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Part of UB takes steps towards progress, November 20, 2015

Text: UB takes
steps
toward
progress
SPECTRUM

11/20/15

Students speak
on diversity and
inclusion as part of
community chat
THANYA THEOGENE
STAFF WRITER

1

With racial tensions high on college
campuses throughout the nation, some
UB students and administrators gathered
Wednesday night to propose solutions.
Teresa Miller, vice provost of Equity
and Inclusion, met with students to discuss
the issue of race and diversity on campus.
The "community chat" was held in the
South Lake Village Community Center and
students were given a chance to not only
share their feelings on race on campus, but
also propose solutions.
''At first, I felt that UB was just trying to
appease students, but after this meeting I
feel it's really genuine," said Sonya Tareke,
ajunior business major.

Miller is UB's first vice provost of Equity and Inclusion, as she took the posi
tion: in 2014. Since her appointment, Mill
er has been working to create a more inclusive UB, not only on the student level, but
also in faculty and staff.
a joint effort beThe community chat was
tween Miller and MeeganHunt, the associate
director 'o f·Campus Livingand Wellness Education at UB. The team began brainstorm
ing ideas on how to achieve a more inclusive
campus and its focus on faculty and a general
1
education course on diversity.
.T he meeting was held through the Resi
dential Housing Association.
''We wanted to be able to meet with stu
dents, so we coordinated with the RHA to
be able to meet with students in campus
living complexes," Hunt said.
. The discussion started withissues of racial
tensions at universities across the country.
Students, including those at the Univer
sity of Missouri, have protested for further
university responses to issues of -racism
and lack of inclusion on their campuses.
The tensionhas left somestudents feeling
uneasy. Some students said the tension makes
them -feel unsafe because it could initiate retaliation against black students. Another stu
dent said that while they do not feelunsafe
at UB, there is a feeling that if incidents can
happen elsewhere they could happen: at UB.
Students also discussed Yik Yak, the social media forum where people post anonymously. Students said that when Black
Student Union (BSU) held its annual Black
Solidarity Day, some students took to Yik
.Yak to use racial slurs to deprecate BSU,
along with other minority students.
Students said international students were
also targets and victims ofracial slurs.
The sense of a UB community on campus compared to other schools is another
issue students brought up. Safiyeh Kayem
; be, a junior_political science major, spoke
about her previous school and the sense of
community there.
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UB takes
steps toward
• I

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progress

Teresa Miller (right), vice provost of Equity and Inclusion, speaks at the Black Student
Union open forum in September. Miller also spoke at the "community, chat" in South
Lake Village Wednesday night to discuss race and diversity on campus.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

"I went to an HBCU [historically black
colleges and universities] before this , and
the school was built on community," Kay
embe said., "The college was small but there
were two other colleges 'right next door, so
we really had a close community.''
A graduate student at the meeting said
she is one of four students of color in one
of her classes. The idea of having students
of color mentor others did come up, but
Miller was cautious about the idea. While
she thinks it's a good idea she doesn't want
to "overwhelm" students.
"It's not easy to ask someone to lift as
they climb," Miller said.
A meeting at Goodyear Hall on South
Campus preceded the meeting at South
Lake.
"One thing that I got from Goodyear
was that there's ; not enough contact with
the faculty," Miller said.
Many studentsat that meeting said they've
never been to a faculty member's home. Miller said UB's
large student population would
make this difficult, but the idea of getting
faculty to eat in dining halls with students on

occasion was brought up at the meeting.
However, students feel progress is being
made.
.
The Dear World event that took place on
campus Tuesday was one way for students
to be heard, on campus. The event allowed
students ·to write messages on themselves
and be photographed.
One student said a University Police of
ficer took part in the event, which she said
was a step in the right direction to creat
ing inclusivity. Making UPD more famil
iar to students was emphasized in the meet
ing. Students discussed the creation of the
• '
UPD student task force, which allows students to have regular discussions with UPD.
Didi Okorozo, a junior biomedical science
major, also felt the meeting gave-students a
place to speak out. UB will have a diversi
ty course for the first time next fall as a part
of the new general education·requirements.
"Diversity is a part of the college experience, so UB needs to have a class or semi
nar about it," she said.
There will be another community chat in
Governors Complex on Dec. 3.
email: news@ubspectrum.com