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UW students share Plan 2008 woes
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by Sean Sullivan
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Students voiced their frustration Monday with shortfalls in reaching goals to increase diversity on the University of Wisconsin campus.
Leaders from the MultiCultural Student Coalition organized and led a discussion at the Memorial Union Theater as part of the weeklong All Campus Party. MCSC presented information and allowed students to weigh in on the issue.
MCSC began the program with a documentary film aimed at showing how minimally diverse UW is, adding the state of Wisconsin is one of eight states where the percentage of blacks in the penal system is greater than the percentage of blacks in universities and colleges.
After the film, students in the audience had an opportunity to share experiences and explain their opinions on the current state of the university in an open forum.
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regetns adopted "Plan 2008" nine years ago to help make UW a more diverse learning environment. One of the program's main goals is to increase the number of Wisconsin high school graduates of color who apply, are accepted and enroll at a UW System school.
Darren Martin, a UW alumnus and student services coordinator at the Letters and Science Student Academic Affairs Office, said he was proud of the effort that faculty and staff have put into Plan 2008.
Martin pointed, though, to a meeting in 2004 where the realization was made that the goals would be unachievable by the target date.
"I'm sorry, but Plan 2008 ended for me at the faculty-staff Plan 2008 forum in the fall of 2004," Martin said.
Martin said in the long term, he is looking forward to 2018 when new goals will be aimed at, but that short-term actions need to be taken to rectify the shortfalls.
UW junior Gabriela Varela stressed the importance of the student body reaching out to one another to become a more conscious community.
"Take a chance and talk to someone of a different color," Varela said. "Take a chance and join a club for racial diversity."
Will Clifton, administrative program specialist from the Office for Equity and Diversity, applauded efforts by student organizations to promote diversity and stressed the need for faculty to embrace similar dialogue.
Clifton said he has witnessed intercultural dialogue among students, but "that isn't what we're seeing done by the majority of administrators and faculty."
Katrina Flores, senior executive member of MCSC, encouraged student organizations across campus to build bridges on the issue of diversity.
Flores said solutions for the complex issue facing the university can be found by reaching out for student input at events like those held Monday.
Anonymous (April 24, 2007 @ 6:07pm):
Plan 2,008,000,000
- Germain E. Stemme
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