Is There Diversity on Our Common Grounds?

Photo by Paul Melvin

Social Work Assistant Professor Ken Nakamura said he believes a stronger ethnic studies program would bring more diversity to HSU.

More than 7,000 students are attending Humboldt State University this semester. About 67 percent of them are Caucasian.

This lack of diversity brings out many opinions and ideas from faculty, staff and students.

Nathan Smith, African-American studies professor and former ethnic studies department chair, said HSU needs to "get serious" about implementing diversity programs. He believes that if HSU had a full ethnic studies department, "(the department) alone could interest more (ethnic) people in coming here." Smith, the only professor in the ethnic studies department, does not feel qualified to teach classes in Asian, Chicano or Native American culture.

The College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences is seeking a new chair for the ethnic studies department, and has created the Program and Search Committee to oversee the process of hiring the new chair. On Oct. 7, the group held an open forum for students to ask questions and express their ideas about who they would like to see fill the position, and what kind of ethnic studies curriculum they want.

One student asked whether anyone would even want to fill the position if he or she couldn't be assured the ethnic studies department would, in fact, get off the ground. Valerie Budig-Markin, interim ethnic studies chair, replied by saying she is "pushing for more faculty ... but it probably won't happen until next year."

Marylyn Paik-Nicely, interim director of the MultiCultural Center (MCC) agreed by saying, "We have a lot of support from the interim dean [Karen Carlton] ... but with all these interim people, we can only take it one day at a time."

Carlton was not available for comment on the future of ethnic studies at HSU.

In addition to the Program and Search Committee, a subcommittee has been formed to evaluate methods for approving Diversity and Common Ground (DCG) courses. This group, called the Expanded Diversity and Common Ground Subcommittee, will also evaluate the ethnic studies curriculum and will give its reports and recommendations to the University Curriculum Committee.

Graphic by Jon Mooney. Sources: http://www.humboldt.edu and http://www.calstate.edu

The DCG requirement for undergraduates has been in effect for five years, but many, including Smith, think the requirement is a "joke." Two three-unit classes satisfy the requirement, and foreign language classes as well as cross-listed courses, such as KINS 378, "Sport in Society," count as DCG courses. The original intent of the requirement was to "inform HSU students about the people on their campus and in their communities and workplaces," wrote Stephanie Dueser in an editorial in "Cultural Times," the MCC newsletter. "The intended topic is America today and the people that call it home."

Dueser also claimed that different departments interpreted the requirement in order to get their classes on the list. This led to some dispute over what constitutes a DCG course, a question the subcommittee hopes to clarify. Its goal is to set strict guidelines for what classes satisfy the DCG requirement.

While classes in ethnic studies are important, some also think that they are only a part of what needs to be done. Joi Young, student coordinator for the 1999 Diversity Conference, said it is also important to recruit minority students to HSU.

Young, an English senior who transferred to HSU from CSU-Sacramento, said she misses seeing people of color. This especially was the case when she started attending HSU, as one of only four black students out of more than 700 residents in her dorm building. She said she endures by staying involved in the Black Student Union, and explained that meetings are not exclusive to African Americans. Young said she wants to see more people get involved in creating a diverse community.

"The more aware we become of this community, the more capable we are of creating the atmosphere we want," she said.

Ken Nakamura, assistant professor and field coordinator for the social work department, said he agrees.

"There have been efforts to recruit and retain students and faculty of color here," he said in an e-mail interview. "But the conditions are such that, for a person of color who is used to a more ethnic community, they find that the faculty, staff and most students do not realize the nature of their daily experience.

"I don't think it will be very easy to change the make-up of HSU, but if we can change the way people understand and communicate with one another, they can re-evaluate their beliefs," he said. "Then all students, regardless of color, can begin to respect and acknowledge one another, regardless of the make-up on campus."

Nakamura agrees with Smith that a complete ethnic studies department could help in achieving these goals.

"(An) ethnic studies department can support diversity on campus by having faculty who can help some students of color be comfortable and confident in their struggles at HSU," he explained. "The presence of faculty of color, who can also demonstrate ways to bridge relationships with every student, is another way to help create a climate on campus so that more students convey and demonstrate an openness regardless of another student's background."

Paik-Nicely echoed Nakamura's statement and said that in addition to recruiting students, HSU needs to work toward retraining them.

Photo by Matt Itelson

African American studies Professor Nathan Smith would like the administration to commit to hiring a new ethnic studies professor.

"We need to create a very accepting and open community, and find the common ground and share experiences," she said. "The more we do that, the more welcome students of color will feel."

Paik-Nicely said the MCC was created to give minority students a place where they could feel safe. She said she believes there is a need to create the kind of community where everyone feels welcome and safe.

How is this done? Paik-Nicely said she believes education is the key. She explained that the HSU community needs to educate those who may not have been exposed to much diversity, and changing the DCG requirement may be one step in that direction. She added that being friendly and positive toward one another is another step in that direction.

"There's diversity here if you open up to it; if you don't then there's not," she said.

In addition to the steps that Paik-Nicely suggested, Nakamura added that student influence can create significant change in classes when students challenge instructors and departments to examine and include content that enhances their learning. Smith agreed that the HSU community cannot rely on the administration to fix what needs to be fixed.

"Ethnic studies never came about because of administration," said Barbara Curiel, an English professor who attended the Oct. 7 forum. "It came about because of student and faculty activism."

Nakamura agreed by saying, "It's not healthy to continue this way of relating. If it's going to change, people have to begin making commitments to dialogue and examine the nature of it.

"It has to be valued or we will continue to allow the gaps to widen. Social class, gender and ethnicity are all intertwined."