Oblinger Appoints Campus Climate Task Force

Chancellor James Oblinger has formed a new campus culture task force, charging the group to review the campus climate, examine student conduct, and explore potential guidelines for use of the Free Expression Tunnel and the Brickyard.

Faculty, Staff Invited to Discuss Tunnel Incident at 'Lunch and Listen' Event The campus chapter of the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) will hold a special "Lunch and Listen" for all faculty and staff this Friday, Nov. 21, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at Fountain Dining Hall.  Participants will discuss feelings and reactions to the statements painted in the Free Expression Tunnel. Lunch will be provided, and faculty and staff may drop in at any time and share their thoughts with colleagues from across campus and facilitators from the NCBI. The event is free and open to all NC State faculty and staff. Please RSVP to Pasha Bennett at pasha_bennett@ncsu.edu.

Oblinger appointed the 25-member task force, which is composed of students, faculty, staff and administrators, in response to the racist statements that were found written in the Free Expression Tunnel following the Nov. 4 election.

"The actions of a very few were disrespectful to our core values," Oblinger said. "The overwhelming majority of the campus has taken a unified stand in reasserting who and what we are. While our campus community's response is gratifying and reassuring, it is important that we use this moment to look forward to the ways that we can encourage personal responsibility and mutual respect."

Student Body President Jay Dawkins; Jose Picart, vice provost for diversity and inclusion; and Tom Stafford, vice chancellor for student affairs, will serve as co-chairs of the task force, which will hold its first meeting on Monday, Nov. 24.

Oblinger charged the task force to:

• Assess ways NC State encourages and supports personal and civic responsibilities related to an increasingly diverse campus and suggest improvements.
• Examine student conduct practices, processes and the Student Code of Conduct, particularly as they relate to threatening behavior and hate speech.
• Assess whether the Student Code of Conduct adequately conveys the university's values and behavioral expectations and whether any shortcomings prevent us from addressing or preventing inappropriate behavior.
• Recommend changes to the Student Code of Conduct allowed within state and federal law.
• Examine and articulate what guidelines, if any, should be established for use of the Free Expression Tunnel and the Brickyard, taking into consideration the permitting process for access to the Brickyard and university practices for maintaining the Free Expression Tunnel.

Oblinger has asked the group to present him with a preliminary report by Jan. 16 and a final report by Feb. 2.

In addition to Dawkins, Picart and Stafford, other members of the task force include: Maxine Atkinson, professor and head of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology; Marcia Bryan, staff senator; Amber Carr, student; Paul Cousins, director for the Office of Student Conduct; Jack Cozort, chair of the board of visitors; Heather Cutchin, president of the Graduate Student Association; Greg Doucette, student senate president; David Drooz, senior associate general counsel; Adrianna Harrell, student; Kevin Howell, chancellor's office liaison; Jacqueline Hughes-Oliver, professor of statistics; Patricia Marshall, professor of education; Jim Martin, chair of the faculty; David Rainer, associate vice chancellor for environmental health and public safety; Tracey Ray, director of multicultural student affairs; Traciel Reid, associate professor of political science; James Stewart, chair of the chancellor's African-American community advisory council; Bill Swallow, professor emeritus of statistics; Lock Whiteside, student; Cassius Williams, member of the board of trustees; Joanne Woodard, vice provost for equal opportunity and equity; and Matt Woodward, student.

Related Links:

• Chancellor's Update on the Free Expression Tunnel
• Written Apology Issues by Students Involved in Free Expression Tunnel Incident