Here & Now

Chief Diversity Officer Examines Race Relations On UW Campus

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

A STUNNING TURN OF EVENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI THIS WEEK WHEN ITS PRESIDENT STEPPED DOWN. THE CULMINATION OF STUDENT DEMANDS FOR THE RESIGNATION OVER THE HANDLING OF RACIAL BIAS INCIDENTS ON THAT CAMPUS. PERHAPS THE FULCRUM MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY’S FOOTBALL TEAM REFUSED TO PLAY UNTIL THE PRESIDENT RESIGNED. THE EVENTS IN MISSOURI SPARKED RALLIES ON CAMPUSES ACROSS THE COUNTRY INCLUDING UW-MADISON. LAST NIGHT STUDENTS GATHERED ON BASCOM HILL TO VOICE SUPPORT FOR ANTI-DISCRIMINATION POLICIES. WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE MAJOR UNIVERSITIES LIKE WISCONSIN IN THEIR RESPONSE TO ISSUES OF DIVERSITY AND BIAS? PATRICK SIMS IS VICE PROVOST AND CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER AT UW MADISON. HE JOINS US NOW. AND THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

PATRICK SIMS:

THANK YOU. THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO, HOW ON EDGE DOES WHAT’S HAPPENING AT MIZZOU LEAVE OTHER UNIVERSITIES, LIKE OUR OWN?

PATRICK SIMS:

WELL, I’D IMAGINE PEOPLE ARE THINKING SERIOUSLY ABOUT THE OUTCOMES. AND DEPENDING ON THE DEGREE TO WHICH THE UNIVERSITY HAS A COMMITMENT IN PLACE, I.E. A CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICE OR PEOPLE TO THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT THESE ISSUES, AND DEPENDING ON HOW RESOURCED THAT INDIVIDUAL IS, I SUSPECT YOU’LL SEE A RANGE OF RESPONSES. SO FROM OUR VANTAGE PONT, WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THESE KINDS OF ISSUES FOR A WHILE NOW. I FORMED A STUDENT ADVISORY GROUP TO KIND OF KEEP ME ACCOUNTABLE ON THE ISSUES THAT ARE RELEVANT FOR STUDENT VOICES AND STUDENT PERSPECTIVES. SO WE HAVE A VERY PROACTIVE APPROACH. IT SEEMS TO ME BASED ON WHAT HAPPENED AT MIZZOU THEY’RE NOW PUTTING IN PLACE THINGS THAT WE’VE HAD IN PLACE FOR OVER A DECADE NOW.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO, IN ANSWER TO MY NEXT QUESTION, WHICH IS HOW DIFFERENT ARE WE FROM MISSOURI? WE’RE DIFFERENT?

PATRICK SIMS:

ABSOLUTELY. IN SOME WAYS WE ARE DIFFERENT, BUT IN OTHER WAYS, WE’RE NOT SO DIFFERENT. AND THE CHALLENGES THAT THE STUDENTS WERE CRYING ABOUT THAT THEY WANTED TO HAVE ADDRESSED, WE HAVE SEEN SOME OF THOSE ON OUR CAMPUS, TOO. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE HAVE A INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE TO RESPOND TO THOSE CHALLENGES. MY COLLEAGUE, DEAN LORI BURKEM, WHO HEADS UP DIVISION OF STUDENT LIFE, I MEAN WE HAVE A HATE BIAS INCIDENT REPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THESE KINDS OF ISSUES. AND SHE AND I SPEAK REGULARLY ABOUT HOW DO WE WANT TO RESPOND. DO WE WANT TO BRING STUDENTS IN TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS TO SEEK, TO UNDERSTAND, TO LEARN, NOT TO ACCUSE, BUT TO ALSO EMBRACE THE TEACHABLE MOMENTS. WE’VE BEEN DOING THAT SINCE I HAVE BEEN IN THE ROLE IN THE INTERIM AND, CERTAINLY, I DON’T SEE THAT CHANGING IN THE FUTURE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

NOW I READ THAT THE MISSION OF THE OFFICE IS KIND OF FIVEFOLD, INCLUDING INCREASING ACCESS FOR MINORITIES. AND THEN, AT THE SAME TIME, I READ DATA FROM UW-MADISON THAT SHOWED IN 2014, OF 29,000 STUDENTS, 620 OF THEM ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN. SO WHAT IS THE GOAL?

PATRICK SIMS::

THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION. I WISH I HAD A SIMPLE ANSWER. THE CONVERSATION IN THE PAST HAS BEEN AROUND TRYING INCREASE MORE STUDENTS OF COLOR, IN A NUMERICAL SENSE, THE NUMBERS ON OUR CAMPUS. AND WERE DISCOVERING THAT JUST HAVING MORE NUMBERS DOESN’T NECESSARILY SOLVE THE PROBLEM. WE ARE VERY GOOD AT ATTRACTING TOP QUALITY STUDENTS AND THIS ALSO IS TRUE FOR THE FACULTY AND STAFF. THE CHALLENGE IS THE CLIMATE. THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THEY DO THEIR RESEARCH, THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THEY LEARN AND ENGAGE THEIR PEERS. THAT’S THE SPACE THAT UNFORTUNATELY HAS A DELETEROUS EFFECT ON HOW WE’RE ABLE TO MAINTAIN AND SUSTAIN HIGH QUALITY STUDENTS OF COLOR OR HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED BACKGROUNDS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT IS THE CLIMATE, AND WHY IS THAT A CHALLENGE HERE?

PATRICK SIMS:

WELL, YOU’RE ASKING ANOTHER MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION. SO, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY, MY OFFICE IS BEGINNING THE LAY WORK FOR A CAMPUS-WIDE CLIMATE SURVEY. WE’VE HAD SURVEYS IN THE PAST. SO WE’VE CERTAINLY SURVEYED FACULTY. THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER SURVEYS. SOME UNITS ON CAMPUS HAVE SURVEYED THEIR PARTICULAR NICHE OR THEIR STAFF. BUT WE’VE NEVER DONE A CAMPUS-WIDE SURVEY. AND THIS IS NOVEL FOR US BECAUSE WE’LL FINALLY BE ABLE TO COMPARE WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES, SCHOOL TO SCHOOL, BUT ALSO GET A SENSE OF HOW WE’RE COMPARING WITH OUR ASPIRATIONAL PEERS. THOSE ARE GOALS WE’RE HOPING TO FIGURE OUT: HOW WE CAN BEST IMPROVE OUR SUPPORT SERVICES.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

HOW DO THE STUDENTS AND PERHAPS EVEN FACULTY OF COLOR AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCE TELL YOU YOU ARE DOING ON THE CLIMATE? IF YOU ARE DOING THE SURVEY NOW TO GATHER THE DETAIL, AND WHAT ARE YOU HEARING?

PATRICK SIMS:

WELL, I THINK OUR CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE’RE HEARING THE SAME THING THAT WE’VE ALWAYS HEARD: THE CLIMATE COULD USE SOME IMPROVEMENT. THERE ARE SOME GOOD THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING, BUT PART OF OUR CHALLENGE IS HOW WE MESSAGE ABOUT THE EFFORTS. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THERE IS INCREDIBLY VAST INFRASTRUCTURE OF SUPPORT. BE IT ACADEMIC SUPPORT RESOURCES, OUR SCHOLARSHIP SUPPORT EFFORTS FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE FIRST GENERATION, LOW INCOME, AND OFTEN ALSO COME FROM HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS ON OUR CAMPUS. WE HAVE A FULL-COURT PRESS APPROACH, BUT WE DON’T TALK ABOUT IT AS MUCH. I THINK MY CHALLENGE IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MESSAGE THE THINGS THAT WE DO REALLY WELL, WHILE ALSO BEING CLEAR THAT WE CAN DO OTHER THINGS MUCH BETTER THAN WE’RE DOING RIGHT NOW.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

IN FACT, AGAIN, YOU’RE TAKING MY QUESTIONS RIGHT OUT OF MY MOUTH, BUT I DID WANT TO ASK WHAT MESSAGE YOU HAVE FOR MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY AS WE SEE THE CALLS FOR INCLUSION ACROSS THE COUNTRY?

PATRICK SIMS:

WELL, JUST THAT WE’RE WORKING TO BE AS INCLUSIVE AND WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT AS WE CAN BE AND AS I THINK WE SHOULD BE. MADISON HAS A RICH HISTORY OF STANDING UP FOR THE RIGHT THING. I USE THAT WORD INTENTIONALLY. IT IS NOT OFTEN WE ENGAGE IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT MORAL RESPONSIBILITY, BUT BEING A LAND GRANT INSTITUTION, THE WORK THAT WE DO …WE’RE PIONEERS IN SO MANY AREAS, FROM MY VANTAGE POINT, I’D LIKE MADISON TO BE A NATIONAL PIONEER IN THE CONVERSATION ON DIVERSITY AND EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN HIGHER ED. I THINK WE CAN DO THAT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

ALRIGHT, VICE PROVOST PATRICK SIMS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

PATRICK SIMS:

THANK YOU.