Students came together on the quad to take a stand for diversity on March 18. Students gathered on the quad with posters raising awareness of recent events on campus.
“We’re trying to open up a more broad dialogue,” said senior Anna Dominguez, who organized the demonstration. “We want to engage all of the campus community, not just the people who come to the forums. It’s always the same people (at the forums), it’s just preaching to the choir.”
The demonstration was in response to a faculty member of color who was not given the opportunity to present his work for a tenured track position, while another colleague was allowed to.
“That was not an equal opportunity and that is exactly what these posters are about,” said Dominguez.
The demonstration also brought to light the diversity statement sent in an email to all of the campus.
“We view (the diversity statement) as a positive thing,” said Dominguez. “We see this as an attempt to engage more people into this conversation.”
The flyer being handed out at the demonstration had comments about Augustana’s Five Community Principles, which are Purpose, Openness and Respect, Accountability, Responsibility, and Care. These comments were about how the student and faculty members of color we’re not being fully included in these 5 principles.
Along with holding the demonstration and handing out flyers, there were also many statements about diversity chalked across campus. There will be an installation about micro-aggression at the Celebration of Learning to show the campus what being a victim of micro-aggression feels like.
Correction: An earlier edition of the story misidentified the faculty member who was given the opportunity to present their research for a tenured track position as white. The colleague is a person of color.