

Why would a university that's attempting to be inclusive suggest that only minority students should receive an explanation as to why they didn't get a bid? They'd just be singling these students out even more. And what happens when the answer is, "She just didn't fit in"? This would get so incredibly messy.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Cheerio

I like the recommendation (in page 4 of story) for equal housing help from UA toward their traditionally black Greek organizations.

See that actually bothered me some. There seems to be an implicit assumption there that what they refer to as "traditionally white organizations" are the standard that they should try to help other organizations reach. It almost sounds like "we want to help them be like us."

Do the NPHC orgs, which on most campuses don't have houses, want "chapter houses comparable to those of traditionally white organizations"? NPHC orgs typically have chapters that are much smaller than IFC or NPC orgs at Bama, and my sense is that they prefer those smaller chapters.* If I remember right AKA has a house on Sororoty Row at Bama, but I can imagine that some NPHC orgs might see maintaining "chapter houses comparable to those of traditionally white organizations" as a drain on resources that could be put toward other things that matter more to them, and as something that could require them to compromise on their preferred chapter culture.

I could be quite wrong—perhaps the NPHC orgs at Bama beyond AKA would like comparable chapter houses, and I'll gladly be corrected if I'm making unfounded assumptions. But I can't help but wonder if this is an example of missing the point completely on diversity. Instead of trying to fit NPHC orgs into an NPC/IFC mold, isn't diversity better served by working to eradicate the idea that the NPC/IFC way of doing Greek life is the standard by which to measure all Greek life?

* I say this coming from a fraternity that typically has smaller chapters—30 in a chapter would be really big for us. And while some of those chapters do have houses, that's not something we encourage nationally.

[Low D Flat]

I can't help but wonder if this is an example of missing the point completely on diversity. Instead of trying to fit NPHC orgs into an NPC/IFC mold, isn't diversity better served by working to eradicate the idea that the NPC/IFC way of doing Greek life is the standard by which to measure all Greek life?

Yes, they are missing the point completely on diversity. Yes, they should educate themselves on Greek life models that don't focus so much on a chapter house. That said, when you look at a bunch of fancy mansions full of white people and one little house of black people, it's an understandable mistake to think that the black people must be getting the shaft. It's also possible that they understand both models just fine, but they're pushing for change anyway because they think it will make them look better if the NPHC has big fancy houses.

[Titchou]

I'm with you two on this. I think they completely missed the point and are trying to make us all into square pegs, even if we want to be round. I don't think they asked anyone what they want.

[AGDee]

When I read the article, I thought the explanation regarding why a minority was cut was an explanation to the chapter, not an explanation to the PNM or anybody else. The next item being that a chapter could have an alternate voting method to override it if it seemed inappropriate is why I thought that. So a chapter would be notified "PNM A was cut because _____" and then the chapter could say "We want to run the alternate voting method on her because we don't believe you". That's how I read it anyway.

I think it's pretty clear from reading the recommendations that the people on the committee have no idea how MS is done at all. Nor do they understand RFM, etc. The reality is, with flex lists and such, nobody knows for sure who is cut until it would be too late to go back and re-vote, etc.

I'm also not sure they understand that the NPC has a standard recruiting system. You can't get more standardized than an NPC formal recruitment with RFM.

I'd really have to read the full recommendations to understand completely what they are referring to in a lot of the recommendations. The article is a quick summary and may be misleading. There are a lot of references that make no sense to me ... such as the reference to University funding of housing. Does Bama pay for the houses?

I'm also confused about this section "including coursework addressing multiculturalism and diversity in the core curriculum." Is this implying that they do not require a diversity class as part of their core requirements for graduation? If that's the case, that really surprises me as that's been part of the core requirements for state schools up here since the early 90s.

[Titchou]

No, they do not have a required diversity class at UA. And no, the university does not pay for the Greek houses. THey do loan the HCs the money but it still has to be repaid - another thing they evidently didn't understand. And NPHC has defined recruitment procedures as does NPC. I'm not sure where all that came from either. I think it's a bunch of white men who have no clue...faculty senates aren't known for having a lot of Greek representation (spoken as a former faculty wife)....

[AGDee]

I've never even heard of a Faculty Senate. Do they have any power?

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by AGDee

When I read the article, I thought the explanation regarding why a minority was cut was an explanation to the chapter, not an explanation to the PNM or anybody else. The next item being that a chapter could have an alternate voting method to override it if it seemed inappropriate is why I thought that. So a chapter would be notified "PNM A was cut because _____" and then the chapter could say "We want to run the alternate voting method on her because we don't believe you". That's how I read it anyway.

Hm, true. This is a possibility. However...

I think it's pretty clear from reading the recommendations that the people on the committee have no idea how MS is done at all. Nor do they understand RFM, etc. The reality is, with flex lists and such, nobody knows for sure who is cut until it would be too late to go back and re-vote, etc.

I'm also not sure they understand that the NPC has a standard recruiting system. You can't get more standardized than an NPC formal recruitment with RFM.

This still stands. I'm pretty sure the people on this committee don't really understand much about the processes and people for which they're making decisions.

I'd really have to read the full recommendations to understand completely what they are referring to in a lot of the recommendations. The article is a quick summary and may be misleading. There are a lot of references that make no sense to me ... such as the reference to University funding of housing. Does Bama pay for the houses?

This is what I was wondering. Who's paying? Perhaps the NPHC groups don't want to pay for these large houses. And you need people to fill them. There may be smaller chapters among the historically black groups, but perhaps that's not so much about housing as it is other factors. I just don't know how you (the general you) equate the white groups being discriminatory with the black groups needing bigger houses.

I'm also confused about this section "including coursework addressing multiculturalism and diversity in the core curriculum." Is this implying that they do not require a diversity class as part of their core requirements for graduation? If that's the case, that really surprises me as that's been part of the core requirements for state schools up here since the early 90s.

Where is "up here"? I wasn't required to take a multiculturalism/diversity class in college.

[Titchou]

Originally Posted by AGDee

I've never even heard of a Faculty Senate. Do they have any power?

Not any real power but they can be very vocal...faculty version of a union but with limited power....

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Titchou

Not any real power but they can be very vocal...faculty version of a union but with limited power....

In my experience and depending on the school, they can be somewhat influential.