1994 to 1999

A partial list of reported incidents of racism, homophobia, sexism, and anti-Semitic incidents at UVM from 1994 until Spring 1998.

In Concord, Vermont police investigate a cross burning on the lawn of an African-American man.

In her inaugural speech UVM's 24th President, Judith A. Ramaley, stated: "Both UVM and the people of Vermont have a serious challenge. We must confront a form of racism that is especially difficult to manage because so many of us don´t even understand that we have a problem."

Three hundred faculty, staff and students participated in the second annual "Building Our Community: Dismantling Racism at UVM" learning day November 7 offering 23 workshops. President Ramaley delivered her remarks about the "difficult form of racism" she sees at UVM.

Ramaley has asked members of the ALANA coalition -- an organization of UVM African, Latino, Asian, and Native Americans, primarily faculty, staff and graduate students -- to design an advisory and resource group. The new organization would work with the president, the provost and the Board of Trustees, she said, to create an inclusive environment where all participants are "equally welcome, equally valued and equally heard."

After the workshops, participants divided into small groups to develop steps toward building a non-racist community at UVM.

University administrators are working to stream-line the process by which bias-related incidents are reported at UVM. "Residential Life has a protocol, and now it has been enhanced to publicize such incidents far more widely," said Annie Allen, executive director for cultural pluralism and racial equality. Administrators now are looking into ways to inform the entire campus community about incidents -- including those outside of the residence halls.

"ALANA students say that they this is a hostile environment," Allen said, "At the same time, many people on campus do not recognize or see that this is a problem. So if we bring these incidents to public attention, it will help inform the community of what the real climate is."

A University of Vermont fraternity has been placed under suspension in connection with an alleged hazing incident, Vice President for Student Affairs Dean Batt today announced.

The local Acacia chapter, located at 404 College St., will have to cease all functions -- including meetings, pledge activities and social events -- as a result of the temporary suspension, while an investigation of the alleged incident takes place.

Batt said that Student Affairs officials were notified this morning that Acacia pledges were participating in a scavenger hunt in which they were asked to insult a student of color.

Geoffrey L. Gamble, currently a top administrator at Washington State University (WSU), has been named as the University of Vermont´s next provost. UVM President Judith A. Ramaley today announced Gamble´s appointment to the post as the university´s chief academic officer and number-two administrator. The provost reports directly to the president and is responsible for broad oversight and planning of the university's academic, budgetary and administrative functions.

02 December 1997

Members of Acacia, a University of Vermont fraternity, apologized to the victim of a hazing incident last month, saying the event was a misunderstanding and had no racial intent.

In a four-page letter to Batt, fraternity members tried to explain what happened Nov. 19. As part of a scavenger hunt, pledges were asked to spoof tensions between Iraq and the United States by photographing a pledge giving an obscene gesture to a person from Iraq.

"Our intention was in no way racially motivated," fraternity members wrote. "Although our intentions were not to harass or demean any individuals, the actions obviously did."

03 December 1997

UVM Rally and Speak-out against Racism: In light of the overt acts of racism and other bigotry on campus SPARC and various other student groups held a rally and speak out against racism.

03&09 December 1997

The Burlington Free Press publishes two editorials condemning Vice President Dean Batt's handling of the Acacia incident.

07 February 1998

Students of color vented their frustrations about inaction to the Board of Trustess Student Activities Committee. They lamented how discriminatory incidents against them persist and that no one has led the Office of Multicultural Affairs permanently since Anthony Chavez was fired in 1995.

07 February 1998

UVM Board of Trustees endorses Our Common Ground.

UVM suspends Acacia for two years over hazing incident. President Judith Ramaley issued a statement regarding the incident.

Burlington Free Press Editorial, Lawsuit Dead Ahead, accuses UVM of unjust handling of Acacia incident.

The ALANA student community at UVM presented students, faculty, staff, and members of the Burlington Community with the ALANA Student Action Plan at an Open Forum held at the Campus Center Theater. The students have asked President Ramaley to respond by March 2, 1998.

18 February 1998

A third year ALANA student expresses her views on UVM´s Walk with Racism in the Vermont Times newspaper.

05 March 1998

President Judith Ramaley meet with the UVM community to have a conversation on diversity. This meeting provided an update on the Building Our Community Action Plan and the President´s response to the ALANA Student Action Plan presented in February.

The Executive Officer for Cultural Pluralism and Racial Equality, Annie Allen, distributed a Comprehensive Strategy for Achieving Diversity and Multicultural Education at UVM.

Much of the meeting was spent discussing cartoons (Cartoon 1 and Cartoon 2) which appeared on February 26, 1998 in The Vermont Cynic, the student run newspaper. A student of color spoke about her efforts to address, within the system, the racist cartoons and the effect they had on her personally and on the overall campus climate.

10 March 1998

Acacia is suing the University of Vermont to stop a suspension of the fraternity that was imposed as punishment for a hazing incident in November. In the Burlington Free Press, March 11, 1998, UVM President Ramaley and Donald W. Solanas Jr, International Executive Director of Acacia fraternity present their respective views on the matter.

The U.S. Department of Education´s Office for Civil Rights, in partnership with The University of Vermont, is undertaking a review to understand and assess the changing nature of race relations on college campuses. The focus of the review will be on racial harassment issues.

OCR staff will visit the UVM campus in late April to explore the topic in depth. OCR staff will interact with campus community members in a variety of settings, and will conduct focus groups with university and community groups.

Ramaley will appoint a team -- to be led by Wanda Heading-Grant, executive officer of the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity -- to closely work with OCR to facilitate its review.

16 April 1998

ALANA students call for a boycott of President's Commission on Racial Equality, Student Government Association, Admissions, Class Panels, and Orientation Leaders.

UVM discusses race relations in an open forum as part of the U.S. Department of Education´s Office of Civil Rights partnership review.

The Department of Education Office of Civil Rights issued their initial report of interviews, forums and focus sessions compiled during the week of April 20, 1998 to April 24, 1998 at the University of Vermont. This report is not an assessment nor is it a set of recommendations. The Office of Civil Rights will submit an assessment in four to six weeks.

An ongoing list of reported incidents of racism, homophobia, sexism, and anti-Semitic incidents at UVM.

The U.S. Department of Education´s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), in partnership with UVM, has completed a seven-month review of the campus´ racial climate. President Judith Ramaley, in turn, has announced a series of goals, stemming from this collaboration.

Compare OCR´s review with the Strategic Plan for increasing diversity initiated in a UVM Board of Trustees Resolution, February 4, 1995, and reported in a comprehensive report delivered at the May 1996 Board of Trustee´s meeting.

New Director of ALANA Student Center, Sandra Johnson Spiegel, is announced.

Editorial reaction to President Judith Ramaley´s first State of the University address.

Gov. Howard Dean, Mayor Peter Clavelle and Chuck Ross, a representative from Sen. Patrick Leahy´s office, spoke at the grand opening ceremony of the University of Vermont´s Center for Cultural Pluralism. Ross, Vermont state director for Leahy, a former UVM trustee and an alumnus, will discuss Leahy´s bias-crime legislation.

The center is located in the 160-year-old Allen House at the corner of Main and South Prospect streets. The Center for Cultural Pluralism is open to "anybody who is interested in equity andjustice in the academy," said Annie Allen, executive officer for cultural pluralism and racial equality.

The evening news reported that Govenor Dean attended the ceremony along with others---including members of the tribe of Abenaki who wanted to know why they are still NOT recognized by Dean or the State of Vermont.

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