Campus strives to cultivate cultural diversity
by Debbie Blankenship
UHCLIDIAN STAFF

This is part two of a two-part story on campus diversity.

Edward Hayes, senior vice president and provost, demonstrates his dedication to diversity on campus by hosting a luncheon for minority faculty each semester. The spring luncheon is scheduled for April, but the exact date is not yet confirmed.

Hayes encourages faculty members to learn the skills and develop the tools that will allow them to become active, productive researchers and effective classroom instructors.

A "buddy" system is also in place to help minority faculty members discuss any difficulties they may be experiencing.

Hayes says his open-door policy is another way he tries to help not only minority faculty, but also other junior faculty adjust to the academic and political climate at UH-Clear Lake. Hayes reiterates that his open-door policy is for everybody.

"The important thing that I want to convey is the importance of maintaining a constant commitment to diversity on our campus, at the faculty, staff and administrative levels," said Hayes. "It is absolutely essential for everybody on our campus to recognize that this is an issue that we really need to be fully committed to and to show continuing improvements, not only in our efforts, but also in our actual faculty, staff and administrative appointments."

Statistics for 2002 show there are six full-time minority faculty members in BPA, two in HSH, five in SOE and four in SCE. These figures are low compared to the 214 full-time faculty members employed at UH-Clear Lake. Statistics also show that UH-Clear Lake has a total of 4,913 enrolled students; 2,209 are minorities and 616 are international students.

"The major hurdle for me in this important effort to diversify the faculty has been raising levels of sensitivity in our search committees and of our academic administrators to do more," Hayes said. "You do not really change attitudes of people over a short period. Therefore, my goal has been to change behaviors so that we can see tangible results as soon as possible. I think we have been able to accomplish some of that, but we still have [much more to do]."

Hayes points out that it is essential for the university community to recognize that diversity extends to pictures featured in brochures, catalogs and other publications that are produced to represent and market the campus.

"To include a brown face or two is insufficient," Hayes said. "We have to demonstrate an integrative, inclusive appearance of our diversity throughout such documents in our marketing process. Such inclusiveness should not seem to have appeared as an afterthought. To do less sells our campus short, and sends messages that are not intended to the astute reader and observer. UH-Clear Lake is a wonderful place to work, and we will continue to make improvements in this critical area of performance. It will take the support and commitment of the entire university community."

Andrea Bermudez, associate vice president and provost for academic affairs and professor in the School of Education, has been with UH-Clear Lake since 1978.

One of Bermudez's accomplishments is earning the Distinguished Research Award, also called the Presidential Lifetime Award, that she received in 1994-1995.

"I am very proud of this accomplishment," Bermudez said. "We have many distinguished researchers at this university, so it has meant a lot to me to have this recognition based on the quality of my work."

Bermudez says there are several changes she would like to see in the future.

"I would like to see more mentoring directed at minority faculty and the development of a university culture that is understanding and accepting of minority issues," Bermudez said. "It is inspiring to minority students to have role models of individuals who have defied the odds to achieve in life."

Alfredo Perez-Davila, associate professor and chair of computer science, has been with UH-Clear Lake for 14 years. Perez-Davila was named the Division Chair of Computer Science in January 2001. He has obtained several external researches and equipment grants for UH-Clear Lake, has published a number of publications, one receiving the "best" paper award in a conference, and has participated as reviewer in several grant programs for the National Science Foundation.

Perez-Davila says that diversity has strengthened the School of Computer Engineering.

"I think the computing programs have a lot of diversity at UH-Clear Lake, not only with respect to minorities, but we also have a high percentage of students from other countries," Perez-Davila said. "All this makes our programs richer by providing many different points of view and many and varied cultural backgrounds."

The fastest growing portion of the student body is the Hispanic population at 12.51 percent, which is followed by international students at 8.64 percent and African-American students at 8.42 percent. Since 1997, minority and international populations have steadily climbed, while the Caucasian population has slightly declined.

Linda Contreras Bullock, director of Multicultural and International Student Services, has been with UH-Clear Lake since 1994, when she started as a student.

"I have seen definite positive changes in the last several years regarding enrollment of students," Bullock said.

Bullock says she hopes to continue to see student population and programming increase. A new program is in the development stages. Right now it has no name, but it will be a mentoring program that will cater to minority students as a way to receive mentoring and guidance.

"Our primary goal and mission is to advocate and educate all students," Bullock said.

Sameer Pande, multicultural coordinator, has been with UH-Clear Lake since 1999, when he began as a student.

Pande said that students from all over the world come to this university and tell other students about UH-Clear Lake, and that it is a wonderful place to be.

"There has been a tremendous growth in the international student population," Pande said. "It can be attributed to the friendly reputation the university enjoys in the international circle."

Pande says the faculty and staff are strong advocates of international students.

"The faculty, staff and administration have been strong advocates of international students as well as the international students themselves, who serve as ambassadors for UH-Clear Lake," Pande said. "This is very important."

Denise Shipley, multicultural coordinator, has been with UH-Clear Lake one and a half years. Shipley said MISS offers year-round activities and programs. Some of the most common ones are the Voices of Colour speaker series, self-awareness workshops and Cinco de Mayo. The MISS office also sponsors two consistent programs that are offered in spring and fall.

Strictly Speaking is an informal program where small groups of international students are paired with domestic students so that they can learn conversational English.

Friends is a cultural exchange program that provides a forum for American and international students to befriend and learn from each other.

Laurie Weaver, assistant professor of bilingual and multicultural education, is co-director of the New Horizons grant along with Judith Marquez, associate professor of bilingual and multicultural education.

"I have seen the university take an interest in diversity issues," Weaver said. "I think the university is seeing the need to diversify our students and faculty population. I'm an Anglo person who happens to be bilingual, so I'm speaking about this from a majority perspective."

Weaver says she would like to see more of the majority faculty members become involved in diversity issues.

"It's not just something of interest to minority faculties or faculties who work with minority students, but that it's an interest of everybody and that everybody buys into the needs of diversity," Weaver said. "I think that's very important."

Sandria Hu, professor of art, has been teaching at UH-Clear Lake since 1975.

Hu said there has been a significant increase in foreign and minority students since her employment at UH-Clear Lake.

"The increase is because of the publicity of the university, from the international initiatives office with Jerry Rhodeback and through the support of Provost Hayes," Hu said. "The decision of minority students to attend UH-Clear Lake has a great deal to do with location and degree they are seeking."

Hu says her major accomplishments in research are the three Senior Scholar Fulbright Fellowships that she has received during her tenure at UH-Clear Lake.

"Those Fulbright Fellowships were to teach in Slovakia, Czech Republic and in Mexico," Hu said. "These fellowships gave me the opportunity to develop the international exchange of students and faculty in those countries with UH-Clear Lake. The opportunity for students and faculty to be engaged in an international exchange of ideas, cultural aesthetics and hands-on art collaboration is a very beneficial academic tool."

Needha Boutte-Queen, director of field education for the Bachelor of Social Work Program, has been with UH-Clear Lake approximately one and a half years.

Queens says that one of her major accomplishments at UH-Clear Lake has been to help the Social Work Program gain candidacy status with the Council of Social Work Education.

"Working as a team with the support of the HSH and UHCL Administration, Arch Erich, Dana S. Smith, Donald Eubanks and I have created a solid foundation for those interested in pursuing a bachelor's level social work degree," Queen said.

Queen says that the advantage of being a diverse population is that different voices are heard, different knowledge is disseminated and different lessons are learned.

"It is only when we are open to new information that we have the opportunity to grow as consumers of knowledge and as individuals," Queen said. "The disadvantage does not occur from being a diverse population, but from an individual's lack of awareness of, and respect for, the lives and experiences of others that do not share the same physical characteristics as themselves.

"The presence of faculty of color is important to the university because we do not all speak with one voice or share one universal experience.

"Knowledge and skills flow freely from people of all colors, hence we can all learn from one another. The danger is in not acknowledging that others have important contributions to make.

"When students and faculty of color are interested in becoming a part of UH-Clear Lake, diversity is but one of the elements they consider, but perhaps the most crucial."

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