Show Faculty Staff Discuss Social Equity Carolyn Ware Contri Contributing Writer For some it is silent agony Others simmer in bitterness and hostility All have one thing in common the need tobe tobe to tobe be recognized and valued for skills talents and who he or she is In a tense Town Hall Meeting held recently in the Redwood Campus Oak Room more than 75 administrators administrators administrators adminis adminis- directors faculty and staff gathered to discuss the results of a recent college- college wide survey that concluded that the need for recognition exists at the college The survey conducted by Kathy Hurd Kurd chair of the Committee for Social Equity was an attempt to get the views and opinions of staff faculty directors and administrators administrators administrators admin admin- on social equity Social equity is not a new term Almost every school and employer in the country feels the need to address issues relating to the discriminatory discriminatory discriminatory treatment of individuals als within the classroom or workplace The goal is to eliminate unequal treatment of individuals based on race national origin religious practices age ethnicity disabilities disabilities disabilities dis dis- dis- dis abilities and gender It is a difficult goal to achieve Many employers fall short and is no tion Kathy Hurd is determined to make progress in reaching that goal at the college Hurd formerly chaired the Women's Issues Committee at for three years She was later selected by then University of Utah President Kermit Hall to participate in inthe inthe inthe the American Council on Education The council was comprised of See Equity continued on page 10 Equity cont from front from around the state stale Its charge was to discuss the development of women and the need for them to have more leadership ties Hurd sees the needs at as broader than women's issues alone The name of the committee she chairs at became the Committee for Social Equity in an effort to be inclusive of all the issues at hand Last fall Hurd designed a survey as a tool to get col col- wide lege-wide feedback from staff faculty directors and administrators She hoped the survey would show where the holes and hot buttons were and that it would allow those affected to have a voice The quest for an environment environment environment environ environ- ment where women and minorities are afforded equal opportunities for leadership roles and salary equity began She asked a panel comprised comprised com com- comprised of interim President Judd Morgan Dean of Students Deneece Huftalin Academic Vice- Vice President Dave Richardson Vice-President Vice Community Relations Brent Goodfellow and Equal Employment Officer Randy Lucero to head a discussion before their peers and employees Each administrative panel member was given a few minutes to express his or her views Gail Jessen lessen a member member member mem mem- ber of the Social Equity Committee started the meeting meeting meeting meet meet- ing with some statistics from the survey and three things stood out lack of support for continuing education professional professional professional development training and formal education lack of support from supervisors managers and deans the old good network at ie i.e. cronyism nepotism nepotism nepotism nepo nepo- and hiring and promotion promotion promotion promo promo- tion done within a secret pipeline You guys have got the guns and were we're the targets Interim President Judd Morgan began as he addressed the gathering Morgan said he was surprised and troubled at the results of the survey Retaliation is a term that he had never heard in the context of faculty and staff development at For personnel of the college to fear having ones one's name put on a list or of getting involved bothered him a great deal Morgan went on to say that he hasn't really reay resolved what retal retaliation means He says there is mistrust of supervisors and even peers that I have never heard or sensed before Morgan said that he is worried about the feelings behind those figures figures figures fig fig- ures and he felt that the Town Hall Meeting is a great opportunity to talk about them He suggested that policies policies policies poli poli- cies and procedures need tobe to tobe tobe be re-established re though in inthe inthe inthe the past policy and procedures procedures procedures dures had been looked at as strong arming Deneece Huftalin said she was disappointed that the overall response to the survey was so low She expressed frustration that only 52 percent percent percent per per- cent of respondents were aware of the opportunities to tobe tobe tobe be involved in leadership committees We often see seethe seethe seethe the same players in the same committees moving things forward she said Others need to be involved to bring ideas to the table She also said there needs to be a way to create formal opportunities for advancement Academic Vice-President Vice Dave Richardson began his remarks saying he was by byno no means an expert on gender equity He has been around for a while he said and found it interesting interesting inter inter- interesting esting when he first came to Utah how minorities and women are treated He has noticed he said that in certain settings women are treated treated treated treat treat- ed not overtly in a little lit little little lit lit- tle different way For example if a female leader made some statement statement statement state state- ment and a male leader made the same or similar statement he said the male leader was given kudos while the female leader was ignored We need to create a process so that will cease said Richardson We need to be aware of how we behave and how we react Richardson also addressed the issue of II minorities in leadership I roles There are people III here at this college who J prefer not to work with people of color or have them themas as a supervisor he said Richardson encouraged everyone to think in terms of diversity Diversity is simply simply simply sim sim- ply the right thing to do Brent Goodfellow began his remarks by stating that he had just returned from the theland theland theland land of disconnect at the State Legislature Goodfellow Vice-President Vice of Community Relations said he was also surprised by some of the things in the sur sur- vey What business are we in he asked We need to develop develop develop devel devel- op all of our employees We ought to be good at it it-espe- it espe especially with our own employees employ employ- ees Goodfellow urged the crowd and his peers to think in terms of how we help each other and the students The audience also had the opportunity to present any questions or concerns they had Gail Jessen lessen told one questioner that Kathy Hurd put the survey together after attending a wide state-wide meeting meeting meeting meet meet- ing on social equity Jessen lessen said the survey is the committees committees committees com attempt to have people people people peo peo- speak for themselves rather than go with some selected administration-selected program pro pro- gram The question of whether could make funds available for internships brought a lengthy often intense discussion Huftalin was first to respond by saying there doesn't need to be formal formal formal for for- mal internship structures in order to be creative Individual managers she said need to prioritize opportunities opportunities opportunities within their staff I dont don't see it as some other departments department's responsibility as much as individual managers managers managers man man- agers she said Richardson commented by sharing a astory astory astory story of one of his students who due to excellent mentoring mentoring men men- toting since she left Utah has received many promotions and a high salary She is in an environment he said that fosters and encourages her development needs a formalized process to develop its employees to make them more marketable he said These comments led to questions and concerns about the need for more diversity in hiring practices Morgan said there is still not a hiring policy policy policy pol pol- icy in place According to him needs to take a stand and set something firmly in place Diversity is so important to this college he said Its wonderful for our curriculum and for our students He continued by saying is in the process of defining policies But policies are arc not nota a cure all There is a lot we can do do- do with recruiting understanding understand understand- ing and reaching out to the community Morgan said Richardson said that a hiring hiring hiring hir hir- hir- hir ing policy is in the pipeline The role of Affirmative Action will be significant in inthe inthe inthe the new hiring policy he said Randy Lucero said there needs to be more representation tion by minorities and women in leadership not just justin in janitorial positions Huftalin suggested the need to target minority publications publications publications when recruiting for positions She also said hiring hiring hiring hir hir- hir- hir ing committees need to include a diverse mixture of white male female Hispanic etc Virginia Davidson Coordinator for the History Department wanted to appeal to a broad and diverse audience of job seekers For Forthe Forthe Forthe the most part she did so on the departments department's own time and money because there were no resources available to seek a candidate who came from a more diverse back back- ground The history department department department depart depart- ment became the model for diversity and hiring practices practices practices tices Davidson said Richardson asked the audience audience audience audi audi- ence if they remembered how boring black and white TV used to be He compared that thatto thatto thatto to the excitement and wonder of color TV We are a diverse world he said The world is so much brighter with many colors He emphasized that as positions become available we need even greater diversity in filling filling filling fill fill- ing those positions Other questions followed regarding career ladders and the process involved in moving from one position to another within the system Morgan addressed the issue by saying this area seriously needs work He said it has always been a concern that does not have a promotion promotion promotion pro pro- motion policy He r referred to the current HAY system The HAY system is the methodology used to identify knowledge skills and ability requirements to classify jobs This methodology has been established by the federal government Morgan jokingly joking joking- ly told the crowd that it is a system you need to work on when Im I'm gone He went on to say the current current current cur cur- rent method of salary scale and promotions needs to be looked at There needs to be a promotion policy that doesn't doesn't doesn't does does- nt allow favoritism but allows employees to do internships t to study and to tobe tobe tobe be promoted Morgan said We need to study our current current current cur cur- rent practices Another participant stated there is a need for a culture that is driven from the top down This brought applause from the crowd If managers managers managers man man- agers and leaders arent aren't willing willing willing will will- ing to show a change in their attitudes toward diversity then no change will take place said the unidentified speaker Again the crowd applauded sending a strong message to the leadership in attendance We were all a little intimidated intimidated intimidated by this experience Morgan responded But I Iam Iam Iam am interested I do care We as a college together have turned this place upside down It could not have happened happened happened hap hap- without all of you It is difficult to communicate with such a large enterprise and have the message under under- stood There are still many things that are un-trustworthy un but we are trying to tune fine-tune some of the the things we need to todo do The three things that were the top emphasis anthe survey survey survey sur sur- vey Morgan said will have an impact on strategic plan plan- ning He encouraged those in attendance and those not in attendance to volunteer to be beon beon beon on committees to to take action action to to make a difference Dont select values we can not live he cautioned If we just put words there frustration will continue |