Directors of the four UCLA ethnic research centers introduced an
initiative to increase faculty diversity at a town hall meeting
Tuesday, drawing broad support from students, faculty and community
members who attended.
“For us to come together collectively gives us more
strength and allows us to make a more coherent argument,”
said Darnell Hunt, director of the Center for African American
Studies.
The directors endorsed their collaborative proposal that would
give six additional faculty positions to each of the centers.
The jobs would come out of an estimated pool of 200 given to
UCLA to fill over the next seven years, jobs for which a concrete
plan of allocation has not yet been made, according to the
directors.
Chon Noriega, director of the Chicano Studies Research Center,
gave a brief overview of the initiative to start the hour-long
meeting. He outlined the main points of the plan and put it in
context of recent state budget cuts and a growing minority
population in California.
The other directors added their thoughts after the summary.
“Six new faculty will transform the American Indian
Studies program and make it so much more viable and so much more
useful for the community,” said Hanay Geiogamah, director of
the American Indian Studies Center.
“The four centers have been key catalysts in diversifying
faculty. By adding to the capacity the centers have to do this, I
think we only hasten the diversification of faculty,” Hunt
said.
Asian American Studies Director Don Nakanishi also presented
letters of support from Asian Pacific leaders across the state.
The town hall portion of the meeting turned the event into a
support rally for the initiative, with advocates praising the four
directors and their efforts.
Daniel Solorzano, chair of the education department, voiced his
desire for Chancellor Albert Carnesale to adopt the proposal.
“I want to encourage (Carnesale) to take this opportunity
to put him on the map,” Solorzano said, referring to ethnic
studies research.
Solorzano and others emphasized that UCLA could become the
“preeminent ethnic studies institution” in the country
under the initiative.
Reynaldo Macias, César Chavez Center chairman, believes the
university’s decision to adopt or reject these efforts will
be a testament to its institutional priorities.
“Everybody’s for diversity, but in hard times what
will be done to reflect this in the institution?” Noriega
asked.
Asian Pacific Coalition Director David Chung was one of a
handful of students in the crowd of 50 to offer a undergraduate
perspective.
“As students, we understand the importance of what ethnic
studies have done for our communities. Students are in full support
of this initiative,” Chung said.