LittlePinky82
Well-Known Member
So there's been yet another University with racism problems. Where the minority are speaking up and saying they're not being treated as you should expect to be on campus with getting an education. Mizzou, Ithaca, and now this school. How many more schools are going to pop up?
What has been going on on these campus over the yrs where now we're having these issues?
I'm definitely thinking we're going to have race relations as a major campaign issue and I hope we do. We as a country need to address this and face up to the past and present of what's going on. At least this president seems to be more understanding and open to their concerns as students on the campus. Hopefully he can learn something from the Mizzou president.
Black students take over VCU's president's office to demand changes
BY LOUIS LLOVIO Richmond Times-Dispatch | Posted 40 minutes ago
About 30 Virginia Commonwealth University student activists took over the school president’s office Thursday morning demanding, among other things, an increase in the number of black professors and more cultural competency training on campus.
The students took over first floor of the office on Franklin Street about 10 a.m.
They read a prepared letter expressing their solidarity with students at the main campus of the University of Missouri and a list of changes they are demanding from VCU officials.
What followed was not a 1960s-style protest rife with tension but an open and frank conversation about the issues black students confront at VCU.
The students talked about feeling like outsiders on campus and alienated at a place to which they turned to improve their future. Several said they were angry and felt abandoned by the university.
Participating in that conversation was Michael Rao, VCU’s president, who came downstairs when he heard the students and sat on an end table listening to them for more than two hours.
Their main concern is a lack of black professors at VCU. They say it’s often difficult for them to deal with educators who don’t understand their cultural concerns or the experience driving their thoughts and world view.
A lack of black professors also means that other students are missing out on a valuable educational point of view.
VCU says 5 percent of its professors are black. Fifteen percent of the student body is black.
Coupled with their classroom concerns is a feeling of being an outsider on campus because there is no effort being made to foster a community for black students, they said.
“You can go a whole four years talking to white people, being taught by white people and not having anything to do with black people,” sophomore Reyna Smith said.
Among the demands are to double the number of black faculty members to 10 percent of the total number of professors by 2017, to have at least one of every three candidates interviewing for a faculty position be black, and to create a position to make sure the policies are being implemented.
The students also demand the creation of a cultural competency course for all students and the hiring of an ombudsman so students have someone who will understand their experiences and concerns.
The students also want to see an increase in funding for cultural organizations and events on campus.
For his part, Rao sympathized with the students and encouraged them to talk about their concerns.
He told them that their concerns are not a complete surprise and that VCU is taking steps to bring more black professors into the university.
Still, he said, it must be acknowledged that black students have a unique perspective and that the university needs to work to bring about fundamental change.
“Students of color can’t take on the burden themselves,” Rao said, adding, “I very much have the same vision for VCU. I think there’s greater capacity to do what we know we need to do for all fellow human beings, and it needs to be a model for the rest of the nation.”
Source- http://m.richmond.com/news/local/ci...70e-99fe-539f-9097-8415205caafd.html?mode=jqm
What has been going on on these campus over the yrs where now we're having these issues?
I'm definitely thinking we're going to have race relations as a major campaign issue and I hope we do. We as a country need to address this and face up to the past and present of what's going on. At least this president seems to be more understanding and open to their concerns as students on the campus. Hopefully he can learn something from the Mizzou president.
Black students take over VCU's president's office to demand changes
BY LOUIS LLOVIO Richmond Times-Dispatch | Posted 40 minutes ago
About 30 Virginia Commonwealth University student activists took over the school president’s office Thursday morning demanding, among other things, an increase in the number of black professors and more cultural competency training on campus.
The students took over first floor of the office on Franklin Street about 10 a.m.
They read a prepared letter expressing their solidarity with students at the main campus of the University of Missouri and a list of changes they are demanding from VCU officials.
What followed was not a 1960s-style protest rife with tension but an open and frank conversation about the issues black students confront at VCU.
The students talked about feeling like outsiders on campus and alienated at a place to which they turned to improve their future. Several said they were angry and felt abandoned by the university.
Participating in that conversation was Michael Rao, VCU’s president, who came downstairs when he heard the students and sat on an end table listening to them for more than two hours.
Their main concern is a lack of black professors at VCU. They say it’s often difficult for them to deal with educators who don’t understand their cultural concerns or the experience driving their thoughts and world view.
A lack of black professors also means that other students are missing out on a valuable educational point of view.
VCU says 5 percent of its professors are black. Fifteen percent of the student body is black.
Coupled with their classroom concerns is a feeling of being an outsider on campus because there is no effort being made to foster a community for black students, they said.
“You can go a whole four years talking to white people, being taught by white people and not having anything to do with black people,” sophomore Reyna Smith said.
Among the demands are to double the number of black faculty members to 10 percent of the total number of professors by 2017, to have at least one of every three candidates interviewing for a faculty position be black, and to create a position to make sure the policies are being implemented.
The students also demand the creation of a cultural competency course for all students and the hiring of an ombudsman so students have someone who will understand their experiences and concerns.
The students also want to see an increase in funding for cultural organizations and events on campus.
For his part, Rao sympathized with the students and encouraged them to talk about their concerns.
He told them that their concerns are not a complete surprise and that VCU is taking steps to bring more black professors into the university.
Still, he said, it must be acknowledged that black students have a unique perspective and that the university needs to work to bring about fundamental change.
“Students of color can’t take on the burden themselves,” Rao said, adding, “I very much have the same vision for VCU. I think there’s greater capacity to do what we know we need to do for all fellow human beings, and it needs to be a model for the rest of the nation.”
Source- http://m.richmond.com/news/local/ci...70e-99fe-539f-9097-8415205caafd.html?mode=jqm
