Diversity education task force formed at Southeast

The President's Task Force on Diversity Education, led by Southeast Missouri State University president Kenneth W. Dobbins, held its first meeting March 11 to discuss diversity on campus.

"It's a task force in that there are some issues that we need to start talking about -- race on this campus -- and I think it's very important that it's not a standing committee," Dobbins said. "Right now, it is to look at specific issues and report back to me on some of the things that they think might be helpful when we talk about race issues on our campus."

Dr. Debbie Below, vice president for enrollment management and student success and dean of students, and Dr. Morris Jenkins, chairman of the College of Health Sciences and Human Services, are co-chairs of the task force and will help facilitate discussions among its members.

Dobbins said talks about a diversity task force began in August before classes began. The group's mission is to "advance the awareness and understanding of issues related to race, ethnicity and nationality in a university setting."

"When the Ferguson issue hit, we have around 300 students from that area, and they needed a place for them to come," Dobbins said. "It was a week before school started, and we offered them to come in early. And we had some that did and some that didn't, obviously, so that they had a safe place that they felt comfortable being in. But, you know, that just brought to the forefront that we haven't talked a lot about race on this campus, and I think that it is high time to do that."

Dobbins said administrators on campus were allowed to address a number of diversity issues after peaceful protests were held in front of Kent Library in November, following the announcement of a grand jury decision not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, who shot and killed an unarmed black teenager in August.

On speaking about diversity on campus in a group setting, Dobbins said several white students said they felt uncomfortable talking about race issues. He said one faculty member responded with: "Until you're uncomfortable, nothing productive is going to be coming out of these discussions."

"I don't want this task force to just feel uncomfortable, but I think it's something that we need to have some dialogue [about]," Dobbins said.

"One of the reasons I came here was the openness of the administration and the faculty on issues of race, and then I was more impressed when I found out that the students were taking the lead after the Ferguson issue," Jenkins said. "They were taking the lead on this particular issue, specifically for Ferguson, but not ignoring that overarching issue of discrimination and racism and all the -isms. I think a grassroots approach is the best approach to take."

Jenkins said he hopes the students and faculty will have those "uncomfortable" conversations so the university can move forward in the future with a clearer understanding of diversity on campus.

The task force consists of 32 students and faculty members from all areas of campus.