Dear Loyola University Chicago,
I am writing you this letter because I left the University Senate meeting today feeling a
bit bewildered by the conversations that took place. Particularly, I feel that
every time we have a discussion on diversity in this body, the atmosphere becomes divisive.
There is generally a sense in the air from certain members that we already do
enough in this regard, and any suggestion to further diversity initiatives on
campus becomes a hot issue of debate. This happened last year when we were
discussing the need for a chief diversity officer and this year now in our
discussion of a required course on diversity for undergraduate students.
Yet,
my confusion really came to a head when the discussion on environmental
sustainability began with little to no arguments against it. There was a sense
of, “Absolutely, climate control is an important issue that all of our students, faculty,
administrators, and staff should be aware of in order to continue our Jesuit
mission.” Why is that? Why is it that we can discuss a sustainable planet with
such calmness, and yet become so contentious when we’re discussing sustainable
institutional practices for such a key issue as diversity?
Why
do we not question a campus-wide discussion on climate control, but we have
consistent rebuttals on diversity? Why does environmental sustainability seem
to garner such support and enthusiasm from this body, but every diversity
conversation seems bleak and heavy?
Today
our presenter highlighted climate control as “necessary” for our students to go
out and change the world. Why do we not have this same emphasis on matters of diversity
and inclusion?
I thought
perhaps these feelings were limited to the University Senate, until it was
mentioned that all students are required to take a science course on
environmental sustainability…and yet, at the mention of doing a required course
on diversity, so many of the opinions expressed today suggested that it is unnecessary
because diversity is talked about in a lot of the core courses anyway. This is
where I was especially perplexed. Why is this? What message are we sending to
our students and the world about what’s important to us? We can say that we are
progressive because we are participating in a popular conversation that’s
happening in the world about climate control. Yet, there’s little to no
discussion happening campus-wide about minority teens being shot in the streets
around the country, the hanging of a black man in Mississippi in 2015, the
attack on Islam in this country, the video of young white Greeks proudly
singing about n*ggers not being permitted into their fraternity, the debates
across the country on same-sex marriage, the conversation that is still happening about wage inequality
and gender discrimination…how can we sit back, or rest on our Jesuit name,
without making a conscious effort, from the top down, from administrators to
students, to say, “Hey, issues of diversity are important and necessary for us
to discuss in order for our graduates to really go forth and set the world on
fire?”
To
this point, I feel that as a university, diversity is not clearly defined or
clearly emphasized. In our public comments on climate control, one student
mentioned with urgency that, “We need to be carbon neutral by a date. We
want a firm commitment from this body on this issue.” I thought to myself, man,
these students are speaking with such passion on this issue. And yet, I rarely
hear such urgency, such direct resolve about issues of diversity here on
campus. I believe the answer is more than just the need for a change in
curriculum, but in the way we talk about diversity as an institution. For
example, why does environmental awareness seem to permeate our university
mindset (greener buildings, recycling, an office of sustainability, etc. which,
in my opinion, are such visual
things), but we leave diversity to linger on the outskirts, hoping that through
a few public lectures or a belief that within our core curriculum, somewhere
within any given course, diversity will be discussed in passing? This goes for
diversity within staff and faculty as well. Diversity seems to be limited to an
employee handbook or by the presence of a single minority faculty member within
any given department.
I
know that there is no direct way of answering these questions, but I did not
want to let the moment pass by without voicing my frustrations about what I
call “the diversity issue” that we have here on campus. Also, as a disclaimer,
I am absolutely for the initiatives
we are taking as an institution to create a more sustainable environment. I
just hope that along with it, we are empowering sustainable people as well.
Thank
you for your time and I hope you have a great weekend.
Best,
Pam
- 5:20 PM
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