[GSC-Diversity-All] Urgent- Please Read! DivComm

[Elizabeth Margarette Clay]

I was just sent this by a friend on GSC-

This begins to tell the story of how contentious this issue has become. Please
join us tonight at 50-220 at 5:30 in solidarity and to voice your opinion if
you can.

I haven't read the entire piece yet, but the claims I have already seen (that
all events were geared toward African-Americans is patently untrue- our most
recent event was a multi-cultureal identity dinner that brought together
students from all over the country and the world from many backgrounds).

I am saddened to see that his is the way the debate has been structured, hiding
behind anonymous emails sent at the 11th hour, but there are many people who
are afraid of change.

Liz

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 7 Mar 2007 09:08:51 -0800 (PST)
From: Concerned MIT Graduate Students <concernedmitgscstakeholders at yahoo.com>
To: thetruth at mit.edu
Subject: GSC Diversity Proposal (Points of Information for an Educated Decision)

GSC Diversity Proposal: Myths vs. Realities – so many questions, so few answers
   You are receiving this note about the proposal to add a Diversity Committee
to GSC because of your legislative decision making power on behalf of MIT
Students and the need to clarify issues.

   Agenda of current Committee: The committee over the past year has primarily
focused on African American ideas, perhaps because of the two chairs’
affiliation with this minority group. African American issues are important,
but the current situation raises questions about what the committee’s agenda
ought to be and how it should be structured. Could two people represent all
factions that entail diversity or do we need a more broad-based structure? The
current committee has done no work to find an optimal agenda and solution and
has failed to answer these questions. No original idea has been tested – not
even an event (such as multi-ethnic or multi-cultural) that would bring more
than one interest group together for discussions. As another example, could
this Committee do more to increase campus wide awareness? What about
contributions to long-term diversity policy at MIT? Or even a game plan for
such a contribution? Should not the committee have a better idea of what it
  will do and show concrete performance?

   Performance of current Committee: this ad-hoc committee has failed to address
even a single issue on the following: LBGT (sexual orientation), minorities that
are non-African American such as Indian American or Chinese American,
international students, people from Middle Eastern origin (given today’s
politics), disabled students and many others. In fact, only accomplishments
current committee has shown is its ability to piggyback on events and ideas
that would be executed at MIT with or without the committee. This includes
“co-sponsoring” (historically recurring) dinners and talks with MIT offices;
or affixing the GSC logo onto posters for events that are arranged by student
groups on their own initiative (such as Caribbean Club) or by MIT departments
(such as Urban Studies), which are also isolated to specific groups. Is this
all we want a diversity committee to look after, much like ethnicity-based
groups? Is the committee prepared for full status or much more work is
  needed? Is not there more to full committees? And has it been proven that
current GSC structure fails to accommodate diversity needs at MIT?

   Structure of the GSC: Among many other things, the committee has failed to
show why it needs to separate itself from the current structure. At no point in
time did the committee prove it is constrained as an ad-hoc or sub-committee.
The committee seems to receive poster space, GSC monetary and
resource/logistical support like all other GSC committees. It has taken several
decades for the GSC structure to evolve to what it is where each committee has a
clearly defined agenda and neutral leadership to carry it. There are many
sub-committees that are the backbone of GSC, and diversity could be one too.
When career fair, which is a major portion of GSC revenue, thus its bread and
butter; can operate as a sub-committee, why break away from an established
structure? No one is implying that diversity is either more or less important
than other initiatives. However, the question remains – why cannot diversity
work in parallel with, for example, HCA or even use another year to
  flesh out its agenda, prove ideas and truly address long-term issues?

   Conflicts of Interest: We attempt to answer the preceding questions: this
current committee and those who show vehement support to it (possibly making
others feel biased) are operating under a huge conflict of interest. It ought
to be highlighted that MIT administration is a puppeteer that is directing the
students charged with diversity, starting with the Administration’s unforeseen
support to diversity chairs, particularly Ms. Clay due to her close links with
the Chancellor’s office and therefore direct access to all his subordinate
Deans, although administration often turns the other cheek to day-to-day
student troubles. These troubles include Mental Health and Housing Policies,
among others. Moreover, the administration has granted directed and major
monetary support to diversity committee student(s) and recognized them, whereas
hundreds of more deserving graduate students are turned away and forced to
suffer. Why diversity through an unready, under-prepared and
  rushed GSC committee? Because it would be a trophy achievement for MIT to show
the corporation/alumni/donors, whereas the peculiar reality is that MIT is
hiding its struggles with attracting and retaining more diverse people
(international applicants or diverse faculty). It is clear that the committee
in collaboration with Administration this year has pursued very short-term
gains, and does not care much about the sustainability or long-term success of
this committee. Let not the buzzword of diversity blindfold us from the truth.
Do we want a committee with a limited agenda, unproven performance and lack of
vision to show outsiders how we think of diversity? Is the Administration and
committee rushing while creating and exploiting conflicts of interest unfairly,
without a strategic system to addresses long-term issues?

   Justice and Fairness: Take examples of how GSC feedback/election works: we
know representatives are understandably intimidated to give honest critique in
public or raise any of the above points. Otherwise, they risk coming across as
biased. In fact, the current diversity committee has shown some level of
antagonism and weak responses to questions or feedback, which are reacted to
with maximal aggression and minimal facts. If the committee has truly proven
itself and addresses all issues as it claims, why has not there been any
willingness or offer to have a secret ballot, for example? We hope this issue
will be raised in public. There are many more points, but let us summarize and
leave the rest to your discretion: simply endorsing the current proposal as-is
will not address long-term diversity issues. It benefits only a few of the
current students involved and their own agendas, and gives MIT administration
exactly what it wants without truly addressing diversity. We
  must realize that the committee has put no system in place for coming years,
and as such diversity is bound to fail if endorsed in its currently
incomprehensive form. No one argues the need for addressing diversity, the
question is: what is the best way? There is only one viable option: extend the
amount of time given to the ad-hoc committee to address campus needs without
the influence of administration. Please discuss such issues at GCM and be a
voice of honesty!



   Closing Remarks: The authors, who have sent you this information in good
faith, request you to respect confidentiality and their choice of anonymity.
Similar to you, the authors are also concerned about being misinterpreted or
projected as racist, especially by the members of the current diversity
committee. The authors support the right of all students/staff/faculty to join
in and shine as a part of the MIT community regardless of gender, religion,
sexual orientation, origin/ethnicity, nationality, political views, economic
status or history and all such aspects that could be considered as different
from mainstream society. We deeply appreciate your time and your service to the
GSC and MIT.


---------------------------------
8:00? 8:25? 8:40?  Find a flick in no time
  with theYahoo! Search movie showtime shortcut.

----- End forwarded message -----


Master of City Planning Candidate, 2007
Department of Urban Studies and Planning

Co-Chair, Diversity Committee, GSC
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

617.699.1514 (Mobile)