As local universities work to support diverse student and employee populations, Black History Month provides an opportunity to showcase progress. KACU’s Dana Glover revisits Hardin-Simmons, McMurry and Abilene Christian Universities to find out what’s been happening since the fall semester push to address racial tension and improve cultural awareness.
While HSU, McMurry and ACU all added new diversity councils to their campuses, each one has taken a different approach to create conversations and education about diversity. Hardin-Simmons University has focused this year on special events to help students see other perspectives. Director of Student Engagement P.J. Martinez says it has been good to see people participating, “We’re making strides to do that celebration piece of all of our students. That you can come into this school and have an opportunity to be heard, have an opportunity to be celebrated.”
Martinez adds HSU has hosted events to recognize Hispanic students, Black students, Veterans, Indigenous Peoples, and groups like first generation college students, as well. Stampede, HSU’s welcome week event for new students, expanded last fall to include a program for affinity groups of all kinds. Martinez says they created Conversation Groups in an effort to help transfer students and members of various ethnic groups make connections with upperclassmen mentors. “I identify as Latino and I was a part of the Latino conversation, and we had a staff member, as well, represent those groups. Just to talk about hey, this is what I experience. One of the biggest struggles right now that I’m worried about is family, being away from home. It was so good to also hear from our higher upperclass students, you know what, I also experience the exact same thing,” Martinez shared.
Nearby, McMurry University is working to broaden the scope of what diversity means. University President Sandra Harper says there’s more than just racial differences to explore. “We’ve actually established a diversity council at the university and we’re defining diversity very broadly. People tend to think it’s black and white, but we’re really defining it not only with ethnicity, but with faith, with thought, with gender identification, differently-abled people,” Harper said.
Their new diversity council is creating opportunities for difficult conversations. McMurry’s Office of Religious and Spiritual Life assists by hosting book clubs, which Harper says create common ground, “You know a lot of the research on diversity and inclusion and equity talks about how people are reluctant to talk about complex issues, and so this was intended to have a common reading so people could start that conversation and dialogue.”
Creating common ground experiences is a theme across the local campuses. Abilene Christian University also created a new diversity council made up of students, faculty and staff that works to support existing minority organizations and events. Chief Diversity Officer Stephanie Hamm says the council has had some success with new ideas during the fall semester, “We are trying to make sure that diversity conversations are had in classrooms, and in chapel. We are hoping to be able to give more conversation points to chapel leaders.”
Hamm adds that nearly all ACU employees have recently completed a new mandatory training module on diversity awareness. The university will launch a specialized training for all deans and directors that work in departments directly impacting students and school administrators will take an in-depth 8-week training course next October. “In the administration, we feel strongly that the administration needs to have the most in depth training and not the least. And I think needs to be the most prepared for leading our university going forward. I’m really also very proud of that decision to spend the resources and the time,” Hamm said.
President of the International Students Association Jael Morel says the council has already tackled some challenging conversations. Last October a skirmish was fought with chalk messages scrawled on the campus sidewalks. Morel says the council involved the student leaders in their response, “And that was a hard conversation between students and faculty and Dr. Schubert and the heads of the university. They also have to take into account everyone else’s. So it was a hard conversation to say what statement are we going to put out respecting others, because at the end of the day it’s a matter of respect.” Students on the Diversity Council were asked to help write the university’s official response to the campus in order to prevent further uproar.
Morel adds that ACU has supported the efforts of each individual organization as they work to educate the whole campus about different cultures and backgrounds. Morel says the next greatest need in the mind of students is more representation, “I can speak for the international students that we only have two staff that are working on the office of international students and visiting scholars. They can’t deal with 100 or 200 different students that are going through a lot of things, especially during a pandemic. There should be more resources available.”
ACU also announced they will hire a full-time Chief Diversity Officer this year. Stephanie Hamm has been filling the interim role alongside her position in the Department of Social Work. “I was hoping to sort of pave the way and get our campus ready, and I think we are ready," Hamm said. "ACU is a special place and we deserve to have someone in place who this is their only and primary job who can focus completely on ACU . I’m really glad we're doing that, in this way we’re putting our people first.”
While each university is trying to create conversations and community, the current global pandemic has presented additional challenges. ACU’s International Students Association hosts an annual event called Ethnos, a celebration with a 30-year history. ISA President Jael Morel introduced the final act of last year’s show. “We will start off our song in English, which is the language that binds us together," Morel instructed the crowd. "Then visit six other languages sang by our members, then reunite in English and sing together once again.” Organizers had to cancel the event this year, in favor of focusing on smaller, safer events that would avoid potentially spreading COVID-19.
P. J. Martinez of HSU says they also chose to host smaller events throughout the year so they could maintain safety protocols.
And many of the three schools’ diversity team meetings have happened online as they look ahead to new employees, new events and new ideas that serve the needs of diverse student and faculty populations in Abilene during a challenging time. The leaders and students are evaluating what has been most successful this school year and making plans for what’s next.
