by Elizabeth Ashford
Staff Writer
Race and ethnicity were the focus of the second part of Appalachian
State University’s Campus Climate Survey.
The survey, conducted online January 2003 by the Student Development
Diversity Committee, received responses from 1,821 students and
186 faculty and staff.
The second part of the survey asked questions relating to diversity,
including campus safety, the value of diversity and other diversity
issues at Appalachian.
According to the survey, “Minority students were significantly
more likely than white students to say that they felt unsafe on
campus during the day or off campus at any time.”
“Regardless of the race or ethnicity, we feel the university
is a safe place to go to school,” Appalachian State University
Police Department Assistant Chief Larry C. Foster said.
“The police are on patrol 24 hours a day, seven days a week
and we have officers on foot, bicycle and vehicle patrol. We have
over 60 blue light telephones all over campus and those phones are
hooked directly to the police department,” Foster said.
On the issue of the value of diversity at Appalachian, of those
that responded, 51 percent of caucasian and 29 percent of minority
students thought that Appalachian faculty valued diversity.
The numbers were lower when asked about Appalachian’s Student
Government Association (SGA). Only 49 percent of Caucasians and
25 percent of minority students thought SGA valued diversity on
campus.
“It validated what we felt that we had some students on our
campus that do not necessarily value diversity,” Director
of Multicultural Student Development Tracey L. Wright said.
According to the survey, only two percent of faculty and staff and
11 percent of students said they often hear other students make
disparaging remarks about minorities. Less than one percent of students
and faculty and staff reported hearing faculty and staff make negative
remarks about minorities.
“Each year, a number of students, staff and faculty members
come to the office with concerns and complaints about various forms
of harassment,” Equity Office Director Dr. Linda K. Robinson
said.
Robinson said it varies on a yearly basis on what form of harassment
is most prevalent.
“A number of our university community members yearly do express
concerns about harassment based on race and national origin,”
Robinson said.
“The university has two primary policies that clearly outline
that the harassment based upon race, color, religion, creed, sex,
national origin, age, disability, or veterans status, is a form
of discrimination in violation of federal and or state law and Appalachian
State University policy; therefore, harassment will not be tolerated,”
Robinson said.
Robinson said the Equity Office is for students with problems involving
staff and faculty or for problems between faculty and or staff members.
The Office of Student Judicial Affairs is in place to serve students
that have conflicts and problems with other students, Robinson said.
“Both of these offices are in place to listen to university
members who have concerns and complaints about harassment and then
help those members resolve those problems,” Robinson said.
The final portion of the Campus Climate Surveys will focus on religious
diversity and will come out April 22 or 23, Assistant Director of
Student Life and Learning Research Dr. Tina M. Hogan said.
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