Equal_Op
- August, 2003 - Volume 4, #1
A “Slam-Dunk” for
Affirmative Action!
By Joanne G. Woodard, Vice Provost for Equal
Opportunity & Equity
Some
legal experts are calling the June 2003 United States Supreme
Court decision in the University
of Michigan’s Law School
case a “slam-dunk” for affirmative action. Without
a doubt, the recent Supreme Court ruling in Grutter v. Bollinger
is the most significant since the Bakke decision in 1978—a
quarter century ago! The ruling in the case of the University of
Michigan’s law school upheld colleges and universities’ right
to use race as a factor in the admissions process. This landmark
decision will impact the way in which schools implement and
administer affirmative action programs.
The Supreme
Court decision reaffirmed that racial diversity is a compelling
governmental interest that justifies some consideration
of race in admissions decisions. Justice Sandra Day O’Connor,
the first woman to serve as a Supreme Court justice, cited the
importance of diversity in the United States. Justice O’Connor
stated in the decision, “Effective participation by members
of all racial groups in the civic life of our nation is essential
if the dream of one nation, indivisible, is to be realized.”
Having “enough” diversity to provide the educational
benefits of diversity means having a critical mass of minority
students at NC State. A university’s goal in employing race
conscious affirmative action measures in admissions is to enroll
a highly qualified and diverse student body. NC State recognizes
the educational value of a richly diverse student body and actively
seeks to enroll students with broad and diverse backgrounds. Numerous
studies reveal that a diverse university community provides numerous
educational benefits to the students enrolled as well as for the
institution and those who affiliate with it.
What does the
Supreme Court decision mean for a large public institution like
NC State? Our university is challenged to find a way to choose
among thousands of qualified applicants who seek admission to the
institution. NC State and other UNC system schools do not utilize
a “point system for minority applicants”—the
practice that was struck down by the Supreme Court in Gratz v.
Bollinger. Although NC State can use “the numbers” to
select candidates based on SAT scores, the University cannot use “the
numbers” to select candidates based on race. Race conscious
affirmative action is allowed where it is one of multiple admissions
factors and each applicant receives “individualized” consideration.
At NC State, race is one of twenty factors considered by Undergraduate
Admissions when evaluating applications for admission to the University.
To read the recent Supreme Court decisions on the use of affirmative
action in higher education, see www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/02slipopinion.html
Students with Disabilities Benefit from New Program
By Dr. Cheryl Branker, Director of Disability Services for Students
In
March of 2003, NC State’s office of Disability Services
for Students (DSS) and North Carolina’s Division of Services
for the Blind (DSB) signed a Memorandum of Agreement for the
purpose of creating a new transition program for students with
blindness and/or low vision.
The transition of students from high school to college has emerged
as one of the most important topics in the field of higher education.
The transition of students with disabilities has emerged with
equal importance in both higher education and rehabilitation.
As secondary school students, individuals with visual disabilities
receive support services from specialists who take responsibility
for providing the necessary books and materials, advocating for
their needs, and modifying instruction when necessary. In the
postsecondary environment, these students must balance knowledge
of their own needs with an understanding of the major differences
between modifications in high school and accommodations in college
to ask for, and secure, appropriate accommodations. Much about what all students must do to transition well from high
school to college is about learning how to manage decisions that
will lead to satisfying college experiences. This is particularly
true for students with disabilities. Students with disabilities,
in this case, visual disabilities, encounter two challenges in
making a transition to college: (1) the ability to communicate
effectively with others about their needs; and (2) the ability
to make decisions that will allow them to function efficiently
as college students, given the impact of their visual disabilities.
College students must do these two things well. Not providing programming
to address these things could result in a steep penalty: an unsuccessful
college experience. DSB
and DSS agreed to form a new program called TULE, Transition
to the University Living and Learning Environment: Providing
Tools for Students with Disabilities. During the six
week program, TULE
participants:
- lived
on the Governor Morehead School campus;
- learned
disability specific strategies that addressed daily living
skills;
- participated
in self-advocacy sessions that included information about
legal mandates and student rights;
- completed
orientation and mobility training in the city of Raleigh
and the university
environment;
- took
a course at NC State during the Summer II session;
- accessed
resources to meet their social, travel, and studying
needs.
participated in disability specific assistive technology
exploration and usage.
The
mission of DSS is to support the ongoing development of an accessible
university that embraces and celebrates diversity. DSS pursues
this mission by facilitating effective reasonable accommodations
for students, educating the campus community, and promoting equal
access and opportunity. DSB’s mission is to empower individuals
who are blind or visually impaired to achieve their maximum potential
through services provided by competent and caring professionals.
Given these missions, one can plainly see how the TULE program
is of strategic importance to both DSS and DSB.
[Note:
Since this article was published, DSS has become the Disability
Services Office (DSO).]
Programming Notes
By Beverly Jones Williams
Equal Opportunity Institute
The Equal Opportunity Institute (EOI) is a unique certificate
program open to all NC State faculty, staff, and students, and
to the general public. The Institute is designed to provide participants
a means for developing a comprehensive understanding of equal opportunity
issues. Participants learn about equal opportunity, diversity,
affirmative action, discrimination and harassment, and University
policies and procedures through their completion of an individually
designed education plan. Institute participants broaden their knowledge
base and also learn how this information can be applied in their
day-to-day activities and interactions.
The Institute is sponsored by the Office for Equal Opportunity
in conjunction with the Center for Student Leadership, Ethics,
and Public Service and the Division of Human Resources. The program
takes place each year from September through May. Participants
begin with an orientation session, during which they design an
individual educational plan.
If you are interested in participating in this program, check
out our website. You may download an application or apply on line
by August 28, 2003 for employees, or September 12, 2003 for students.
If you would like additional information about the program, contact
Beverly Jones Williams at 919-513-3836.
Study Circle Forming for Fall Session
The Office
for Equal Opportunity is partnering with the YWCA of Wake County
to bring “Study Circles on Race and Ethnic Relations” to
NC State’s campus. The Study Circles Program is part of a
nationwide effort to address racism by providing a simple way to
involve community members in dialogue and action. Facilitated through
the Wake County YWCA and League of Women Voters, the Study Circles
allow participants to engage in small, democratic, peer-led discussions
about racial attitudes. The Study Circles meet once a week for
five weeks to share individual stories, learn from others, and
take action steps to improve race relations at NC State. The intent
is to get people listening to others, which can lead to greater
understanding and joint efforts of action.
NC State’s fall Study Circle will begin on Wednesday, October
1, 2003 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. in Talley Student Center. Study
Circles are also scheduled for winter and spring of 2004. For more
information, and to sign up for NC State’s Study Circle,
please visit our website. Don’t miss out!
National Coalition Building Institute
The
National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) is an international,
non-profit leadership organization that assists a broad range of
organizations in creating more inclusive environments. NC State
is a campus affiliate of NCBI. As an affiliate, we are able to
present the award winning NCBI models and processes on our campus.
We have a team of NCBI facilitators on our campus that present
an interactive workshop designed to celebrate similarities and
differences, identify misinformation about other groups, identify
and heal from internalized oppression, claim pride in your own
group identities, and gain empowerment by learning ways to challenge
bigoted comments and actions. If you would like to attend this
perspective-changing workshop or become involved with the NCBI
team, learn
more or contact Beverly
Jones Williams at 919-513-3836.
Staff Spotlight: Leila Jabbar
 As
an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Assistant in the Office
for Equal Opportunity, Leila does “whatever needs to be
done at the OEO office.” She has assisted in the investigation
of discrimination claims, drafted a handbook for preventing
and resolving claims of discrimination, researched equal opportunity
issues, and assisted with data management.
Like
many part-timers, Leila has additional interests and pursuits
outside of NC State. She works at Carolina Dispute Settlement
Services as a mediator and trainer. CDSS is a non-profit
organization that serves six local counties by providing
many types of alternative
dispute resolution (ADR) services and provides ADR training
to individuals and organizations. Leila is certified by
the NC Dispute
Resolution Commission to conduct Superior Court Mediated
Conferences. Leila also does some consulting work for law
firms in the areas
of human resources, accounting, and billing. Leila’s varied educational and professional career has included
studying at several institutions across the north- and southeastern
U.S., culminating in a B.A. in Multidisciplinary Studies from NC
State University in December, 2002. Her degree work and primary
interest for the past few years have been in the field of Conflict
Resolution. Before that, she worked as a certified nurse’s
aide, a security office dispatcher, bartender, "waitron," restaurant
manager, and law office administrator, a position she held for
15 years.
When Leila
isn't working at one of her three jobs, she might be found reading
or doing yard work. In the past, she has also been
known to run 5k’s, hike, kayak, and renovate her house.
Reminders
To stay informed of construction projects that affect or reroute
pathways of travel; safety issues; and new accessible facilities,
you can subscribe to the Access Announce Listserv. To subscribe,
send an email to mj2@lists.ncsu.edu with the following text in
the body (not the subject line) of your email: subscribe access-announce
The
Office for Equal Opportunity offers a series of programs that
builds a knowledge base in equal opportunity. These programs
were originally designed for participants of the Equal Opportunity
Institute but are now open to the entire campus community. To
learn more and register, see our website.
OEO Resource Directory Office for Equal Opportunity (OEO)
1 Holladay Hall
Campus Box 7530
919-515-3148
www.ncsu.edu/equal_op
Disability Services for Students (DSS)
1900 Student Health Center
Campus Box 7509
919-515-7653
www.ncsu.edu/dss
Disability Hotline
To report a disability or accommodation issue or concern, send
email to ADAHotline@ncsu.edu.
Harassment
Complaints
For help with a harassment concern, contact Dr. Rhonda Sutton
at 919-513-1234 or rhonda_sutton@ncsu.edu. [Update as of 11/2006:
For help with a harassment concern, contact Amy Circosta
at 919-513-1234 or amy_circosta@ncsu.edu.]
You can also submit a harassment complaint online at www.ncsu.edu/equal_op/harassment/
harassment_complaint_form.html, or send email to report_harassment@ncsu.edu.
Hiring
Procedures & Search Committee Orientations
If you are beginning a new search for a position, OEO encourages
you to call 919-515-3148 to schedule a search committee orientation.
Training & Workshops
For information about our workshops and course offerings, please
see www.ncsu.edu/equal_op/education.html or contact Beverly Jones
Williams at 919-513-3836.
Faculty
Exit Interviews
If you are a departing faculty member, please contact Dr. Rhonda
Sutton at 919-513-1234 to schedule your exit interview. [Update
as of 2/2007: For your exit interview, please contact Carson
C. Cook at 919-513-2099 or carson_cook@ncsu.edu.]
About Equal_Op
This newsletter is published by the Office for Equal Opportunity
at NC State University. It is available online at www.ncsu.edu/equal_op/pubs.html and in alternate formats upon request.
If you have questions or comments regarding this newsletter, please
contact the Office for Equal Opportunity at 919-515-3148 or by
email.
|
