ACCESS IS NOT ENOUGH October 1989 CHAPTER 7 Conclusion The College Park campus, a leader in providing access for Blacks in higher education, has an opportunity to be a model institution built upon diversity in its students, curriculum, and the workforce. Our current status, our location, and our willingness to critically look at ourselves, as evidenced in this report, places us in a unique position for this leadership role. In addition, the university stated in its Enhancement Plan that an excellent university in the 1990s and beyond will require a diverse student body and workforce. This diversity will provide more opportunities for Blacks, but equally importantly it will benefit the total university in that we will be utilizing this Nation's greatest resource, "human potential," more fully. As the television announcement so elegantly points out "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." As a leader in providing access we must also be a leader in results. One that graduates a substantially higher percentage of its black students. Thus, we must provide a curriculum that reflects the scholarship and contribution of all its citizens, a diverse workforce and a supportive climate. Otherwise, we will develop a reputation for having a "revolving door" for Blacks. In Maryland our reputation in the black community continues to suffer due to the early discriminatory practices and experiences that many Blacks encountered attempting to enroll or after matriculating at UMCP. Some of these attitudes have changed, but considerably more effort on our part is required to elevate the university to this leadership position. If good intention along with regular procedures were enough, a less chilly climate for Blacks would have been reached by now. An acknowledgement that racism exists on campus just as it exists within the larger American culture is absolutely necessary before concrete changes can be instituted. Some who see the university as a microcosm of the larger society question whether it is realistic to expect the university to fulfill the country's democratic promise when in fact the country itself and its leaders have continuously overlooked its founding democratic principles. Many believe, however, the university is the one institution we must expect to give leadership in this area. Further, it is believed that racism in any form, expressed or implied, intentional or inadvertent, individual or institutional, constitutes an egregious offense to the tenets of human dignity and the accords of civility guaranteed by law. Consequently, racism undermines the establishment of a social and academic environment of genuine racial pluralism. The College Park campus, in its pursuit of excellence, can and should serve as a model for other universities in this regard. We have taken the initial step of demonstrating success in recruiting black students and staff, while enrollment and employment trends for black students and employees are declining nationally. Now, it is time for us to move beyond merely providing access to fully supporting these individuals such that we become a model institution built upon academic excellence and the diversity of our faculty, staff and students. If the College Park campus fails to openly admit and attack racism in all its forms on campus, it will compromise its commitment to excellence. Responsibility for the improvement of the campus climate and the increased presence of Blacks some will say, is a responsibility we all share. To a certain degree this is true, however, too frequently when everyone is responsible, no one is accountable. Thus, for many of the recommendations, the offices of the Deans and Vice Presidents are assigned this responsibility. Much of the implementation of new initiatives or policies will occur at the departmental level and the Directors and Chairs have a critical role. However, the designation of responsibility at the next level is to provide a level for monitoring this performance. The Vice Presidents and Deans, assisted by the Equity Administrators must accept responsibility for monitoring and coordinating the activities to ensure consistency of performance and effort across the units. A full review and discussion of this report is our first step toward implementing the recommendations in this report. Much of the information and findings may be new for many of our students and employees while it has been a way of life for most of our black students and employees. Dr. Joe Feagin, a professor and specialist in race relations at the University of Texas at Austin, in a recent article in the newspaper USA Today clearly states this difference by commenting: "Whites have almost no experience about what is going on with black people, while you're asking blacks about their daily life." Hence, while the discussion of this report is the important first step, the campus community is cautioned to note that (1) not all Blacks have the same experience, (2) not all Blacks are willing to discuss their experiences because of the fear of retribution, (3) some Blacks are more private and have no interest in sharing their experience with others, and (4) the goal of the discussions should focus on how the campus can utilize our "human potential" more fully, not what are the problems that Blacks have encountered. This is not a black problem, this is a campus problem that we all must address and attack if we are going to be the excellent institution that we are striving to be. This report provides a vehicle to assist our campus in attaining the leadership position in the 1990s. Our future campus climate for all our students and employees serves in many respects as a barometer. When a university is proactive in addressing race or ethnic concerns, the environment tends to be more inclusive and receptive to cultural differences. Conversely, campuses that have been negligent and refuse to address the issues experience an increase in racial conflict and campus dissention. The challenge is before us, I trust that we will take the high road.