Subject: Article on racism at UW-Parkside Date: Thu, 31 Mar 2005 21:19:32 -0600 Message-ID: <BDD0A3EABE40F04A8C7200805EDE5A6A02B25B40@PEPSI.uwec.edu> From: "Sen, Asha" <SENA@uwec.edu>
FYI,
Asha
Below is an article from March 21st's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
UW-Parkside faces recent spate of minority complaints Campus honored for
diversity efforts rebuts criticism, discrimination claims By ALICE L.
CHANG
University of Wisconsin-Parkside has the highest percentage of
minorities of any UW campus and in recent years has won state awards for
its diversity efforts.
But in the past 20 months, two minority faculty members have filed
discrimination complaints against the school and others complain there
is a negative atmosphere on campus that promotes discrimination.
"From what I've seen in the cases we've had, they hold minority faculty
to a higher standard than they do white faculty," said Nola Cross, an
attorney with Cross Law Firm in Milwaukee, who has represented several
clients in complaints against the school.
University officials denied that was the case, and Rebecca Martin,
UW-Parkside provost, said faculty are treated equally at the campus no
matter what their background.
"Diversity is critical to us at all levels in terms of students,
faculty, staff and curriculum," Martin said. "It's a clear part of our
mission."
Universities nationwide struggle to recruit and retain diverse faculty.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that in 2000, minorities composed 30.9 %
of America's population. But they only made up 14.4% of faculty
nationwide for the 1999-2000 academic year, according to the American
Council on Education.
At UW-Parkside, the school's numbers look promising: 25% of the
122-member faculty are minority, as are 19% of the 5,100 students.
The Office of State Employment Relations has honored the school with two
diversity awards since 2000, one for its mission statement and hiring
practices, the second for its Diversity Circles, which are discussion
groups aimed at attacking racism.
But in the past several years, a series of incidents has tarnished that
record.
In 2001, students rallied to support two minority faculty members whose
contracts were not renewed - Julio Noriega, a Latino assistant
professor, and Jean Daniels, a black visiting assistant professor.
In fall 2003, someone wrote a racial slur on a Black Student Union
movie poster, "The Ghosts of Mississippi." Students also demonstrated in
response to that incident.
On March 3, Chancellor John Keating announced he would recommend
dismissing a Chinese associate professor, Xun (George) Wang, because
since last fall he has refused to teach weekend courses. He would be the
first tenured professor dismissed from Parkside in more than seven
years.
Wang, who has filed two discrimination complaints against the school
since 2002, and some of his colleagues have characterized his treatment
as unfair. "The mentality is, you are a slave and you will be a slave
forever," Wang said.
University administrators declined to comment on his case.
Although Wang answered a job ad in 1994 to teach weekend and regular
classes, he said the weekend commitment was not in his contract. In
1996, the weekend course format changed, increasing the number of
sessions Wang taught and extending his work commitment from a nine-month
to a full-year position, he said. Wang added he received no extra
compensation for the increased responsibility.
In 1997, his colleagues agreed it was a departmental responsibility to
teach weekend classes, he said. Wang added he has been assigned weekend
classes every year, and for several years was the sole sociology faculty
member teaching them.
Richard Schauer of the Association of University Wisconsin
Professionals, the union representing Wang, noted that the UW system
generally dismisses one to two tenured professors a year, for illegal or
unethical activities such as sexual harassment or plagiarism. He did not
believe Wang's refusal to teach weekend classes could result in a
dismissal.
And Clara New, a recently retired, black associate professor from
Parkside's teacher education department, said most faculty take turns
teaching classes early in the morning or on weekends.
"It appears to be based on racial injustice, weekend classes as a fixed
assignment," New said.
Yanick St. Jean, who is black and originally from Haiti, said her
contract was not renewed because she had not had enough of her work
published. She researches race, ethnicity and institutional racism.
"There are no (publication) requirements at that stage in her career,"
said Cross, who represents St. Jean. "The university needs to give
examples of whites who have been terminated for not having publications
at that stage."
UW-Parkside administrators also declined to comment on St. Jean's
complaint.
'Something you just feel'
Current and former faculty members mention a series of other incidents -
from the tone of conversations to the fact that a popular black
professor did not receive a counteroffer to stay at the school - as
evidence of discrimination.
"It's not a scientific exercise, but something you just feel," said
associate professor Simon Akindes, who is black and originally from the
West African nation of Benin. Many minority faculty believe
administrators cut back the teacher education department's funding and
staff because the department had the largest percentage of minorities
and the curriculum had a multicultural focus.
"Of course it's race. They have difficulty dealing with people other
than themselves. They would never say it's because the chair of the
department is a black person. It's too subtle for that," said Rose Mary
Moore, a black, recently retired, tenured associate professor.
Martin, the UW-Parkside provost, denied the accusation. She said that
the university is refocusing and rebuilding the department, and
administrators are being careful in hiring.
Martin added that department members have been involved in the changes
since the beginning of the process, although some faculty say that isn't
the case.
Martin said the university recruits diverse candidates and has created a
program to relieve minorities of some teaching commitments so they can
focus on research and other responsibilities.
>From the March 21, 2005, editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Get the Journal Sentinel delivered to your home. Subscribe now.