Following is the text of the original opinion piece President Judith Ramaley submitted to The Burlington Free Press for publication. The newspaper published an edited version on March 11, 1998

Judith A. Ramaley, Ph.D. is president of the University of Vermont

It would not surprise me to learn that some Vermonters have a difficult time understanding why so much time and energy is spent at their state university addressing diversity. After all, only about two percent of people in the state define themselves as members of underrepresented groups.

The reason is both simple and important. We believe it is our responsibility to offer a high quality educational experience that prepares our graduates for the challenges they will face in an increasingly diverse and pluralistic society. We also are committed to creating an educational environment where every student can learn, live and thrive free from discrimination, prejudice or harassment.

In order to provide a healthy educational experience for all at UVM, we are attempting to increase the proportion of underrepresented students, faculty and staff; we are providing a greater number of educational opportunities; we are working on our campus climate; and we are openly and assertively responding to racial incidents.

Sadly, it is the last item that tends to generate a lot of headlines. Race issues also tend to generate a lot of controversy, and it is easy to see why. At this early stage of promoting diversity, when people of color make up only about 5 percent of our students and 8 percent of our faculty and staff, the experience at UVM is very different for people of color than for the majority population. The majority is at times unaware of the experiences of people of color, and at other times, intensely aware yet unsure of how to respond to concerns and complaints of racial discrimination or bias.

At the same time, our faculty, staff and students of color must cope with serious and ongoing challenges. Even while we build diversity, many of our efforts are not very visible yet because the new people we attract are such a small proportion of the total population. In addition, as we gradually add material on other perspectives and cultures to our curriculum, the likelihood that anyone will encounter unfamiliar ideas and experiences from other cultures varies from one field to another and from one stage of education to another.

The history of race relations at UVM has been tumultuous. For those who seek more rapid change and more dramatic evidence of our commitment to diversity, small, deliberate steps are frustrating. For them, the mere fact that bias incidents occur is compelling evidence that the campus community is really not serious about diversity. For those for whom this is not an important agenda, the constant emphasis on diversity and concern about bias may seem strange or inappropriate, especially since Vermont itself is not a state with significant racial diversity. For those who are working hard to make change come about, the slow rate of return on these efforts and the continuing occurrence of bias incidents are discouraging. Without open and consistent communication, these groups tend to form into separate factions.

In this environment, it might seem tempting to just leave it alone. But that is not the Vermont way. As with other difficult problems, such as alcohol abuse, we are determined to lead the way by recognizing our problems, confronting them head on and identifying constructive and practical solutions.

In my estimation, these incidents, and our actions in response to them, inevitably provoke two prevailing reactions. For some, they will simply confirm that UVM is a racist institution, and punishment for offenders should be swift and severe. Others will believe that UVM administrators are unfairly using these incidents to promote their own politically correct agenda.

Neither of these extreme views is consistent with our philosophy and goals. The University of Vermont is a learning community. Education is our primary purpose. We must strive to open up an educational dialogue that will allow all participants to emerge from a troubled situation with a deeper understanding of themselves and a better appreciation of their responsibilities for themselves and for each other. To be sure, there will always be ways we might improve our responses, procedures and communication, and we have already learned much from recent situations.

As members of a learning community, we need to turn complex, controversial and emotional situations into opportunities for learning and growth. Difficult societal issues will always spark disagreement and controversy. But Vermont has a history of addressing hard problems and finding common-sense solutions based on core principles of justice, equality and openness to new ideas. That is indeed what we are doing at UVM.

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