By Devean Owens
We all saw the article in The Daily Campus raving about boulevarding. However, out of all six pictures there was not one student of color, not one. This is a symbolic representation of SMU and in my opinion says a lot about the campus without even saying it.
As a first-year student during Fall of 2010, I was so excited to see what boulevarding was all about. I quickly learned that Boulevarding isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, for students of color at least.
The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and the umbrella organizations of College Hispanic American Students, the Association of Black Students and Asian Council have done a wonderful job providing a place for us during home games over the years. However, we know that if these organizations don’t provide a tent, we won’t have a place on the Boulevard.
The affluenza-filled atmosphere on the Boulevard is almost suffocating. The environment for students of color isn’t very welcoming or comfortable. This was very evident when our Peruna was vandalized during Homecoming, when our pan was taken from our tent without asking and when our sign was intentionally hung upside down in a tree. Boulevarding shows on a grand scale the atmosphere and perception of SMU.
In recent months, OMSA has been moved to our own, smaller office. We have been separated from Student Activities and the Fraternity and Sorority Life Office has been dissolved. IFC and Panhellenic are housed within Student Activities. However, the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) and the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) now fall under OMSA. Separating NPHC and MGC from student life shows SMU’s lack of interest and value for these groups and diminishes their purpose. These changes have been some of the most exclusive I’ve seen in my years at SMU. Yes, we have our own space but we aren’t included nor are we visible to the entire SMU student body. Contrary to popular belief, OMSA isn’t just for students of color. Separating us makes our job as organizations THAT much harder. But hey, I guess we should be grateful for our “60 acres.”
Having diversity (numbers) without inclusivity (a welcoming environment) does more harm than good because the experience the students of color have isn’t always positive and can sometimes drive them away. If Southern Methodist University wants to “Shape World Changers” and create a truly diverse and inclusive environment administration needs to implement a few things:
1. A Director of Diversity and Inclusion that is separate from the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs.
a. To handle and address issues and concerns that arise
b. Conduct mandatory diversity training for faculty and staff
i. Assist OMSA with diversity training for students
c. Meet with Marketing, Admissions and Financial Aid departments across campus to ensure their practices are meeting standards of inclusion & helping make SMU a better institution over all
d. Ensure that student led programs meet SMU’s standards of respectability and inclusion
2. Actively recruit and retain more minority students (not just athletes)
a. Revamp the Mustang Scholars program to increase its reach and not just focus on DISD and Pell grant eligible students
3. Actively recruit and retain more tenured diverse faculty
4. Install cameras in the high traffic areas around campus so that when crimes of any sort are reported there is evidence to back it up
It would be great to see President Turner at our tent and talking with us during the next home game because students of color boulevard, too. Pony Up!
Owens is a graduate student majoring in Educational Leadership.
