EQUITY, ACCESS & DIVERSITY

MINUTES OF MEETING

APRIL 23, 2003

[In these minutes: Welcome, ACA Competition & Anti-Discrimination Policy, EAD Review, Policy Statement, Faculty Salary Survey, May Agenda Items]

[These minutes reflect discussion and debate at a meeting of a committee of the University of Minnesota Senate or Twin Cities Assembly; none of the comments, conclusions or actions reported in these minutes represent the views of, nor are they binding on, the Senate or Assembly, the Administration or the Board of Regents.]

PRESENT: Mary Lay, Chair, Rose Blixt, Don Cavalier, Julie Sweitzer, Carol Chomsky, Benjamin Clarke, Margaret Moss, Vanessa Bailey, Nena Fox

REGRETS: Beverly Balos, Eric Burgess, Jeffrey Roberts

ABSENT: Shezwae Fleming, Sallye McKee, Stacey Aronson, Srilata Zaheer, Cameron Brauer

OTHER(S): H. Jeanie Taylor

GUEST: Professor Eugene Borgida, chair, Advisory Committee on Athletics

I). Professor Lay called the meeting to order and welcomed those present.

II). Professor Lay welcomed Professor Borgida, chair, Advisory Committee on Athletics (ACA), to the meeting to discuss the revised draft of the ACA Competition & Anti-Discrimination Policy. Professor Borgida began by noting that the president is very supportive of this revised draft and is eager to have it become standing policy.

A member asked whether this policy exclusively focuses on issues of Native American discrimination or whether other ethnic groups are included as well. According to Professor Borgida, to date, the mascot issue has been completely driven by Native American considerations. Native American mascots are clearly viewed as offensive to not only many in the Native American population but others as well. This policy does not preclude revision to include other offensive mascots should they emerge. The real issue has been with Native American mascots and that is the reason the policy was articulated around them.

It was noted that the revised draft has strengthened the language of the policy. Professor Borgida agreed that the policy is more clear and concise but noted there are others that would like to see the tentativeness associated with some of the language in the policy taken out. President Bruininks and his administration have every commitment to the values that drive the logic behind this policy. Basically, a decision needs to be made to either retain some of the tentative language in the policy in order to deal with extenuating circumstances such as contractual obligations or take a more extreme stand and be forced to back down.

In the Big 10 this policy will impact the University of Illinois the most. Illinois has, however, taken a number of steps to deal with this issue. For example, the University of Illinois mascot, the Chief, no longer travels with the team. This issue stirs up a lot of emotion and is not a simple one to resolve.

This is one reason the University of Minnesota felt strongly about the need to take a stand on this issue. The Native American community in Minnesota is on the vanguard in terms of Native American discrimination matters.

A member asked whether the content in the coach’s letter that was completely removed from the policy is captured somewhere else in the event it needs to be reapplied. Professor Borgida stated the reason the letter was dropped was because it was never used. The letter was viewed as problematic because it failed to incorporate all the same sets of protected classes and categories. The requirements of non-discrimination vary from location to location that the team travels to; the University of Minnesota’s requirements are quite comprehensive.

The Committee voted unanimously to endorse this policy.

Professor Lay asked Professor Borgida if the ACA has seen the revised mission statement of the merged athletics department. Professor Borgida responded that there is a strategic planning committee currently working on this statement, which remains a work in progress. Professor Lay requested that when something of substance results from the committee that Professor Borgida alert EAD. Professor Borgida noted that at the end of this academic year he will no longer be serving as the chair of the ACA but will try to remember to forward this request on to the incoming chair. He also suggested Professor Lay follow-up on this matter as well.

III). The Committee reviewed the answers to the questions posed by Committee on Committees for EAD’s upcoming review. Professor Lay asked for Committee input on this document as well as information the Committee believes is important to share with the Committee on Committees during the EAD review process. Suggestions included:

• Attach the document that outlines steps EAD will take in an effort to make an impact on University policy.
• A recommendation to make a strong case for the establishment of subcommittees. One subcommittee to deal with women’s issues and the other subcommittee to focus on system-wide diversity issues. The model for both of these subcommittees would be the Tenure Subcommittee.
• A request that the ex-officio make-up of the Committee be clarified and made more specific. Professor Lay noted that ex-officio members are invaluable to the Committee. EAD is dependent on its ex-officio members to bring issues to the Committee as they arise.
• Expand the number of P & A appointments on the Committee.

IV). The Committee agreed to move forward and implement the statement that outlines steps EAD will take to make an impact on policy at the University. Professor Lay agreed to write a general memo to all Senate committees and subcommittees requesting that as they discuss policy issues they seek a reaction from EAD. EAD could raise questions and issues pertaining to diversity that other groups might otherwise overlook.

Next, the Committee assigned members the responsibility of monitoring one or more Senate committees’ agendas and minutes:

FCC – Carol Chomsky

Faculty Affairs – Mary Lay

Disabilities Issues – Vanessa Bailey

Student Affairs – Don Cavalier

Social Concerns – Nena Fox

Research – Ben Clarke

SCEP – Recommended Jeffrey Roberts

Council on Liberal Education – Recommended Jeffrey Roberts

Finance & Planning – Rose Blixt

AHC – Margaret Moss

Renee Dempsey, Senate staff, was charged with making sure Senate committee and e-genda listserves include EAD members in order to facilitate the monitoring of committee business.

V). Faculty Salary Survey: The Committee asked that Professor Lay follow-up with SCFP and SCFA to determine whether these committees discussed the gender and race/ethnicity issues raised by EAD as it relates to the faculty salary survey.

Based on input from a member of SCFP, EAD will capture the nature of this member’s concerns, and suggest that a finer breakdown of the faculty salary survey be made. EAD will also request that the survey be reported with gender and ethnicity statistics. It was noted, if the survey data is aggregated across the University it is likely to be misleading.

Professor Lay volunteered to rewrite EAD’s salary statement and distribute it to members for review and input. Once the final draft has been approved, Professor Lay will forward it on to SCFA and SCFP for a response.

VI). Professor Lay announced that the May EAD meeting date was moved to May 21, 2003. Agenda items include:

• Dr. Sallye McKee, Associate Vice Provost for Multicultural and Academic Affairs, has been invited to speak about her vision for the Office of Multicultural and Academic Affairs. Professor Lay had requested earlier this year for Dr. McKee to provide EAD with a written statement about her interpretation of the role of the Office for Multicultural and Academic Affairs, how the office focus may have changed under her leadership and how she is handling the challenge of balancing student concerns with faculty and staff concerns, particularly pertaining to women. Although Dr. McKee has not provided Professor Lay with anything in writing up to this point, she indicated she would try to attend EAD’s May meeting.

• Professor Chomsky may have information concerning the Racial Justice Network to bring forward at the May meeting.

• Discuss issues for the 2003 – 2004 EAD agenda.

VII). Hearing no further business, Professor Lay adjourned the meeting.

Renee Dempsey

University Senate