THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE FACULTY SENATE Senate Document Number 2794S Date of Senate Approval 5/5/94 Signature of Senate Chair ___________________________ Date _________________ Action of Vice Chancellor: Approval __________________________________ Date ______________________ Denied __________________________________ Date ______________________ Reasons for denial and suggested modifications: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Statement of Faculty Senate Action: EC #2: Recommendations re: Report on the Status of People of Color and Women at the University FROM: Executive Commission for Minority Affairs and Taskforce assigned to review Report on the Status of People of Color and Women at the University After long and intense discussion the Executive Commission for Minority and the Taskforce assigned to review the Report on the Status of People of Color and Women makes the following recommendations for specific actions that UNCA should be taken to ameliorate the concerns expressed in the report of April 1993. We feel that the issues of highest priority concern African-American students at UNCA. Therefore, we recommend that UNCA give its highest priority to the following matters: 1. The University Planning Council should formulate a longrange plan for increasing the racial diversity of the student population of the campus. The plan should not lump all "minorities" together in its long range goals, but should instead set specific targets for individual racial groups. Since UNCA is the State's only Campus classified as Liberal Arts I, it is appropriate that the composition of the population of North Carolina be used as the campus' guide. It is therefore recommended that by the year 2005, that the student population of the campus reflect the racial diversity found in the State. According to the 1990 U.S. census the population of North Carolina, by race is -- Total White Black Indian* Asian-Pac Hispanic Other 6,628637 5,008,491 1,456,323 80,155 52,166 76,726 31,502 75.55% 21.97% 1.2% .786% 1.15% .475% (*Special attention should be given to the region's Cherokee population) 2. The Academic Policies Committee should formulate strategies that address issues identified by the Taskforce which lead to lower grade point averages which, in the aggregate, over time, are racially identifiable. It is recommended that policies and programs be instituted that encourage the distribution of students across the campus' majors regardless of race. Diversification of the academic departments and programs can begin by - a) Increased departmental participation in the admission and recruitment of African-American, Native American, Asian-American and Hispanic-American students; b) Incorporating the current and vast amount of excellent cultural and ethnic scholarship into new and existing courses in all of the campus' departments and programs; c) Adopting policies that encourage the development and use of pedagogies that create a more "multicultural-friendly" and effective classroom climate. 3. The Faculty Senate should consider the adoption of mechanisms designed to monitor progress towards the further racial diversification of the campus. It is recommended that the Executive Commission for Minority Affairs (ECMA) be reconstructed to achieve this purpose. It is further recommended that the purposes and membership of the ECMA as stated in Senate Document 0286 be substantially amended in the following ways: Purpose a) To facilitate communications between UNCA management, the EEO Office and employees on various aspects of the EEO/AA plan and program and potential EEO/AA problem areas within the University; b) To review and evaluate the existing Affirmative Action Plan and the data/information upon which it is based; c) To discuss relevant legal and moral issues that underlie EEO/AA mandates and campus issues; d) To survey the organizational climate, employee attitudes and evaluation of resultant data; e) To make recommendations for appropriate activities and foci for EEO/AA programming; identification of recruitment sources and programs for career mobility; f) To report relevant issues and recommendations to top management; to other managers and to employees; g) To review the plans and programs utilized to educate the university work force on EEO/AA concepts and minority issues; plan programs to tie the University and community together as related to race and gender issues. h) To monitor compliance of the University's achievement of the annual Affirmative Action goals and timetables as established by the University Planning Council and approved by the Faculty Senate. The following job groupings would be monitored: Professionals (including administrative assistants and faculty); Staff (including clerical, and secretarial support) Skilled Trades (including Construction, Grounds, and Mechanics) i) To annually review the University's compliance with established admissions goals for African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Native Americans; j) To assist the development of programs designed to assist minority students toward successful completion of the academic programs at the university. These programs should also be monitored by the Commission. k) To monitor compliance with Title IX. l) To assist the Offices of the Vice Chancellors for Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Financial Affairs, and University Relations in the development of mechanisms that ensure the successful fulfillment of goals established by the campus' planning bodies regarding the racial diversification of the faculty, staff and student body. m) To review annual reports to the University community on the status of African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Native Americans and Women at UNCA. The above purpose proposed for the ECMA assumes as its basis of authority the North Carolina policy for Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action and the UNCA antidiscrimination policy. The ECMA would act as the University's EEO/AA committee. In addition, the guidelines, timetables and goals established by the University planning bodies should also serve as the authority guiding the actions of the ECMA. It is the policy of the State of North Carolina to provide equal opportunity for all qualified persons, and to prohibit discrimination in employment because of RACE (African-American, Asian-American and Pacific Islander, Native American and Hispanic-American), COLOR, RELIGION, CREED, SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE or HANDICAPPING CONDITION. It is suggested that the emphasis the ECMA gives to racial matters proportionately reflect the presence of African-Americans in North Carolina. Membership: >Chair of the Faculty Senate to serve concurrently with his/her term as Senate Chair; >Two faculty elected by the Senate (at least one of whom must be an African-American) to serve two-year renewable, rotating terms; >Two faculty appointed by the VCAA (at least one of whom must be an African-American) to serve two year renewable, rotating terms; >Two members of administrative services (at least one of whom must be an African-American) appointed by the Chancellor to a serve two year renewable terms; >Equal Employment Opportunity Officer/Affirmative Action Officer, ex officio >The Chair is to be elected from the African-American faculty representation >Members of the Commission are to be selected prior to April 15 of each year for terms to begin the next academic year. Whenever possible, Asian-Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic-Americans and Women should also be reflected in the above membership. Recommendations of the ECMA should be reported directly to the executive committee of the Faculty Senate. As a matter of courtesy, these requests are also sent to the VCAA. Administrative requests should be reported directly to the Chancellor who, in turn directs the EEO/AA Officer for coordinated action with the Vice Chancellors on policy matters. 4. It is recommended that the Vice Chancellors group formulate a long-range plan designed to enhance the overall condition of African-American, Native American, Asian-American, and Hispanic-American students at UNCA. Primary in this plan should be devising methods to increase the retention and graduation rates of students at UNCA. By the year 2005, for example, approximately 25% of the students graduating should be proportionately diverse by race. 5. The Chancellor is an absolutely essential component of any successful plan to racially diversify the student body, faculty, administration, staff, and curriculum of the campus. It is therefore recommended that the Chancellor take at least the following steps towards implementing strategies aimed at diversifying the university: a) Make improving the presence and condition of African-American, Native American, Asian-American and Hispanic-American students UNCA's highest priority; b) Finalize the hiring of an assistant to the Chancellor who will also be the chief staff person for the ECMA. This person will implement the plans to reach the objectives identified in this report as well as others identified by the campus governance bodies; c) Affirm the institutionalization of the African-American Colloquium and other First Year Experience programs as essential mechanisms for the retention and success of identified student populations; d) Direct appropriate offices and committees at UNCA to formulate coordinated long-range plans which address faculty and staff concerns contained in the ECMA report of 1993 6. To help guide the various offices and committees in formulating plans appropriate for the further diversification of the campus, the Taskforce specifically found and recommends that: a) The UNCA's Capital Campaign Fundraising Drive prioritize the earmarking of significant dollar amounts as the future source of financial support targeting African-American students. In addition, it is recommended that federal resources be identified and utilized as additional sources of support for African-American, Native American, Asian-American and Hispanic-American students; b) The creation of longterm partnerships occur between the campus and contiguous local school systems. The objectives of this partnership should the increased successful matriculation of elementary and high school students and the increased presence of local African-American, Native American and Hispanic American students at UNCA; c) The implementation of Summer Transition programs be designed to assist high school students in actualizing undergraduate enrollment; d) The expanded availability of student support services such as tutoring, counseling, and advisement be appropriately tailored to meet the continued diversification of the student population. Specifically, it is recommended that Student Affairs and Academic Affairs hire African-Americans, Native-Americans Asian-Americans and Hispanic-Americans as remedies cited by the Report; e) The Council of Chairs be included in the longterm plans for diversifying the faculty of UNCA. They, especially, should be empowered to formulate plans to hire greater numbers of tenure-track and adjunct faculty who are African-American, Native-American, Asian-American and Hispanic-American. f) The appropriate committees and offices be identified and directed to develop approaches to the solving problems associated with poor academic performances and retention among the entire student body. Problems that seem universal to all students include unfamiliarity with the language, protocol and expectations of higher education, poor class attendance, unreasonable employment schedules, lack of campus childcare, and both over- and under-involvement with the co-curricular life of the campus.