Office of the Chancellor > Speeches, Columns and Letters > Working Toward a Better Future

Working Toward a Better Future
(This editorial originally appeared in the Colorado Daily on March 5, 2008.)

University of Colorado at Boulder Chancellor G.P. "Bud" Peterson talks to UCSU student leaders (left to right) Charles Gilford, III, John Ali Sharza, and Hadley Brown following a forum that opened a dialogue between student groups, staff of the Campus Press and administrators. (Photo by Glenn J. Asakawa/University of Colorado)

In a public forum last week our student leaders brought forth a number of concrete and productive suggestions to improve our campus climate of inclusiveness for people of all cultures and backgrounds. The forum resulted from a hurtful opinion piece by a student in the online student publication, the Campus Press. The column, which outraged our entire campus community, was an affront to our efforts to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for all of our students, faculty and staff, regardless of their ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, political perspectives or individual capabilities.

The column opened wounds and some say it is evidence of a pervasive climate of intolerance here at CU. While I believe that we have made progress in the past several years, I recognize that we still have a tremendous amount of work to do to create the type of environment and campus community we aspire to. This issue is one that strikes at the core of our humanity and, as such, is one that we all share and can only solve by working together. Last week's open forum is a start.

The forum was attended by leaders from student groups, the Campus Press, the University leadership, and the dean, faculty and students from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. It focused on a productive dialogue of how we can continue to work together to resolve these issues.

At the meeting there were a number of very positive suggestions and recommendations made by the student leadership. As a result of these, I committed to the following actions:

• Convene a group of CU students and administrators under the leadership of the Managing Senior Associate Counsel, Ms. Christine Arguello, to determine if the recent Campus Press columns constitute a violation of federal anti-discrimination laws, specifically Title VI of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964.
• Under the leadership of Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement, Dr. Sallye McKee, work with student representatives to review the commitments made by the CU-Boulder administration in 2005. These include additional funding for programs and scholarships, a broadened focus on diversity issues and an immediate administrative response when a racist incident occurs. We will determine the progress made to date and establish additional actions, timelines and expected outcomes.
• In conjunction with Dr. Phil DiStefano, Provost, review the recommendations made by the Dean and faculty of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, regarding the restructuring and oversight of the Campus Press, with appropriate student representatives.
• Under the leadership of Dr. Ron Stump, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, and Vice Chancellor McKee, and in collaboration with the University of Colorado Student Union (UCSU), re-dedicate our efforts to create a campus climate that is inclusive, welcoming, and safe; continue the community dialogue established at this productive forum; and develop a process by which we can incorporate this dialogue into the Flagship 2030 strategic planning process.

These specific actions were the direct result of suggestions made at the student forum last week and demonstrate what we as a campus community can accomplish when we work together, share a common goal and communicate openly.

The administration, faculty and staff take these steps in full partnership with our students. I believe we can be successful in our efforts to expand our understanding of diversity, to create a more tolerant and welcoming campus community and to create additional opportunities to promote mutual understanding and mutual respect. We must not let one, or two, or even a small number of incidents or individuals sidetrack or divert us from our goals.

It has been nearly three generations since the beginning of one of the most important movements in our nation's history – the Civil Rights Movement. Many ask why we are still having this discussion. Why have we not yet solved this problem? Three generations of students have studied, worked and shared dreams alongside their peers from many different races and cultures. The fact is that we must and will continue to have these discussions and work toward accomplishing these goals for as long as is necessary.

Respect for diversity is a core value on our campus. The sharing of ideas and constructive dialogue, as we saw last week, among students, faculty and staff, from a diversity of backgrounds and cultures, is the bedrock of education, especially higher education. We cannot allow the core values of our university to be undermined.

To stay up to date on our actions and statements on this vitally important issue please see http://www.colorado.edu/news/reports/campuspress/

G.P. "Bud" Peterson is the 10th Chancellor of the University of Colorado at Boulder.