Ithaca College

Contributed on behalf of Gerald Hector, Vice President for Finance and Administration.

In the aftermath of last fall’s student protests around the issues of race, diversity and inclusion, the Division of Finance and Administration has undertaken a process of exploration, dialogue and engagement around this topic. The work of this group has been very impactful for its attendees, and as a result of our work to date, the college has been selected by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) to participate in a webcast entitled “The CBO’s Role in Race, Diversity and Inclusion.” As the CBO (Chief Business Officer) at the college I will be sharing my perspectives on this topic.

The webcast will take place on Thursday, June 30, at 1:00 p.m. In keeping with the group’s desire to engage with more of our campus colleagues, all members of the campus community are invited to view the webcast together in Textor 101. 

On the webcast, I will be joined by Dr. Mary Ontiveros, Vice President for Diversity at Colorado State University. The focus of the discussion is around how Chief Business Officers can be a part of solutions around race, diversity and inclusion, rather than simply managing the budget, the administration, and the finances of an institution. It will also include some takeaways on what institutions can do to address this issue as comprehensively as possible given the changing demographics of the nation in general. Representatives from more than 100 colleges and universities have already signed up to view the webcast at the time of this writing. 

Since the first week of December 2015, members of our division have been meeting every Wednesday at the noon hour to engage in discussions around perceptions, feelings, realities and to put forward possible solutions alongside those offered by other campus constituents around race, diversity and inclusion on our campus. A defining ethos shared by Dr. Belisa Gonzalez that the “solution is in the pain,” became a rallying point for our discussions. Prior to the start of the weekly series, we started on our journey of discussions in October of 2015 by hosting Dr. Kevin McDonald, who was recently appointed as the Chief Diversity Officer of the University of Missouri System. When he presented to our division he was then the Chief Diversity Officer at RIT. He set the stage for us to have those difficult discussions within the division by highlighting some of the strategies that institutions like RIT had successfully undertaken. 

The book “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together In the Cafeteria?” by former Spelman College president, Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum was used for the group’s main point of reference. Members from the group were assigned chapters that they led in open discussion formats. It is an insightful book, and was chosen for this exercise because it looks at this issue from several angles, and dives deeply into these very thorny issues by asking all of us look in the mirror and do some self-reflection. For the attendees, the book study, and the often times open and “raw” dialogues that followed, provided opportunities for colleagues from different racial and ethnic backgrounds within our division to share very personal and often times heart wrenching stories about their experiences with the racial divide in the country, and also related them back to what our students raised as issues last fall. In the meetings there were tears shed, anger expressed, and hope envisioned for this issue to be addressed once and for all on our campus, and more broadly in our nation. There is no doubt that the individuals who have been attending took on the challenge of walking through the “pain” to find solutions and visions for our campus on a prospective basis. 

Our goal was to get individuals of all racial and ethnic backgrounds within our division to start talking about the issue of race, diversity and inclusion, and how it relates to what transpired on campus. What many of us who have had firsthand experiences with racial bias and bigotry saw from the fall was that there were several divides along race, generational differences and different lived experiences, but everyone seemed to be talking at, rather than with, each other. That perception was confirmed for me after I spent time with the students who stayed after the last demonstration in November for an almost three hour conversation. It was also clear that there were several individuals (including students of all races) who wanted to engage on this topic to learn, but often times pride, fear and perceived privilege stood in the way of them asking questions. Our intent was not to force the dialogue, but to find avenues to open lines of communication for some heartfelt conversations. The discussions we have had to date are encouraging, but we are just beginning. This initiative first started with individuals from our division but it grew to include colleagues from Enrollment Management, Institutional Advancement, and sections of Educational Affairs as we encouraged attendees to “bring a friend.” Everyone who participated thus far should be commended for their courage to come in and discuss openly their feelings, their lack of knowledge, and their shared commitment for meaningful change both personally and on campus. 

We also engaged in some very well attended sessions around the video series “Race: The Power of an Illusion.” After the three-part series was completed, another well attended discussion session was held with Ms. Laura Branca. That was a very insightful discussion that cut straight to the lack of knowledge, lack of exposure to different cultures, and the deficit of cultural competencies that some felt needed to be discussed not only within the group, but across the campus, in the City of Ithaca, and across the nation. The group learned a lot from that experience, and what made it most powerful was the willingness that group members had to share their biases based on how they were raised, media stories and other influences that shaped, and continue to shape, their thinking. Once again the “pain” (coupled with discomfort) that Dr. Gonzalez described was very helpful in breaking through some stereotypes and long held beliefs. It was startling to many who attended how their own perceptions had colored the way they view certain situations, especially those portrayed by the media and even history. In December there was a viewing of “The Color of Fear,” and that prompted an open discussion, but having the expertise of Ms. Branca to contextualize the discussion that followed the viewing our second video series made the experience even better. More of these types of discussions are needed throughout the upcoming year. 

In addition to Dr. Gonzalez, the group also had topic discussions led by Dr. Sean Eversley Bradwell and Dr. Nia Makepeace. Dr. Bradwell focused the group on a timeline of racial tensions in the City of Ithaca and the Ithaca City School District. Dr. Makepeace gave a powerful presentation (which some attendees are still talking about today) on the perceptions that still permeate our society around racial ignorance, bigotry, and other societal ills that are derivatives. 

Several students graced us with their presence, and in one instance, former SGA President Cedric Michael Simmons joined in the discussion along with Dr. Gonzalez. The students who attended should also be commended because although they were limited in number, and from different races, they contributed in meaningful ways. One student pointedly shared her experiences by comparing when her family lived up north, and when they subsequently moved down south. 

Those heartfelt discussions in our weekly meetings prompted us to host a community panel on race relations in general for the division. Pastor Nathaniel Wright (Calvary Baptist Church), Gary Stewart (Cornell University), Fabina Colon (Multicultural Resource Center), and Kim Munson Burke (Local Community Advocate on Race, Diversity and Inclusion) formed the panel, and it was expertly moderated by Dr. Makepeace, who also shared her expertise in this area. The panel discussion led to some very pointed conversation afterwards. However, with over 350-400 people in attendance, the defining moment was when one of our own students of color bravely walked up to the microphone and shared his experiences in the classroom and on campus, in the City of Ithaca, and for the most part since coming to the United States. 

From that student’s perspective (and others who were heard from in the fall), there is a collective understanding that there is more work to be done, and it is best accomplished by having continued honest and open dialogue on this issue on our campus. However, the group had an even stronger desire that the dialogue shifts to action. To that end, beginning in March 2016, a subgroup of 7 individuals from our weekly meetings began meeting to brainstorm ideas on possible action steps to support and address the Race, Diversity and Inclusion (RDI) concerns on campus. 

The larger weekly meeting group suggested that the subcommittee review the successful model being used with the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, Questioning (LGBTQ) population, a group that Ithaca College is nationally known for supporting on campus. 

The subcommittee began by meeting with Luca Maurer, LGBT Education, Outreach & Services Program Director in the IC Center for Counseling, Health and Wellness. He shared with us the history of the LGBTQ community at IC and subsequent support and resources IC has developed over the last decade. He directed our group to the Campus Pride Index Report card, the external benchmark used for LGBTQ support on campuses, and noted that IC has received its highest ranking. Luca made clear that what IC has done for the LGBTQ students has been successful, but is not directly transferrable to RDI due to the differences between the groups. Our hope was to identify core practices that would make underrepresented students feel comfortable, welcome and supported on IC’s campus. 

We reviewed the categories listed in the Campus Pride Index report and altered the verbiage to address RDI. We completed a gap analysis using the information listed on the IC diversity website and reached out to various staff across campus. This analysis provided an objective investigation on the existing RDI efforts on campus. 

We also researched other colleges/universities with recognized successful programs as designated by BestColleges.org. The intention of this research was to gather some ideas that IC could emulate in the future.

Lastly, we identified diversity focused Higher Education organizations, such as Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) and Association of American Colleges & Universities which each have their own measurement and reporting tools. The HEED questionnaire covers many aspects of diversity including gender, race, ethnicity, religion, veterans, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ community. These topics are organized in six main categories; Student Recruitment and Retention, Faculty Recruitment and Retention, Leadership and Accountability, Institutional Branding, Chief Diversity Officer’s Role, and Institutional Diversity Progress. 

It is our intention to connect through the appropriate channels with our students, the faculty, and other staff outside our division to share the work we have been doing, and ask for feedback, input and thoughts to come up with a clear, cogent and impactful strategy to assist this ongoing movement to a solution. Our group understands that this will be an iterative process, and the best way to stay on top of the changes that will ultimately occur is to keep everyone on campus engaged. We also know that we are only one division out of five, but we are committed to the college, and we would love to see this issue resolved. 

Considering that other divisions and departments are conducting their own discussions on this important topic, we are currently working on ways to see how we can connect and understand what others departments are doing so we can learn and engage with them as well. One of the overarching themes that permeates our group now is that there is an appreciation for the difference between “cooperation” and “collaboration,” and also the difference between a “vision” and an “idea.” 

The group will continue to meet every Wednesday at noon for the foreseeable future. The meetings are held in Klingenstein Lounge, and all members of the campus community are invited.
 

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Jaimie Voorhees at jvoorhees@ithaca.edu or (607) 274-3118. We ask that requests for accommodations be made as soon as possible.