Presidential Task Force Releases Report on Multiculturalism

April 5 , 2007

COLUMBUS, OH –The Presidential Task Force on Multiculturalism, chaired by Judge Guy Reece II, recently completed their work and released their report to the Administrative Council of the University and the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees.

Incidents involving vandalism and racially discriminatory graffiti in the Fall prompted ODU President Dr. Jack Calareso to commission a special Presidential Task Force to review and address these issues. The task force was appointed to study the culture, climate, programs and services on the Ohio Dominican campus, specifically to address how well the university lives its mission and values, and serves the life and learning needs of all members of its community.

“The challenges of multiculturalism are a community responsibility and I appreciate the shared efforts to determine the best ways to improve the quality of education and the environment on campus,” said ODU President Jack Calareso. “The assessment of this report will continue in the coming months as the University determines the best ways to address the issues of multiculturalism on our campus.”

The task force was comprised of  Chair Judge Guy Reece II, of the Franklin County Common Pleas Court and a trustee of Ohio Dominican; former Bishop James A. Griffin; Ohio Dominican trustee Jonathan Beard, president and CEO of Columbus Compact Corporation; professors Anne Crimmings and Jill Dardig; Sharon Reed, director of Ohio Dominican counseling services; and four Ohio Dominican students.

The Task Force identified nine (9) recommendations as the highest priority:

• Create an Office of Multicultural Affairs
• Create an ongoing Multicultural Advisory Committee
• Provide enhanced academic support services to those students at academic risk
• Review university policies to further emphasize the commitment to diversity
• Allocate resources necessary to increase hiring of minority faculty and staff
• Provide opportunities for diversity training for students, faculty, and staff.
• Expand course offerings in minority studies and world religions
• Continue support for and sponsorship of Village to Child
• Renew support for and sponsorship of the Trio programs

The following is a brief summary of the actions being taken to respond to these priority recommendations:

1. Office of Multicultural Affairs --- An Office will be established effective July 1, 2007 as part of the Division of Student Development. The scope of the office will impact all areas of the University. A search is already underway for a Director of Multicultural Affairs. Allocations have been made in the 2007-08 budget to support the programs and operations of this office.
   
   
2. Multicultural Advisory Committee --- A Committee will be appointed in Fall, 2007 after the Office has been established and a Director is in place. The University is currently studying the appropriate scope, representation, and organizational role of this Committee.
   
   
3. Enhance Academic Support --- Academic success and retention is a high priority of the University and has been for many years. This area is continually under study with regular implementation of new strategies and programs. Current plans call for additional academic support services, ongoing academic monitoring for students at risk, and the implementation of a summer academic readiness program. This will continue to be a high priority for all faculty and staff.
   
   
4. Review University Policies --- This review has already begun and new policies and institutional statements will be reflected in the Student Handbook, University Catalogue, Employee Handbook and Faculty Handbook for 2007-08. Further, this topic will be discussed by the Board of Trustees at their future meetings.
   
   
5. Hire Additional Minority Faculty and Staff --- This issue will be discussed by the Board of Trustees. A decision to allocate the necessary resources to implement this recommendation will require a Board directive regarding compensation, internal equity and external competitiveness. The University has already implemented focused recruitment strategies to attract qualified minority candidates.
   
   
6. Diversity Training --- A plan for additional training and awareness opportunities for students, faculty and staff will be developed over the next several months and initially implemented in the Fall 2007.
   
   
7. Expand Course Offerings --- The Board of Trustees approved a new core curriculum in Spring 2006. The Faculty is currently developing the courses for the implementation of this new core curriculum beginning in Fall 2007. A required course addressing diversity or multicultural issues will be included in the new common major. There will be a number of new courses available to students to fulfill this requirement. The Faculty will be asked to continue to assess the curriculum and look for additional opportunities to expand course offerings throughout the curriculum.
   
   
8. Village to Child --- Village to Child is an important community and diversity initiative for the University, serving young people and families in the 43219 zip code area. Ohio Dominican University has never wavered in its support for this program and expects to continue to do so in the future. The University has continually provided financial support to ensure the continuation of this important program.
   
   
9. TRIO Programs --- The University’s involvement with the TRIO programs will end with the current grants. Ohio Dominican’s commitment to community service will increase but focus more directly on the needs of the neighborhoods around the University – particularly the 43219 zip code area - where the impact of our efforts can be more readily understood and assessed.

In February, Dr. Calareso and the President’s Task Force on Multiculturalism received the Ohio College Personnel Association’s Cultural Diversity Award for their timely response to the incidents in the Fall.

The Cultural Diversity Award is presented annually by the OCPA to an individual and/or campus community that has successfully developed innovative courses, programs and/or services that promote multicultural understanding and appreciation across the curriculum and/or campus. The award is given to honor individual and/or community leadership in developing creative and effective programs that address and/or improve cultural diversity issues in higher education.