Students Dissatisfied With GSE Response

Three days after 150 Graduate School of Education (GSE) students rallied in front of Gutman Library in favor of increased diversity, GSE Dean Jerome T. Murphy released a 10-page diversity initiative update yesterday afternoon.

A group of about 25 students met for over three hours last night to review the report, which summarizes the administration's recent progress, and details plans to strengthen advising, faculty searches, and admissions efforts to diversify the student body.

The students said they were not satisfied with Murphy's reply.

"It's a lot of nice talk, but it's the same talk we've been hearing all year," masters' candidate Wei Fang said.

Fang said their demands--nine requests for information and nine substantive changes--were not met adequately.

She added that students were distressed by the way Murphy handled the situation.

"After the rally and before Thursday, we asked him how the response was coming and he said, 'I'm going to pull an all-nighter," Fang said. "Why does he have to wait to the last minute?"

Murphy had a much more positive outlook on the response.

"I used the memo as an occasion to report on what's going on and answer the students' questions," Murphy said. "It highlights what we see as real progress."

The report explains GSE developments in a series of areas, including faculty searches and appointments, instruction and evaluation, expansion of the Dean's Office, student services and advising, admissions efforts and improving dialogue between students and faculty.

At Monday's rally, participants read a list of demands they had presented to the administration and faculty in an April 25 letter.

Although GSE boasts one of the most diverse faculties at the University, both students and administrators agree there is still work to be done. The school's 111-member faculty is 53 percent female, and 23 percent are scholars of color. During the past four years, between 27 and 29 percent of admitted classes are students of color.

In the letter, students said they had been discouraged by the lack of progress towards diversifying the faculty and the curriculum since GSE released their Working Paper on Diversity in spring 1997.

They also said the rally and their demands were a move to bring attention to an issue they feel the administration ignores.

In the opening of the report, Murphy said the administration's previously slow response in putting out a report was due to miscommunication.

"We were concentrating our energies on addressing a number of recommendations in the report, while the report's authors were waiting for a formal response," he wrote. "I hope that in the future we all can do a better job of keeping each other informed, and that we can move beyond this misunderstanding to the important work at hand."

The update addresses some of students' concerns by breaking down faculty into gender and racial categories, but the administration has not answered everything or agreed to all of the changes the students advocate.

Although the students requested information on candidates for faculty positions, Murphy said those details are

unavailable until the finalists have been determined and agree to continue in the search process.

Murphy also took a stand in opposition to the students' wish to get rid of the GRE as an admissions requirement.

"That wouldn't be in my view appropriate," he said. "You need multiple measures in students' portfolios."

In the report, Murphy also said he could not support the students' request for an annual educational conference for alumni of color because GSE does not support events that are not inclusive.

Throughout the report, Murphy emphasizes the progress GSE has already made.

"If somebody reads this memo, it's hard to conclude the Ed School isn't doing a heck of a lot," Murphy said.

Four of the seven current job offers are to scholars of color, Murphy said, and on Monday the faculty unanimously voted to amend the course evaluation form to reflect issues of diversity.

"Having evaluation forms printed as we speak, that's going to make a huge difference," Murphy said. "We will pinpoint professors who are not as up on these issues as they should be and bring about different pedagogy in the fall."

Students said they were pleased with the administration's rapid response to their letter and rally.

"This is definitely a good first step," said Franklin A. Tuitt, one of the student leaders. "Parts are vague, but I wasn't expecting a whole lot."

Although Tuitt said he was disappointed by the administration's stance on GRE scores, he is pleased that they are taking a stand.

Murphy said he hopes the next step in the process will come when he meets with the students next week.

In terms of the future, Murphy said the new Assistant or Associate Dean for

Program Development will handle diversity as well as improve communication.

"It's been hard to identify real leaders because the leadership has been shifting," he said. "It's hard to reach out when you don't know who to reach out to."

Tuitt said he is looking forward to improved communication not just with Murphy, but also with faculty.

"The dean is running interference with them," Tuitt said. "It's time for more face-to-face contact about what we would like to see happen."

According to Fang, the students who met last night will issue an e-mail message to the community Monday morning with a revised version of their demands.

"We're going to redo the layout of demands and strengthen language," Fang said.

She said they will call for a meeting with faculty and staff to go over the demands with the students together.

The students had requested an answer to their demands by May 6. Students said that if they did not receive a response, they would continue to plan "political actions" like the rally.