 | Board of Visitors minutes April 8, 1994 |  |
APPENDIX B
University of Virginia April 8, 1994
On April 7, 1994, members of the Concerned Black Students asked for immediate implementation of the items of "Audacious Faith," a 1987 Task Force Report that sought to improve the racial climate at the University. Such reports have typical lifespans of 3-5 years.
The University's Council on Community replaced the Task Force as a planning entity in 1992.
The following report (drawn from routine progress reports since 1987) summarizes what was done with the 1987 recommendations.
Recommendation 1: Provision of incentives to academic units to promote the hiring of black faculty.
• initiated performance evaluation criteria for department chairs, deans, and vice presidents that include success in attracting minority and women faculty;
• designated $500,000 placed in the provost's budget to fund loan lines (some 10 positions) to allow hiring of minority and women tenured or tenure-track faculty;
• in 1986-1993, 24 such lines were used, 14 for African-American faculty, the others for other minority faculty and for women faculty;
• as of August 1993, 12 of the 14 are still here; five are tenured;
• total number of African-American full-time, instructional and research faculty nearly doubled since 1983 (from 25-47);
• in academic year 1994, the Law School has made commitments to 12 new faculty members (11 instructional and one administrative), 8 of whom are women and/or minority group members; this includes two African-American women and two African-American men; success rates vary among schools; deans have standing orders to recruit actively in order to attract new and visiting minority faculty members; results are a primary factor in deans' performance reviews and salary settings.
Recommendation 2: Enhancement of efforts to recruit black faculty members.
This recommendation overlaps with #1, above. In addition to above incentives,
• faculty vacancies are advertised in publications that target minority audiences and are sent to historically black colleges and universities; schools make use of minority vita banks for faculty searches; search committees are obligated to make significant personal efforts to identify and recruit qualified minority candidates;
• schools and departments are regularly allotted incremental funds to cover the additional cost of providing competitive salaries for new and continuing minority faculty;
• in 1990, the University approved and put into effect the Faculty Recruitment and Appointment Procedures manual, which was updated in 1993. This manual details procedures to be used in recruiting and hiring, with specific attention to matters involving minority and women candidates;
• in 1983, 3 black faculty members held the rank of full professor; in 1993, 15 did.
Recommendation 3: Improved monitoring of and accountability for affirmative action faculty recruitment efforts.
• every vice president, dean, or unit director reports annually on activities and progress in meeting affirmative action goals;
• by Board of Visitors' resolution (1990), this information is presented annually in the form of a detailed report on progress; this report is delivered to the Board annually;
• by president's order, affirmative action hiring criteria were included commencing in 1993 in the evaluations of all deans, unit directors, and department chairs;
• by president's order, vice-presidents are required to submit quarterly reports to the president on all major searches;
• the affirmative action officer monitors all searches;
• as necessary, the president intervenes to require additional search or recruitment efforts.
Recommendation 4: Enhancement of efforts to retain black faculty.
• the percentage of tenured and tenure-track black faculty has increased since 1983 (1983 tenured -- 2.0%; 1993 tenured -- 3.1%; 1983 tenure-track -- 2.4%; 1993 tenure-track -- 4.2%);
• the provost reviews every case in which a dean recommends that a minority or woman faculty member be denied tenure to ensure that proper decisions were made and procedures were followed; when sufficient cause exists, the provost overrides denials recommended at the school level;
• some schools provide mentoring for minority and women junior faculty; others reduce teaching loads for junior members to allow for the research activities that enhance their opportunities for tenure;
• the Office of Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action conducts exit interviews with faculty who resign, and reports relevant findings to the deans and the provost.
Recommendation 5: Expansion of the number of black graduate students at the University.
• graduate students -- 1983, 2.7% African-American; 1993, 4.1%;
• first professional students -- 1983, 5.2% African-American; 1993, 10.1%;
• schools use candidate referral services, including affirmative action registers, for recruitment;
• although state support for graduate students and for graduate education deteriorated dramatically in 1990-93, faculty members supplemented available aid by designating research income for graduate student support, by shifting funds from other objects, and by personal contributions from staff and faculty members; this year, staff and faculty from the Health Sciences Center pledged more than $760,000 (of personal resources) to scholarships for minority and disadvantaged students; last year, they contributed $600,000 for this purpose and raised additional private gifts from other persons;
• Medicine has more than doubled minority enrollment; this spring, 11 minority students will graduate; 28 enrolled last fall;
• Engineering has increased its minority student enrollment from 6 in 1986 to 50 in 1993; the related fellowship support was derived almost entirely from faculty research grants;
• in 1991, Engineering secured an $864,000, five-year NSF grant to recruit, support, and graduate minority Ph.D. students;
• in 1992, the University ranked 8th out of 33 in the percent of African-American graduate students among AAUDE universities, which are our peer group.
Recommendation 6: Enhancement of activities to increase the interest of black students in attending the University of Virginia.
• Admissions and recruitment activities:
• the admissions office sponsors Fall Fling and Spring Fling; an average of 700 African-American students and parents participate each year;
• scholarships, including the University Achievement Award (full 4-year tuition for 50 students each year), Walter Ridley scholarships (5 $1,000 awards), and Holland Scholars ($10,000 for 4 years), provide targeted financial assistance for black students; the number and value of such awards made from University funds has increased incrementally since 1987;
• the admissions office sponsors a college partnership program, a collaboration among 17 colleges and universities, the Fairfax County school system, and the Fairfax County Educational Foundation; the consortium benefits some 800 black students per year throughout the state;
• the director of minority recruitment has coordinated programs for numerous organizations whose goal is to increase minority enrollments in colleges and universities; these include PREP for PREP College program, A Better Chance, LEAD, the Central Virginia Achievement program, and others.
• Saturday Academy -- an enrichment program for local students in grades 3-11 that began in fall 1991; promotes value of college education; initiated by a University faculty member and administrator; serves some 85 students;
• CHROME (Cooperating Hampton Roads Organizations for Minorities) -- founded in 1983 and serves 75 black students per year; it is a partnership among businesses, government, universities, and public schools to increase the numbers of minority and women students pursuing math, science,
• EXCEL -- a mentoring program for local African-American youth; 20 black University males participate as mentors each year;
• teacher-cadet program -- targets minority students and students whose families are economically disadvantaged for teaching careers; this program normally has approximately 12 black students;
• Engineering -- summer internships for high school students; began in 1993 with 12 in-state black students;
• Engineering -- minority introduction to engineering program for high school students; started in 1987;
• Engineering -- summer academy/bridge program in which entering students take collegiate courses in summer preceding entry; program started in 1987; in 1993, 16 black students participated;
• Medicine -- high honors program pairs black high school students with research faculty; funded by NIH and has served 10 black students;
• Medicine -- academic reach-up program funded by School; non-resident summer program for high school students; 37 black students participated in 1992 and 23 students in 1993.
• Upward Bound -- intensive basic skill development, educational and career counseling with goal of completing high school and successful college admission (approximately 65 black students/year); funded by U.S. Department of Education;
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute funds undergraduate research in biological science; one facet of program is awarding of scholarships and summer research stipends to black students who are interested in research careers; program began in 1989; five students funded to-date.
Recommendation 7: Development of sustained links between the University and target public school systems.
This recommendation overlaps with #6, above. In addition and specifically, the University:
• participates in CHROME math and science program for minority students in Hampton Roads;
• participates in Northern Virginia college partnership program for minority students;
• conducts various summer internship programs that target minority high school students (Engineering, Education, McIntire, others as funds are available).
Recommendation 8: Enhancement of financial aid for black students.
• total aid to undergraduate black students has increased from $3.4 million in 1987-88 to almost $9.5 million in 1993-94;
• total number of black undergraduates receiving assistance has increased from 642 in 1987-88 to 1,023 in 1993-94;
• total need-based aid to black undergraduates increased from $2.6 million in 1987-88 to more than $6.1 million in 1993-94;
• total number of undergraduate black students receiving need-based aid increased from 544 students in 1987-88 to more than 800 in 1993-94;
• University Achievement Award Program -- merit-based scholarship program for black Virginians has grown from $150,000 in 1987-88 to $870,000 in 1993-94; currently funds 50 scholarships for each incoming class;
• Jerome H. Holland Scholarship Program attracts nation's most promising African-American students; funded jointly by University allocations and private donations, this program currently supports 22 scholars; five new scholarships are budgeted for 1994-95.
Recommendation 9: Enhancement of efforts to retain and graduate black students.
• each school within the University has a minority recruitment and retention program, and each has personnel dedicated to these efforts;
• Summer and Fall Transition Programs provide support and academic preparation for successful transition to college life; result in increased enrollments and performance; served 52 black students in summer 1992 and 40 black students in summer 1993; retention rates for students involved in the transition programs is approximately 80%;
• Engineering sponsors several programs, including Project View and a tutorial program. Project view began in 1986; served 89 black students in fall 1992 and 40 black students in fall 1993.
Recommendation 10: Provide training sessions for faculty on the classroom experience of black and other minority students in a predominantly white milieu.
• created the Teaching Resource Center, which provides programming and support for faculty and teaching assistants;
• since 1992, the Teaching Resource Workshop has offered frequent workshops, including a fall orientation for new faculty graduate teaching assistants; all sessions, including the president's annual address to the opening session, address the nature and value of diversity within the University and minority students' specific needs and concerns; topics have included (among others):
• racial/ethnic issues in the classroom;
• needs of women and minority students;
• life goes to the classroom: how the realities of undergraduate life influence your effectiveness as a teacher;
• Teaching Resource Center staff members regularly consult with faculty and teaching assistants who have concerns about their students and the effectiveness of their teaching;
• the Center produced a handbook this spring entitled "Teaching a Diverse Student Body: Practical Strategies for Enhancing our Students' Learning," which is designed for distribution to all faculty and teaching assistants.
Recommendation 11: Improvement of academic advising and development of a mentoring program.
• a steering committee on student academic support was created in 1993 to examine the effectiveness of student academic advising and support and to recommend improvements; this committee has recommended that the Office of Student Academic Support be overseen by the College of Arts and Sciences that it continue to work cooperatively with Athletics and Engineering's Office of Minority Programs, which provide analogous programs for specifically identified populations;
• academic advising for lower division courses has been greatly increased; 140
• oversight of the summer transition program is coordinated with the fall transition program; this program serves 42-50 summer enrollees and an additional 50 students who enroll separately in the fall.
Recommendation 12: Coordination and evaluation of special education programs.
This recommendation was addressed in 1988 by creating an Office of Student Academic Support, directed by an associate provost for student academic support. As recommended in by a review committee in 1993, the Office of Student Academic Support is overseen by the College of Arts & Sciences, which works cooperatively with Athletics and Engineering's Office of Minority Programs. The work of the Office of Student Academic Support is described under #11, above.
Recommendation 13: Coordination and Evaluation of Tutorial Programs.
The recommendation was addressed by establishment of the associate provost for academic support and, subsequently, the Office of Student Academic Support; it was supplemented by efforts in the Teaching Resource Center, the Athletic Department, and the SEAS Office of Minority Programs; in addition, the Teaching Resource Center provides a tutor training program.
Recommendation 14: Coordination and enhancement of the diagnosis and remediation of learning disabilities.
The recommendation was addressed by establishment of the associate provost for academic support and, subsequently, the Office of Student Academic Support. Functions include coordination and oversight of the summer and fall transition programs. A functional review, which is a regular and recurring element of quality control, of the Learning Needs and Evaluation Center was completed this year. As appropriate, the vice president for student affairs will order changes in this center.
Recommendation 15: Establishment of a committee to assure full use of the Luther P. Jackson Cultural Center.
An advisory committee to the Center -- consisting of faculty, administrators, and students -- existed prior to this recommendation in 1987. The Center's budget has grown from $28,500 in 1986-87 to $65,000 in 1993-94.
Recommendation 16: Encouragement of the University's growing emphasis of the intercultural programming by supporting incorporation of an Afro-American or African perspective into public presentations.
• a recent survey was conducted by members of the Advisory Committee on Women's Concerns and the Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Committee in 1993; schools, departments, student groups, and others provided information about current and planned activities on diversity; these initiatives involve the curriculum and ethnic and cross-cultural programming; the University will use the results to plan further diversity efforts;
• many departments include African-American themes in their courses; examples include gender and affirmative action issues in public policy, taught in government and foreign affairs, teaching in a multicultural classroom, in the Curry School; and race in American art, taught in the art department;
• the University Union's diversity committee provides diversity training and education for all Union committees; consequently, all University Union committees have sponsored programs that enhance diversity in learning;
• the Dean of Students created a videotape in 1991 on the experiences of African-American students at U.Va.; this videotape is used as an educational tool to train residence staff, student groups, administrative managers, police, and faculty; funds for production were provided by SCHEV and the Law School;
• a program was provided to educate members of historically white and historically black Greek organizations about issues confronting each group; sponsored by IFC, ISC, BFC, Dean of Students' Office, among others;
• since 1991, all fraternities and sororities have been required to present
Recommendation 17: Enhancement of the relationship between the University and the black community of Charlottesville/Albemarle.
• As a successor to the report from which these recommendations were taken, the president in 1992 established the Council on Community as a means to forge better community ties; numerous members of the surrounding community, including Rev. Alvin Edwards (formerly Charlottesville's mayor, now a City Council member) and Rudy Beverly are active participants, as are significant numbers of students, staff, and faculty;
• the University, city, and county jointly established an entity called Planning And Coordination Council in 1986; this development planning organization brings together University and government officials with community members to conduct collaborative work on joint University/city/county issues;
• using non-state funds, Nursing has established a rural health alliance with black churches;
• the University established programs that bring minority high school students to UVa for summer employment;
• University officials regularly meet with local neighborhood associations and other groups of residents to hear their concerns and to keep them abreast of construction and other projects;
• the local black community has been actively involved with University and city officials in discussions of proposals to redevelop or upgrade West Main Street, the Venable Lane task force, and others;
• without state support, Nursing has opened clinics in Crescent Hall and Westhaven, which are local public housing projects;
• since 1987, the University has published a brochure entitled University Guide, which explains how local residents can use University's programs, services, and facilities;
• since 1992, Nursing has conducted a Summer Health Care Institute for local minority high school students; this program exposes students to career options in health and is funded by gifts from U.Va. hospital auxiliaries; last summer, 20 students enrolled.
Recommendation 18: Initiation of a thorough public examination of the philosophical basis and practical realization of affirmative action.
This recommendation overlaps with virtually every element of the 1987 report. It is currently met by the charge and work of the Council on Community, the standing orders on affirmative action in faculty hiring, and the University's continuing emphasis on the values of diversity in its fund raising and other public contact programs.
Recommendation 19: Enhancement of the Afro-American and African Studies program.
• in 1989, the University matched a $150,000 Ford Foundation grant that has permitted hiring teaching assistants and faculty in the Afro-American and African Studies Program; funding is now in jeopardy because of reductions ordered by the state in 1990-93 and recommended by the former governor in his 1994-96 budget;
• in 1994, there are some 55-60 Afro-American and African Studies majors; this major is the largest undergraduate interdisciplinary major in the University;
• 10 former Woodson Fellows are now full-time faculty members in the University.
Recommendation 20: Provision of a more welcoming and social environment for black students.
• residence staff have ongoing training regarding racial and ethnic issues; 26% of the residence staff is African-American; this proportion is approximately double the proportion of total enrollment of African-American students;
• Angela Davis (Dean of Students Office) and Greer Wilson (University Union) work with University Police on issues of diversity;
• BSA and BFC are invited to work with the orientation committee and to participate in orientation;
• BSA and other black student groups have standing invitations to participate in the work of the Council on Community;
• Newcomb Hall and the University Union sponsor many opportunities for staff and students to explore issues of diversity; these include retreats, workshops, case studies, black student leadership conferences, and support for Black History month and year-long events;
• multicultural facilitator groups are trained by Greer Wilson; approximately 100 students per year lead workshops and seminars on diversity issues;
• 47% of student workers at Newcomb Hall and the University Union are black; 40% of University Union's governing board are minority persons;
• The Office of African American Affairs sponsors a brown bag lecture series whose topics include diversity and multiculturalism;
• Callaloo, a journal of African-American and African arts and letters, is published with funds from state, NEH, and private donors; the University provides private support from its endowment;
• In 1993, the vice president for student affairs provided funding to the Cultural Resource Center for a survey of multicultural climate issues; purpose of survey was to understand student concerns and attitudes regarding race.
Recommendation 21: Implementation of a discrimination complaint procedure.
• discrimination complaint procedures for faculty, students, and staff are widely disseminated through vehicles such as the faculty handbook, employee handbook, and the undergraduate and graduate records, which are published annually.
Recommendation 22: Study of the application of the honor system to determine if it provides equal treatment to all racial groups.
• the University, acting in behalf of the Honor Committee, commissioned a 1990 consultant's study of the honor system to evaluate the system's treatment of minority students. This study found no pattern of discriminatory treatment and strong support for the system among all identified student populations.
Recommendation 23: Appointment of blacks to high-level administrative positions.
Such appointments have been numerous in recent years, and they continue. Appointments include Bonnie Guiton-Hill as dean of the McIntire School of Commerce (1992), John W. Garland as executive assistant to the president (1993), Julian Bivins as director of development services (1993), Greer Wilson as director of Newcomb Hall (1988), Lincoln Lewis as director of equal opportunity programs (1988), Donald Jones as director of minority procurement (1991), Rick Turner as dean of the Office of African-American Affairs (1988), and Armstead Robinson as director of the Carter G. Woodson Institute (1988). The Presidential Fellows Program, established in 1992, provides higher education administrative experience to women and minority faculty; the goal is to enhance diversity of applicant pools for senior positions; funded through president's office; a similar program exists for classified staff who are women and minorities.
Recommendation 24: Establishment of the position of advisor to the president on minority affairs.
The director of the Office of Equal Opportunity Programs advises the president on minority affairs, equal opportunity, and affirmative action. Various senior level committees supplement this advisory system. Recently, the entire Equal Opportunity Office began to report to the president through his executive assistant, who works with the president on such issues on a daily basis.
Recommendation 25: Creation of the Office of Associate Provost for Student Academic Services.
This recommendation has already been addressed under # 11 - 13, above. The office was created and fully staffed in 1987. In 1993, a steering committee on student academic support made a full inventory of academic support services, distributed the information widely, initiated a tutor training program, provided departmental seed money to develop academic support services, and established a new leadership structure for the Summer Transition Program. As a result of a review conducted in
Recommendation 26: Redefinition of the mission of the Office of Afro-American Affairs.
This recommendation was carried out in connection with the hiring of the new dean in 1988. The office now focuses on academic support, multicultural issues and programming, and community outreach.
Recommendation 27: Enhancement of efforts to recruit and promote blacks in staff positions.
• in May 1993, minority persons held 19.2% (1,404 minorities: 5,912 non-minorities) of all salaried staff positions; hourly staff employees were 19.8% minorities (256 minorities: 1,035 non-minorities);
• since 1987, the Employment Services Division in the Department of Human Resources has hired 4 minority persons as professional employment analysts (out of 7 total); African-Americans comprise 57% of the Employment Services professional staff; all professional staff members are trained in affirmative action and equal employment opportunity by the director of equal opportunity programs;
• the University Temporary Employment Service employs approximately 30% minority persons in its various enterprises; this service began in 1988 to meet the temporary employment needs of the University and to increase hiring of minorities. Through this service, minorities have the opportunity to increase their general office skills and become more competitive for classified salaried employment inside and outside the University;
• a skill-oriented training program is now being developed to help UVaTEMPS increase word-processing and spreadsheet skills; the program's goals are to improve the office skills of temporaries and to increase the hiring of minorities into full-time classified salaried positions;
• a joint U.Va. and Monticello Area Community Action Agency partnership
• a partnership among U.Va., Monticello Area Community Action Agency, and Charlottesville Redevelopment & Housing Authority assists residents of public housing in finding jobs, obtaining preventative health care, and increasing educational opportunities; this program began in summer 1993 and has facilitated hiring of 7 African-American Westhaven residents into full-time salaried positions in Medical Records Department;
• the University of Virginia Skilled Crafts Apprenticeship Program has hired 15 minority persons (45% of total positions offered) since 1987; of the 7 new apprentices hired for full-time salaried positions in 1993, 4 were African-Americans;
• a new University Employment System was developed and implemented in 1990; this system ensures that all minority persons who meet job posting criteria are referred to hiring departments.
| Board of Visitors minutes April 8, 1994 | |