USG meeting discusses diversity, equity resolution

The Undergraduate Student Government senate held an open meetingon Sundayto discuss a resolution on diversity and equity that was submitted by U-Councilor Sol Taubin ’16.

The resolution called for mandatory cultural competency training — which would include taking a class and demonstrating an understanding of cultural diversity — for all students, faculty and staff, as well as a transparent system of reporting cases of discriminatory speech or behavior on campus. USG resolutions don't enact policy.

“The point of this part of the resolution is to create a safe space for students in the classroom,” Taubin said. “I would like to point out that a conservative argument is not the same as hateful speech, or racism, or sexism, or homophobia.”

USG vice president Molly Stoneman ’16 explained that the resolution would be a recommendation to University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 and the Council of the Princeton University Community. While it would serve as a strong showing of support from USG, Stoneman added that the administration may or may not change its policies according to these suggestions.

The resolution also called for the establishment of African-American studies, Latino studies, Latin-American studies and gender and sexuality studiesas concentrations, as well as establishing certificate programs in Asian-American studies and disabilities studies.

“I feel personally that these concentrations being incorporated into general concentrations at Princeton might take years and years, but the goal of this amendment is to get the administration speaking about this, at least who they’re going to hire in the next three to five years,” Campus and Community Affairs committee chair Paul Riley ’15 said.

A group of students present at the meeting had previously written a letter to the senate, describing ways in which the University could facilitate a more accepting community. Their recommendations covered three categories: transparency, awareness, support.

“We stand in solidarity with the people of Ferguson and others in demanding an end to racial injustice. This national issue has illuminated campus problems of overt racism, micro-aggressions, stereotyping and exclusion that we aim to transform,” the students stated in their letter.

The senate meeting included an open forum to allow students to voice their concerns or suggestions before a vote to pass the resolution. Some of the recommendations that were passed during the meeting included developing of a diversity program during orientation for freshmen and hiring staff in Career Services to focus specifically on diversity outreach.

Another addition made to the resolution was to have diversity peers, who would be similar to SHARE peers, for students of different backgrounds.

“I think there should be some language, to be added to the resolution as it stands, about the creation of diversity peers, much like SHARE peers or LGBT peer educators. My time as a SHARE peer has actually allowed me to learn a lot of information about sexual awareness on campus,” U-Councilor Mallory Banks ’16 said. “People’s day-to-day interactions are when I, personally, experience microagressions myself. I think this is probably one of the best ways to do it.”

U-Council chair Zhan Okuda-Lim ’15 noted that the problem of bias and discrimination was a pressing issue before the events that took place in Ferguson, Mo., were in the news, and that they will continue to be issues in the future.

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“The reason why we need to have this conversation now is because it’s a critical time to get it on people’s minds and to make some positive changes happen,” Okuda-Lim said.

A CPUC meeting discussing the resolution will take place on Monday at 4:30 p.m.