Quincy Goodine, a senior at Longwood University, with the help of a few other student-run organizations and a few faculty members, has been developing a diversity statement with the hopes of including it in Longwood University’s handbooks in the upcoming school year.
The statement titled ‘A Statement of Diversity and Inclusion’ began developing earlier this school year with the idea coming to fruition in the spring of 2015.
“Last year on campus, there were a few incidents, in my opinion, they were racially charged,” said Goodine, who is also the President of the Black Student Association (BSA).
Goodine brought his concerns to SGA as a student rather than as the president of BSA.
“I come from a family who has always taken stands for what they feel is right,” said Goodine.
Working with primarily culturally-based organizations, Goodine, along with BSA, meets with the Hispanic Latino Association (HLA), PRIDE, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), Student Diversity and Inclusion Council (SDIC), Student Government Association (SGA), the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and a few faculty members on a weekly-basis to form the statement.
“(It is) definitely a collaborate effort to get this off the ground,” said Goodine.
The statement has received stamps of approval from the SGA and the Student Affairs office.
When the first draft of the statement was brought to the Faculty Senate meeting, Dr. Chris Bjornsen, the director of the International Studies Program, as well as Dr. Brett Martz, an assistant professor of German Romanticism, both volunteered to help with the process.
“I’m interested because of the reason that everyone should be interested, because we need more inclusion in everything around this campus,” said Bjornsen.
Bjornsen worked with the small group to develop the statement and introduce it in the Faculty Senate meeting. As a result of bringing the rough draft of the statement to the meeting, there were two editorial suggestions made by Faculty Senate. The Senate requested for Goodine to bring back the finished statement to the next meeting in two weeks.
“I want people to understand that when you come to Longwood, if this is something that you feel that you cannot abide by or this is imposing on how you live life, then maybe Longwood isn’t the place for you,” said Goodine, referring to the statement.
Once the final statement is agreed upon by all parties, the Senate would decide if they choose to endorse the statement. The endorsement is needed before it could be placed in the student handbook.
“I want it to be absorbed by the entire campus,” said Goodine.
Bjornsen stressed that he believed the statement should go in all the university handbooks at the same time. Bjornsen continued to say that the first step in the process is to have the statement be put in the student handbook. Bjornsen also wants to see the statement in the faculty handbook, the college catalog and the website.
“We hope it affects as many people as possible to not discriminate against others,” said Bjornsen.
In order for a statement to be placed in the college catalog, the Education Planning Committee (EPC) has to approve the statement.
As far as the statement being placed in the Faculty Policies and Procedures Manual (FPPM), Bjornsen said that “putting it in there (the FPPM) would be (assurance) that faculty are not to discriminate as well.”
The Senate will revisit the statement on Thursday, April 21.
