 "Photo: Drew Smith")
One of three campus conversations intended to address students' diversity issues was held before a handful of audience members on Tuesday. Three students were in attendance.
Although Gregory J. Vincent, the first vice provost for inclusion and cross-cultural effectiveness, had touted the meeting as his first action in the new position in August, this was the first time he held a campus conversation about diversity. A campus-wide e-mail notifying students of the meeting was sent out at 11:16 a.m. Tuesday, followed by another e-mail two hours later.
"For these types of things, we never know [how] it should be done, if you can send it out way in advance or on the same day," he said. Vincent said he will give further notice for the next two campus events.
African Students Association President Afolabi Ogunnaike, a chemical engineering junior, said he had not heard about the meeting prior to being contacted by The Daily Texan.
Mary Gonzalez, Latino Leadership Council co-director and Mexican American studies senior, said that usually when diversity meetings are held on campus her organization is personally invited, but she had not heard about the event as of Tuesday afternoon and did not attend the event.
The conversations are intended as a way for Vincent "to get an idea of what students, faculty and staff feel about issues of inclusiveness," said Enrique Romo, assistant to Vincent. Vincent will use the information gained from the conversations to write a report for officials, Romo said.
UT President Larry Faulkner created Vincent's position as vice provost from recommendations from the Task Force on Racial Respect and Fairness in 2004.
Much of the meeting focused on affirmative action.
A university educates future leaders, Vincent said. Since a leader has to be able to work with people different than themselves, the Univerisity wants a diverse group of students, including international students, people from all over Texas and different ethnic groups, he said. Vincent said the University needs a program that brings in a diverse group of students so that future leaders can be educated in a diverse atmosphere.
"The top 10 percent rule was designed to get the type of diversity we wanted; to get students from schools not sending students to UT," Vincent said.
Vincent said he took seriously the Asian Pacific American Coalition report, titled "The State of Asian American Affairs" and suggested the group needed a full-time adviser since they were a fairly new group.
Ogunnaike said he was concerned with groups of students not interacting with each other. The ASA president is an international student from Nigeria, and said coming here was a culture shock, which is why he said students need to come together.
"UT is very segregated," Ogunnaike said "Groups stay within themselves and don't interact, Asians stick with Asians, Africans with Africans, and the other groups also. We need to work on interaction between groups."
The only other student who asked Vincent questions at the event was government sophomore Dylan Thomas, who said he's pleased with diversity at UT, but was concerned with the loss of Texas culture.
"I think we have replaced Texas culture. When I ask my friends when Texas Independence day is, they don't know," he said. "I like that Day of the Dead was celebrated. I would like to see a Texas Independence celebration."
Vincent did not specifically mention any future plans other than his report from the three campus conversations. The second campus conversation will be held Nov. 28, and the third will be Nov. 29, both from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Sinclair Suite, 3.128 of the Texas Union.
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