As President Robert Birgeneau tried to outline a framework for equity, diversity and inclusion at U of T at the Dec. 12 Governing Council (GC) meeting, shadows of his comments at the previous meeting continued to haunt him.
Students attending the meeting held large signs bearing messages such as “Birgeneau: you’re not black on the outside,” “White privilege can be black on the inside never outside,” and “Don’t reject diversity in our name.” The protests were part of the continued reaction to Birgeneau’s remarks at the Oct. 31 GC meeting, where he speculated that U of T’s diversity might be driving white students away from the university. Birgeneau had also responded to a speaker’s concern about the lack of diversity on the GC by claiming, “My black friends tell me that I look like you on the inside, just not on the outside.”
Although Birgeneau apologized for his comments, some students and community members say Birgeneau’s remarks reflect systemic racism at the university.
Addressing the council, Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students (APUS) president Emily Sadowski said, “President Birgeneau apologized [for his remarks] under public scrutiny, and none of the other members said anything. This is the way that systemic discrimination is perpetuated.”
At the beginning of the GC meeting, held at Scarborough campus, Birgeneau said, “The university has many programs and initiatives in place to protect and enhance equity and diversity, but we can be doing better on a number of fronts.”
Birgeneau pointed to the upcoming academic planning process that will be undertaken by the provost’s office as a mechanism for focussing on equity and diversity. Birgeneau assured that “equity and multiculturalism will be integral to all parts of the upcoming five-year academic plan.”
The provost’s office has published several green papers, one of which addresses the formation of an equity framework, creating some continuity between diversity and equity programs at U of T.
Provost Shirley Neuman acknowledged many initiatives dealing with diversity at U of T are not as well-known as they should be. “We had a large number of such initiatives, but didn’t know what they all are,” she said.
The remainder of the meeting showed tension still abounds on the GC with regard to diversity. Student governor Chris Ramsaroop rose to call for affirmative action programs at U of T. Ramsaroop provided the council with a definition of affirmative action. He said, “The reason why I am providing this information is to ensure that you fully understand what [affirmative action] means. There has been discussion going around that it means quotas…affirmative action does not mean quotas.”
In an op-ed in The Varsity (Nov. 12), President Birgeneau wrote: “We do not endorse ‘affirmative action’ plans that involve quotas because some of the excellent scholars and students who are also members of visible minorities and whom we seek to recruit rightly want to know that they have been hired entirely on the basis of the merits of their work, as we well know they deserve to be.”
As Ramsaroop continued explaining affirmative action policies, members grew impatient. Alumnus member Robert Bennett said he didn’t think Ramsaroop’s comments were appropriate.
“I just don’t see where we’re going from here. I agree with you that you have an issue…I don’t think this is the time and place to [discuss] it,” said Bennett. “I think you’re taking up valuable time from this meeting and I think we should move on.”
Non-members in attendance loudly voiced their disapproval towards Bennett’s interjection, and chair Thomas Simpson responded, “This is the time for discussion, but Chris, I suggest you keep it brief.”
Ramsaroop attempted to continue, claiming that he was trying to demonstrate the value of affirmative action policies for U of T.
Trying to calm the commotion that had broken out, member Jack Petch said, “One of the things that I am most pleased about is that there are students here who have an interest in listening.” Petch then urged Ramsaroop to speak for another five minutes. Ramsaroop continued, but the meeting remained tense.
Later in the meeting, alumnus member Susan Eng said the council needed to see some of the meeting’s outcomes in a positive light. “As a community advocate for many years, I don’t want us to lose track of some of the things that have occurred here tonight that are extremely positive,” she said.
Eng then outlined the steps she felt U of T needed to take to get on track. “I wanted to point out that one of the things that we used to push for when we were looking for change within an institution is an overall framework—a document that has committed the institution to making change. We looked for top-level commitment to the issue. We pushed for that and often could not get it. We looked for a holistic approach to this issue, so that we could have all of the mechanisms within an institution focussed on finding change in these areas.” Eng concluded by saying, “We had those things committed to us today.”
