"DIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY" AT UO

We will continue to work toward greater diversity and stronger community.

This is not an issue that can be handled with a speech or a program.

It is the responsibility of each of us, individually.

We will do it, and we must do it, with civility, with respect, and with understanding.

UO President David Frohnmayer

[State of the University Address: "Diversity and Community"] [CoDaC Founders]

Achieving diverse learning environments is a "compelling interest" for public universities. Fortune 500 companies, professional and academic associations, media and labor organizations, civic and military leaders, K-12 education systems, philanthropic organizations and more rely on public universities to do their part to foster the deep and widespread societal benefits that flow from diversity.

UO President David Frohnmayer has articulated five essential reasons why diversity is a core institutional value and a central feature of Oregon's future:

1. A powerful body of studies has established that educational processes that honor diversity and include persons from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds are better, more tolerant and even intellectually superior learning environments.

2. It is proactive to understand and anticipate the significance of demographic changes. Surely, we can learn from (and one hopes thereby to avoid) the sharp edges of cultural clashes that have occurred in other parts of the nation and the world.

3. Disruptive and damaging conflicts may arise, and miguided institutional choices become more likely, when social changes are poorly handled, inadequately foreseen or not addressed in the spirit of community.

4. The existence of a backlash in our society - evidenced in the comments of students, staff and faculty and publications both campus-wide and external - tells us that inattention to the issues of cultural diversity may reinforce stereotypes of other humans that are profoundly at odds with the ethical ideals of our university and our larger society.

5. As a research university, the growing diversity and the multicultural background of our citizenry provide rich and important resources for serious scholarly investigation, especially in the social sciences and humanities. We shortchange ourselves and the larger public if we fail to take a leadership role in advancing this scholarship on the rich and robust inquiry about the meaning of human experience as seen through a variety of lenses.

President Frohnmayer's remarks indicate widespread needs to develop and share new knowledge, skills, and perspectives on diversity and community -- and point to why UO is an appropriate venue for just such a research center.

Consider, for example, the demographic and social changes from increasing racial and ethnic diversity. According to US Census projections, the United States is rapidly becoming a nation of demographic plurality -- including on racial and ethnic origin. By 2050, the national percentage of "minority" population is expected to increase from 28% to 47%.

Within these changing demographics, 20 states throughout the Pacific Northwest, Intermountain, Great Plains, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and New England regions are in the midst of a distinct new trend of diversification. Oregon is diversifying both more rapidly and more uniformly than most of these states. While approximately 1 in 10 Oregonians today is a racial/ethnic "minority," by 2025 1 in 5 Oregonians will be persons of color. Oregon's African American, Native American, Latino, Asian American, Pacific Islander, and multiracial/multiethnic populations are all increasing, as are many Eastern European, African, and Asian immigrant populations.

With this new diversification comes rapid change throughout the state and in all sectors. Racial and ethnic backgrounds, among other social and demographic identity factors, are single but important aspects of our diversity that remain salient in how we may understand ourselves, form communities, experience the status quo and advance social justice concerns.

Clearly, Oregon and similar states face distinct sets of issues, experiences, challenges and opportunities. New scholarly and applied research methods, outreach programs, information and resource networks, and partnerships are required to assist our University and all of our stakeholders to maximize the benefits of our diversity.

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CoDaC Founders (1999-2001)

Steve Bender Associate Professor, Law
Annie Bentz Director, Conflict Resolution Services
Lorraine Brundige Graduate Student, Philosophy
Darlene Dadras Espinoza Undergraduate Student
David Frank Director, Clark Honors College
Carla Gary Director, OMA/University Advocate
Spencer Hamlin Diversity Institute Research Intern
Robin Holmes Director, University Counseling and Testing Center
Stan Jones Associate Professor, Architecture
Ed Kame'enui Director, IDEA/Professor, Education
Abolade Majekobaje Undergraduate Student
Sandra Morgen Director, CSWS/Professor, Sociology
Bob O'Brien Associate Dean, CAS/Professor, Sociology
Rob Proudfoot Director, CICS/Associate Professor, International Studies
Phil Romero Dean, Lundquist College of Business
Cheyney Ryan Professor, Philosophy
John Shuford Graduate Student, Philosophy
Karen Sprague Vice Provost, Undergraduate Studies
Mark Tracy Assistant Dean, Diversity Programs
Mia Tuan Associate Professor, Sociology
Anselmo Villanueva Principal, O'Hara Catholic School
Hill Walker Director, IVDB/Director, CHD

1999 Summer Diversity Interns

Nathaniel Bachelder Diversity Training (video & departmental presentations for faculty)
Jessica Billingslea Resource Support (personnel, programs, administrative resources and infrastructure)
Spencer Hamlin Diversity Research Institute (inventory, conceptualization, fundraising)
Jason Mak Recruitment and Retention (faculty, student, staff diversity in our community)
Huy Ong Diversity Training (new student orientation, IntroDUCKtion, Diversity Week, etc.)
John Riordan Diversity Training (for new and current faculty)
Missy Rock Coordination (outreach, coalition building, and documentation)
Jennifer Rosen Curriculum (curriculum utilization, course evaluations)
Jessie Wofsy Affirming/Sustaining Diversity (conduct code, pledge of respect, hate speech and free speech)
Kathleen Workman Educational Environment (self-inventory, survey, positive approaches)

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Center on Diversity and Community (CoDaC)
335 Hendricks Hall
5238 University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon 97403-5238
541.346.3212 (phone)
541.346.5096 (fax)
codac@uoregon.edu

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