Committee on Equal Opportunity
EQ.06.01 Annual Report for 2005-06
(Final - Information)
The Senate Committee on Equal Opportunity (EQ) is
responsible for developing, encouraging, and evaluating the development of equal
opportunity and affirmative action programs and guidelines that are intended to
increase the numbers, and improve the status, of minority groups in the
University community. The issues concluded or considered at length by EQ during
the 2005-06 academic year are summarized below.
I. North Central Association (NCA) and Chief
Illiniwek
In Spring ’05, Interim
Chancellor Herman visited EQ and shared his plans for addressing the NCA’s
comments regarding the educational impact of Chief Illiniwek on our campus. He
informed EQ that a committee of faculty and community experts would be formed to
study the issue during 2005-06. On behalf of EQ, the Chair offered to serve on
the committee as an objective reviewer of the process. Interim Chancellor
Herman and former Senate Executive Chair Michael Grossman appointed Chair Alston
to the committee as an ex officio member.
Committee members consisted of chairperson Lizanne DeStanfano (Professor,
Educational Psychology), Tim Liao (Professor and Head of Sociology), Joseph
Podlasek (Executive Director, American Indian Center of Chicago), Elaine
Shpungin (Director, Psychological Services Center), and William Trent
(Professor, Educational Policy Studies and Sociology). The committee met during
this academic year (2005-06) to design a study of the educational impacts of
Chief Illiniwek. As an
ex officio member, Chair Alston attended several
meetings to voice EQ’s suggestions for the study. The final design
(see
Attachment A) was shared with current Senate Executive Chair Vernon Burton. He
convened a special meeting of the Senate Executive Committee (SEC) to discuss
the design and potential outcomes of the study. Numerous SEC members expressed
concerns about the design and intent of the study, and Burton agreed to invite
Chancellor Herman to the next regularly scheduled SEC meeting to offer
clarification concerning the proposed study. Upon hearing the concerns and
recommendations of the SEC, Chancellor Herman agreed to delay a decision
regarding the study until the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
responds to the University’s most recent grievances concerning sanctions against
UIUC and Chief Illiniwek. However, Chancellor Herman noted that it is probably
unwise to completely ignore the NCA’s comments and observations. If the
proposed study is not completed, he suggested an obligation by the University to
address the NCA’s concerns in some manner eventually.
II. Student
Forum/Town Hall Meeting on Social Segregation at UIUC
EQ has directed most of its attention this year toward planning a campus-wide
forum on social segregation among students
(see Attachment B). The forum will
consist of a facilitator (Coleman Evans, Doctoral Candidate in Educational
Policy Studies) directing an open discussion among undergraduate and graduate
participants in a town hall meeting format. The purpose of the forum is to
explore factors which contribute to self and imposed segregation of students by
racial, ethnic, and other cultural differences.
For example, it is still common for students to congregate along racial lines
while dining in residence hall cafeterias or participating in recreational
activities on weekends. Moreover, there remain few instances of minority or
majority students joining each other’s Greek organization and clubs. It is
important to note that the idea for the forum was recommended by current and
former student representatives on EQ and by other student leaders who met with
EQ over the past years.
EQ contemplated the forum for nearly two years. Chair Alston was determined to
make sure it was organized and delivered this academic year. It is scheduled
for April 10, 2006 and will be taped live at WILL-TV. A DVD of the event will
be available for subsequent viewing by organizations on campus. In addition,
WILL-TV has agreed to include the forum in it regular programming for viewing by
the public on later dates. The Chancellor’s Office has provided funding to
defray the costs associated with marketing the event and taping at WILL.
Several student organizations and University departments have agreed to show
their support of the forum by serving as co-sponsors. The forum has real
implications for improving the social interaction of students from different
backgrounds, thereby enhancing the entire cultural climate on campus.
Next year, EQ will discuss, among other things, how the videos of the forum
could be used programmatically in the future, whether in classrooms, residence
halls, or other locations.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Reginald Alston, Chair
Joe Danavi
Belden Fields
Gary Kesler
Guillermo Mendoza
Zenobia Ravji
Ellie Tewksbury
Tiffany White
