Demands for a More Inclusive, Responsible Columbia
?uest
forums, and follow-up discussions that have happened amongst a number
of students from various communities on campus. While triggered by the
number of hate and bias incidents that have happened this semester,
these demands are hardly new.
[For full text of each demand visit: http://groups.google.com/group/columbia-solidarity/web/demands]
Administrative Reform
1. We demand more advisors and counselors for cultural groups,
students of color, the LGBTQ community and communities of faith, with
student involvement in the hiring process of said personnel. We ask
that the Office of Multicultural Affairs be expanded physically and
responsibly, and that more support for collaboration between the
Office of Multicultural Affairs at Columbia and the Multicultural
Affairs Office at Barnard be given by the University administration.
2. We demand a Vice Provost for Multicultural Affairs to administrator
and direct the University's policies affecting students within all the
schools of the University.
3. We demand that Columbia's Public Safety announce instances of hate
crimes when they are reported and issue and an annual report of
reported bias incidents and hate crimes and how they have been
addressed.
4. We demand that Columbia's Public Safety announce instances of hate
crimes when they are reported and issue an annual report of reported
bias incidents and hate crimes and how they have been addressed.
Ethnic Studies
1. Given the inadequate number of core faculty present next semester,
we demand the completion of 2 core faculty hires per year for both
CSER and IRAAS until each has 12 core junior and senior professors,
which must be maintained indefinitely.
2. The academic review of CSER and IRAAS must begin in Summer 2008
where the board must include only ethnic studies scholars from outside
institutions as well as Columbia ethnic studies majors. The academic
review must also research the steps necessary for the creation of
Queer Studies, which has historically been placed under Ethnic Studies
at other institutions, as well as Native American Studies which must
be considered by the university following the review's completion.
3. Interested Ethnic Studies majors collectively, show through a vote,
must be give 1 or 2 votes (depending on committee size) which will be
delivered by the current student positions on all hiring committees
for junior and senior faculty to increase student presence and
determination of CSER's direction.
4. To maintain the integrity of Ethnic Studies and the very
possibility of its sustained growth, the CSER and IRAAS must be
granted the ability to make hires autonomously. This is not a call of
the immediate departmentalization of Ethnic Studies. Rather it is a
call for the Ethnic Studies programs to make hiring decision on their
own accord, without the need of outside departments to lead the hire.
We recognize that this is unprecedented for centers and institutes
throughout the University, but see it as a necessary step in creating
Ethnic Studies classes and research initiatives that are accountable
to the field and on par with peer institutions.
The Manhattanville Expansion and Community Accountability
1. Columbia withdraw its 197-C proposal to rezone Manhattanville
immediately.
2. After withdrawing its proposal from the review process, Columbia
submit its proposal to Community Board 9 for revision in line with the
principles of the 197-a plan.
3. After making the relevant changes to its rezoning plan, Columbia
negotiate a substantive community benefits agreement which serves to
mitigate displacement created by the university's presence and
addresses job creation, environmental problems and university-
community relations.
The Core Curriculum
1. The reformation of the Major Cultures requirement to contain a
course in a seminar format which challenges students to think
critically about the issues of racialization and colonialism, global
phenomena which also are at the Core of the "western" experience.
2. More student voice and seats within these committees, and that
their process of selection be better publicized, so that students'
passions for changing the Core do not have to flare up in moments of
spectacle, but can be incorporated into the constant process of
developing the Core Curriculum.
For a full version of the demands:
Click on http://groups.google.com/group/columbia-solidarity/web/demands
- or copy & paste it into your browser's address bar if that doesn't
work.