PENN STATE ADMINISTRATION SUMMARIZES RECENT EFFORTS TO ERADICATE INTOLERANCE

Penn State Diversity Newswire ^ | Friday, December 19, 2003 | Graham Spanier

[StopGlobalWhining]

The discovery of hateful photos on the personal web page of the
president of the College Republicans was met with outrage by
students, faculty, and staff in the Penn State community. University
leaders condemned this behavior and spoke out against acts that
foster racism, sexism, homophobia and incivility.

Penn State is committed to a campus climate where the humanity and dignity of each individual is respected. The recently updated and published plan, "A Framework to Foster Diversity at Penn State, 2004-09," outlines the promotion of diversity through institutional leadership, financial support for programs, and strategies and approaches that encourage the development of a multi-cultural campus.

Building on a long list of University-wide and college-specific diversity related initiatives, President Spanier has asked the Offices of Student Affairs, Educational Equity, and Undergraduate Education to review recent suggestions from faculty, staff, and student organizations for any potential additional areas in which further progress can be achieved. The University will also seek input from the Commission for Women, the Commission on Racial/Ethnic Diversity, and the Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equity, as well as The Forum On Black Affairs and other interested groups for insights on ways to improve the campus climate for diversity.

Because of the many concerns that have arisen among groups on campus, the University administration felt it important to provide an update on steps being taken to address intolerance at Penn State.

1. STATEMENTS OF CONDEMNATION The University issued a statement condemning the photos that were posted by the president of the College Republicans and linked from the group's web page. President Spanier also issued a separate statement. Many other University groups have similarly condemned the photos. University statements included a call for the removal of the photos and for an apology from the person who put them up. Those statements can be found at:

Dec. 5, 2003: Statement from Penn State President Graham Spanier http://live.psu.edu/story/4931

Dec. 7, 2003: University responds to College Republicans' acts http://live.psu.edu/story/4932

Dec. 9, 2003: University Faculty Senate supports president's statement http://www.psu.edu/ufs/Bise%20comment.htm

Updated information will be available at: http://www.equity.psu.edu/republicans.asp

2. SUPPORT FOR A NEW REPUBLICAN ORGANIZATION ON CAMPUS While the University has no legal means to mandate a resignation of the president of the College Republicans, Republicans from far and wide have condemned the incident and called for the resignations of the president and other officers of the College Republicans. A new group of Young Republicans is forming on campus. The University will support their efforts to launch an alternative for student Republicans.

3. FACILITATING DIALOG The Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Educational Equity have been meeting with student groups to deal with their concerns about the bias incident and to promote legal and appropriate responses for our student groups and the entire University community. Vice President for Student Affairs Vicky Triponey and Vice Provost for Educational Equity Terrell Jones will continue to provide leadership for the University in these discussions.

4. CURRICULAR CHANGES The bias incident reinforces the continuing need to educate our students about multicultural issues. The University Faculty Senate has previously committed to developing a revised curricular requirement that better reflects the domestic multicultural experience. President Spanier and Provost Erickson both have indicated their belief that the current intercultural and international competence requirement is too broadly defined, and the focus of the requirement needs to be narrowed. They are pleased that the chair of the Senate has convened a special conference committee to work through current differences between Senate committees, and the President and Provost have urged the Senate to complete its work on this important item before the end of this academic year.

5. FTCAP AND ORIENTATION CHANGES In an effort to increase awareness of diversity issues and the need for tolerance within the Penn State community, new and substantial information on diversity topics has been included in the Freshman, Testing, Counseling, and Advising Program (FTCAP) and Penn State's freshman orientation program. In addition, a letter is sent to each in-coming freshmen from the president of the University that includes a copy of the Penn State Principles. The vice provost for educational equity also sends each freshman a letter stressing the importance of diversity and understanding differences.

6. STUDENT GOVERNMENT Student government leaders are discussing the inclusion of diversity education as a part of their leadership training for incoming student leaders, as well as including an anti-discrimination policy as part of the constitutions of student organizations.

7. ON-GOING COMMITMENT Penn State will continue to stress the importance of diversity, civility and tolerance, and will continue to strive to ensure that all students, faculty and staff feel welcome and safe at Penn State. The University has invested substantial resources to foster diversity at Penn State and remains fully committed to this goal.

Other resources to report and combat intolerance are available at the Educational Equity site http://www.equity.psu.edu

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**** Penn State - Making Life Better ****

[Madstrider]

This is Stalinism, plain and simple.

What the university and the minority mau-maus are doing is the abolition of private life -- which is the central them of Orwell's "1984." Under Stalinism, there are no private acts, no private words, no private opinions. So silly behavior at a Halloween party, for instance, becomes grounds for a public humiliation, a la the "show trials." People are required to publicly recant "incorrect" ideas.

Perhaps these college Republicans would fight harder if they understood what it is they're fighting.

[drhogan]

spanier has been criticized on FR threads, but i found an article in which the Penn State YAF president praised spanier for defending their (YAF's) right to free speech. i can't say i blame him (spanier) for cracking down on the guy who posted the pictures. the pres. of the PSU repubs really should resign, and stop being an embarrassment to repubs.

[drhogan]

the pres. of the college repubs apparently posted photos of the costumes on the web and linked the photos to the repubs web site. at that point, he (the repub pres) made the photos a political, rather than a private, issue. he does not have the political judgement to be president of the repubs--spanier is doing all of us a favor by pushing the guy out.
if one of George Bush's guys did something like this, Bush would fire him in a second.
people who want to post pictures of themselves or others in blackface should not be leaders in the repub party. I don't care what people do in private, but this was not really private.

[leadhead]

WG, you been away a long time. Instead of: Hit the books and study hard, and in your spare time hit the bars, drink some beer and dance it's more like: Hit the drink, dance hard,and in your spare time study. :)

[Lancey Howard]

I spent 5 years in Happy Valley and I'm sure it never crossed my mind that there even WAS a "student government". The only name I remember from the place (aside from my personal friends and two or three profs) is John Oswald.

[Travis McGee]

Ping

[bigcat00]

A good point.

When conservatives complain about offensive programming on TV, the libs always say "If you don't like it, don't watch." Why doesn't the same rule apply here? Because
some animals are more equal than others.

[zook]

I would also add that the College of Education has several conservative professors (e.g., me) and many who while not conservative are very fair in their presentation and treatment of alternative views.

(I also know of at least one conservative professor of sociology.)

[NittanyLion]

WG's words of wisdom: forget about the political crap until after you graduate. You're only gonna be in Happy Valley for 4 years, so make the most of it. Hit the books and study hard, and in your spare time hit the bars, drink some beer and dance.

You got that right Willie. When I was in Happy Valley the USG was dominated by a bunch of self-important goofballs more interested in setting themselves up for a future in politics than anything else.

Looks like this clown who stole the bike might be preparing to run for mayor of Philadelphia...

[reg45]

conservative professor of sociology

Isn't that an oxy-moron.

[zook]

Well, not really. The late James S. Coleman, for example, is considered one of the greatest social science thinkers of all time. And yet his research focused on a number of conservative issues: anti-busing for racial deseg., pro private schools and school choice, etc. He was also a supporter of Reagan, Bush 1, and the first Iraq war (he died in 1995).

His "Coleman Report" of 1966 broke the hearts of liberals when it found that differences in student achievement had little to do with differences in per pupil spending.

At one point in the late 1970's, some disgruntled members of the American Sociological Association attempted to have him thrown out of that organization on grounds of racism (because of his opposition to busing). He defeated them and eventually became president of the ASA. He was a great man and I'm proud to say he was my teacher!

[reg45]

I saw your web site. Outstanding!

Some of the links about ZT are really fun. What are they going to do about the Time "Man of the Year - 2003". Will kids be thrown out of school for possessing a Time magazine with a photograph of men with guns on the cover!!

[Willie Green]

the USG was dominated by a bunch of self-important goofballs more interested in setting themselves up for a future in politics than anything else.

One of life's little mysteries: why would any student, with an opportunity for a college education, waste it by trying to emulate the dimwitted steaming pantloads that we elect to Congress???

It baffles the hell outa me!

[Willie Green]

WG, you been away a long time.

Yeah, it's been a while.
I understand they changed the name of Calder Alley to Calder "Way".
They probably also changed the name of the Lion's Den, Shandygaff, Tom Cat, Brewery, Phyrst, etc. etc. etc.
Doesn't much matter. I imagine the pubs are still in the same places, just with different names. I could barely see where we were walking along Calder Alley anyway, so I'm CERTAIN I could still find 'em no matter what they're called. And my memory is good enough to avoid the My-Oh-My like the plague. (Actually, the strip-tease in the back bar wasn't too bad. It's just that they hit you with a whoppin cover charge and the beer was too expensive. You could always try to get around the cover charge by entering the front bar from College Ave. But the front bar was where the queers hung out, so it really wasn't much of an alternative. Nope, didn't go to the My-Oh-My much at all. You can catch cooties in there.)

[zook]

Thanks! I love your idea about Time Magazine!

[NittanyLion]

One of life's little mysteries: why would any student, with an opportunity for a college education, waste it by trying to emulate the dimwitted steaming pantloads that we elect to Congress???

In fairness, I must admit I made an effort to emulate Teddy Kennedy's drinking habits while at PSU...although I managed to stumble back home instead of driving into rivers...

[Willie Green]

I must admit I made an effort to emulate Teddy Kennedy's drinking habits while at PSU...

I'm afraid my budget was too constrained to have that much fun.
I had to work part-time and still felt like I was mooching too much whenever everybody was chipping in to buy a pizza. The Lion's Den was a godsend. Every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, the DJ would play oldies along with "guess the artist for a free pitcher of beer." Out of sheer necessity, my group of friends became the "experts". Sheeeesh, we even did research in Pattee memorizing lists of artists/songs outa some book on '50s Rock and Roll.

[Willie Green]

the DJ would play oldies along with "guess the artist for a free pitcher of beer." Out of sheer necessity, my group of friends became the "experts".

LOL! We got to the point where we started playing "stump the DJ": making requests for "classics" that he should have, but didn't, have in his collection.
LOL! He "hated" us! (But he liked us too since we came up with great suggestions as to what he still needed to add to his collection.) It was a good time!

[StopGlobalWhining]

I would also add that the College of Education has several conservative professors (e.g., me) and many who while not conservative are very fair in their presentation and treatment of alternative views.

I stand corrected. I thought you must have been the token conservative in the College. I'm glad to hear you are not alone. I wonder if any other Big 10 schools have a conservative in their education college?

[StopGlobalWhining]

Do you go there?

I'll send you a Freeper mail later. Have you ever been to Abu Dhabi?