DEMANDS.
Dear Chancellor Boschini, Dr. Dahlberg, and Texas Christian University Board of Trustees,
As a collective of Texas Christian University (TCU) undergraduate and graduate students from various historically marginalized backgrounds, we are deeply concerned with the allegations against the institution that were raised in the recent lawsuits put forth by “Jane Doe #1” and former TCU faculty member, Dr. Silda Nikaj. Both cases highlight the deep history of unchecked overt and systemic racism that has run rampant at this institution since its founding. As leaders of this university, we call on you to make substantive changes across TCU that will work to transform the campus climate, advance equity, and realize justice through TCU’s meaningful atonement for its white supremacist, patriarchal, classist and ableist past and present. We put forth these demands with the hope that you all will immediately act in good faith. This administration has until Wednesday, February 12, 2020 to publicly respond and commit in writing to our demands. Should our demands not be met, our peers will continue to pressure the university via the legal system and we will continue to exercise our right to protest.
1. WE DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE TERMINATION OF Dr. DIANE SNOW. In her capacity as Dean of the John V. Roach Honors College, Dr. Snow is listed as one of the primary TCU employees that helped create a hostile learning environment for Jane Doe #1. Dr. Snow has been accused of conspiracy, unlawful detainment, assault, retaliation and fraud within the legal case. Additionally, it is alleged that Dr. Snow was intoxicated and disorderly in front of TCU students and abandoned students while serving as a chaperone on an out of state trip. Both of the latter offenses are in clear violation of TCU’s Faculty and Staff Handbook and campus policy. Given Dr. Snow’s heinous acts, it is apparent that she is unfit to serve as a TCU leader, let alone a member of the faculty.
2. WE DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE DEMOTION AND REPLACEMENT OF Dr. Darron Turner. As Chief Inclusion Officer and Title IX Coordinator, Dr. Darron Turner has been tasked with ensuring TCU complies with various federal laws—Equal Employment Opportunity, Title IX, The Age Discrimination Act, etc.— that aim to protect the rights of the most marginalized. This office has a history of mishandling and neglecting various complaints and cases that has not been addressed nor remedied, even under the leadership of Dr. Turner. A position of this magnitude requires a person with extensive legal knowledge and competence in order to accurately and appropriately address the needs of the TCU community. This position would be better suited for someone with an education law and/or civil rights background.
WE PUT FORTH THAT Dr. Turner’s POSITION AND OFFICE BE RESTRUCTURED. We propose that Dr. Turner’s current office in addition to the Office of Compliance led by Chief University Compliance Officer, Andrea Nordmann, be merged and converted into a full-service Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance overseen by a Chief Civil Rights Officer accompanied by three new Directors of Title IX, Equal Employment Opportunity, and Affirmative Action. Furthermore, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion will be renamed the Office of Diversity, EQUITY, and Inclusion and led by a Chief DEI Officer and three new Directors of Student Access and Success, Faculty Access and Success, and Staff Access and Success. In addition to these staff, the office will also include 4 ombudspersons: 2 student representatives, 1 staff representative, and 1 faculty representative. These departments should be audited annually by an external investigative firm to ensure that the department runs effectively and appropriately. These audits should be published and accessible to the entire TCU community. We demand that all new hires for these appointments be made through an external nationwide search and that no internal hire is approved. We also demand that both a historically marginalized graduate and undergraduate student be appointed to the search committee for each position and that they each have a vote.
3. WE DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION AND REMOVAL OF Drs. Russel Mack, Robert Garnett and Frederick Gooding. With these faculty members also being named in Jane Doe #1’s lawsuit we believe that it is important that both faculty members be removed from all university instruction and service work until the university’s external investigation has been completed. It is problematic to continue to allow faculty that have been accused of conspiracy and discrimination to continue to teach. The allegations made by Jane Doe #1 with regards to having her grade manipulated as a form of retaliation is concerning. These faculty members have broken student trust. Moreover, they potentially jeopardize the university’s accreditation and credibility. If either faculty member is being considered for a promotion and/or tenure, we ask that those decisions are not made until the university concludes its external investigation and Jane Doe #1’s lawsuit is resolved.
4. WE DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE DISSOLUTION OF THE JOHN V. ROACH HONORS COLLEGE. While just over ten years old, the Honors College has thrived as a highly selective space for what are often perceived as TCU’s “brightest.” However, many of us have witnessed this space (and its resources) be used to further exclusion, inequities, and racism. The college is overwhelmingly a white space, with few opportunities for historically marginalized students. It should be noted that the college recently updated its Admissions Policy and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts JUST this past Fall, per their own website. The allegations that Jane Doe #1 lays out are not surprising. The college has been given dedicated space, faculty, housing, and often disproportionately more resources than other departments. Students from the Honors College are able to receive a unique experience at TCU that is not afforded to all, even those that often meet the college’s admissions criteria. Moreover, the few historically marginalized students that are in the space are often antagonized by their white peers and professors simply because of their presence. It is for these reasons that we strongly believe that the college should be dissolved.
WE PUT FORTH THAT THE JOHN V. ROACH HONORS COLLEGE BE DISSOLVED AND MADE INTO A PROGRAM. There are many peer and aspirant institutions where Honors students are enrolled in a program NOT a college with the types of privileges and excess that have been afforded to ours. So, such a move would not be unheard of. All Honors faculty should be relocated to departments reflective of the disciplines they currently teach at the College. Given the creation of the new School of Interdisciplinary Studies, we view this School as a potential site to house the Honors program. We also demand that all Honors College program and staff funding, office and classroom space, housing, and unused tenure lines be reallocated to departments and programs that are best positioned to tackle DEI—the Department of Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies, Women and Gender Studies, the Africana/African American Studies Program, and the Latinx Studies Program. We demand that Honors housing be converted to accommodate themed-living learning communities for Black, Latinx, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Native American/Indigenous, and LGBTQ students.
5. WE DEMAND A PUBLIC WRITTEN COMMITMENT FROM THE TCU BOARD OF TRUSTEES, CHANCELLOR VICTOR BOSCHINI, AND VICE CHANCELLOR KATHYRN CAVINS-TULL TO BUILD A CROSS-CULTURAL STUDENT CENTER WITHIN THE NEXT THREE ACADEMIC YEARS. For far too long have students at TCU not been privy to the many resources, spaces, programming, and support that are accessible at most universities, including a center dedicated to the recruitment, retention, support, and visibility of students of color and LGBTQ students. We have been told time and time again that we have to wait for space. A new administrative building and additional football stadium skyboxes were both seen as priorities while providing historically marginalized students with a space remains on the backburner. This is unacceptable and we demand a new multi-floor building on this campus!
WE PUT FORTH THAT THE NEW CROSS-CULTURAL STUDENT CENTER BE IN DEVELOPMENT AND NEAR COMPLETION WITHIN THE NEXT THREE ACADEMIC YEARS. This building should be on par with all university buildings with regards to staffing, technology, and funding. This space should include a recruitment and retention office dedicated to working with historically marginalized students. This space should include a library filled with books and media reflective of our diverse histories and scholarship. This space should be provided funding to develop identity-relevant programming for students, like Native American Heritage Month, Black History Month, Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Latinx Heritage Month, Pride Month and other identity-relevant celebrations. This space should include a Gender Resource Office. This space should include ample study and lounge space, and be decorated to reflect our various cultures. This space should include conference rooms that will allow marginalized students to hold meetings and gather for social, academic, and/or professional planning. This space should also include a tutoring/writing center staffed with tutors and educators that reflect the cultural backgrounds of the students the building aims to serve. This space should also have office space for additional mental health counselors of color. This space should include gender-neutral bathrooms that are easily accessible. This space should also include campus restaurants that reflect the various cultural cuisines of Black, Latinx, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Native American/Indigenous students. These restaurants should also accommodate various dietary needs and restrictions such as plant-based diets, gluten-free diets, and religious diets. These eateries should be included within existing TCU meal plan options, accept both campus cash and meal swipes, and offer late night service. During the development of this center, we demand that students are actively included in the process. We demand that various student representatives from historically marginalized backgrounds be appointed to the taskforce assigned to complete the project. We demand that this new cross-cultural student center is funded by a separate endowment, NOT by university general funds that can be reallocated or defunded; only increased.
WE ALSO PUT FORTH THAT THE NEW CROSS-CULTURAL STUDENT CENTER BE COMPRISED OF SEPARATE OFFICES FOR EACH REFLECTED IDENTITY (i.e. Black, Latinx, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Native American/Indigenous, Women, and LGBTQ). Each office should be staffed with its own qualified Director, Assistant Director, and at least three non-student support staff. We demand that all new hires for these appointments be made through an external nationwide search and that no internal hire is approved. We also demand that both a historically marginalized graduate and undergraduate student be appointed to the search committee for each position and that they each have a vote. These personnel would be in charge of planning and executing culturally-relevant programming for students.
6. WE DEMAND THAT THE NEW CROSS-CULTURAL STUDENT CENTER BE NAMED THE FRED ROUSE STUDENT COMMUNITY CENTER TO COMMEMORATE HIS LIFE AND PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE VIOLENT LYNCHING IN WHICH TCU FACULTY AND STUDENTS PARTOOK AND SUPPORTED IN 1921.
WE ALSO DEMAND THAT THE FOUNDER’S STATUES BE REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A PLAQUE THAT EXPLICITLY ACKNOWLEDGES THEIR PARTICIPATION AS CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS IN THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR. THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE CONFEDERACY SHOULD ALSO BE MENTIONED IN EVERY OTHER PUBLIC AND WRITTEN HISTORICAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND COMMEMORATION OF THE FOUNDERS, Addison and Randolph Clark.
If TCU is truly committed to “examining and understanding” its racist history as stated in response to the recent lawsuit concerning Jane Doe #1, the university must begin with explicitly and publicly acknowledging the racism, classism, and sexism upon which it was founded and has continued to thrive. Likewise, the university must actively commit to dismantling such structures that continue to plague this campus and inhibit the full realization of its mission statement. “Ethical leaders” cannot only “think” about ways to resolve such issues, they must also “act”. “Responsible citizens” cannot only serve those who think and look like themselves, they must extend service to the entire “global community”.
7. WE DEMAND THAT THE UNIVERSITY IMPLEMENT ZERO-TOLERANCE HARSH SANCTIONING AGAINST HATE SPEECH AND PROPAGANDA (e.g. slurs, symbols, manifestos, flyers etc.) USED OR SPREAD BY MEMBERS OF THE TCU COMMUNITY (i.e. students, faculty, and staff). Those who are found guilty of committing or engaging in such actions will be subject to suspension for their first offense and expulsion for any offense thereafter. This sanctioning will be added to the Student Code of Conduct and publicly announced to the campus community by administration.
8. WE DEMAND THAT THE UNIVERSITY IMMEDIATELY ERECT A BEST PRACTICES TASK FORCE FOR NON-BINARY AND TRANS STUDENTS. This task force will be comprised of staff members representative of the following departments: housing and residence life, Greek life, campus life, the Rec center, the health center, and the counseling center led by a professional or expert within non-binary and/or trans activism or Queer studies. This expert will also serve as a personal consultant for students.
WE ALSO PUT FORTH THAT THE UNIVERSITY MAKES PUBLIC STATEMENT THAT EXPLICITLY AFFIRM AND SUPPORT LGBTQ STUDENTS IN RESPONSE TO PUBLIC HOMOPHOBIC AND TRANSPHOBIC SPEECH, PROPAGANDA, AND/OR ACTIONS.
9. WE DEMAND A PUBLIC WRITTEN COMMITMENT FROM CHANCELLOR VICTOR BOSHINI AND PROVOST/VICE CHANCELLOR TERESA DAHLBERG TO INCREASE FACULTY DIVERSITY VIA CLUSTER HIRES ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY AND ADDITIONAL TENURE TRACK LINES PROVIDED TO CRES AND WGST. TCU’s faculty membership is overwhelmingly white and male. Many of TCU’s faculty are also not teaching or researching in cutting-edge fields or new areas of study. We need to work to transform and diversify the faculty. We put forth that the university actively recruit ten scholars during the 2020-2021 academic year via a cluster hire. Candidates for the cluster hire should be expected to have expertise in an Ethnic Studies area—African American Studies, Chicanx/Latinx Studies, Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies, Native American Studies—or Women and Gender Studies (prioritizing transnational feminism, Black feminism, Native American feminism, Asian American feminism, Queer Studies, and Trans Studies) and a traditional field like, History, English, Biology, Political Science, Journalism, or Business. With this cluster hire, TCU would then be able to bring in qualified and diverse faculty with a critical race and/or gender background to teach in traditional departments. These hires should be made at the Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor rank.
We also put forth that CRES and WGST be allocated at least one tenure/tenure track line (at the rank of Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor) for the next five academic years to adequately grow the departments and to put them on parity with existing departments. More faculty in the aforementioned departments will result in increased course offerings that will certainly satisfy the DEI core requirement.
10. WE DEMAND IMMEDIATE TRANSPARENCY AND AN ANNUAL REPORTING OF RECEIVED TITLE IX AND OTHER CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINTS.
11. WE DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION OF THE FINDINGS FROM ALL CAMPUS CLIMATE SURVEYS. We also demand that a campus-wide climate survey be conducted every three to five years and the results are shared with the TCU community, including alumni.
12. WE DEMAND THAT THE UNIVERSITY IMMEDIATELY CREATE AND PUBLISH A CAMPUS MAP THAT EXPLICITLY DISPLAYS ACCESSIBILITY POINTS AND SERVICES ON CAMPUS. THIS MAP SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT RESOURCES AND SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
WE ALSO PUT FORTH THAT THE UNIVERSITY OFFER HYBRID COURSES THAT WILL ACCOMMODATE THE NEEDS OF NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
13. WE DEMAND INCREASED FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED AND VULNERABLE STUDENTS. Given the high cost to attend TCU, many people from historically marginalized communities and even middle-income families are not able to even consider the institution as an option for higher education. TCU is able to maintain the dismal racial demographics that it has because of the inflated cost of tuition and fees, which continues to rise every year. For this reason, we demand that the university dramatically increase the staffing, programming, and scholarship budgets for the Community Scholars and STEM Scholars programs. Additionally, we demand that the university aggressively invest in merit/academic scholarships specifically for students from historically marginalized communities that exist outside of the current Community Scholars and STEM Scholars programs. As the cost of attendance continuously rises, gift aid should also increase to accommodate the ever-growing population of marginalized, financially disadvantaged, and even middle-class families who cannot afford the institution.
We also demand that the university increase funding for some of the most vulnerable students on campus—graduate students. There are currently graduate students on campus that are making well below a livable wage while being threatened if they take on any other forms of employment. This is shameful and must be fixed immediately. Graduate students are deserving of living stipends that match or are similar to what other graduate students in the region and state earn. Graduate funding packages must also include summer funding and opportunities for conference travel and research funds.
14. WE DEMAND THAT THE DEI-CORE REQUIREMENT BE OVERSEEN BY THE SCHOOL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES, SPECIFICALLY CRES AND WGST FACULTY. We strongly believe that faculty in these departments are best suited to assess and roll-out DEI courses across the campus as they possess the necessary skills (in being able to work with diverse groups), knowledge and expertise, and backgrounds. Any attempts at having faculty from other departments with minimal experience in teaching specifically about race, gender, class, ability, etc. is insufficient and, as Jane Doe #1 notes, fraud. Moreover, we do not believe that faculty can simply be trained to teach about diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. Thus, any attempt at offering faculty in other departments training is also insufficient. We don’t simply offer training in Chemistry for faculty in other departments to teach Chemistry; the same should not be done in this case.
15. WE DEMAND THAT THE TCU BOARD OF TRUSTEES COMMITS IN WRITING TO EXPANDING THE BOARD BY TWO SEATS WITH VOTING POWER FOR A HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE.
16. WE DEMAND THAT FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE PROGRAMS BECOME INCLUSIVE AND PRIORITIZE THE EXPERIENCES AND NEEDS OF HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED STUDENTS. Students from historically marginalized backgrounds, both within and especially outside of scholarship programs and athletic communities, have a unique transition period and tend to be at a higher-risk of experiencing isolation and disconnection from the TCU community. In an effort to directly combat this issue and strengthen the retention of these students, we demand that funding be allocated to create culturally and identity relevant programming and curriculum that is specific and sensitive to the unique experiences of marginalized students and their entrance into the university. This programming should include opportunities for historically marginalized students to find community among one another, meet faculty/staff from similar backgrounds and who share similar identities, and learn about campus resources specific to their communities and/or experiences.
17. WE DEMAND THAT HIGH-PROFILE CAMPUS ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS HOSTED BY THE END AND THE CREW REFLECT THE INTERESTS AND CULTURES OF EVERY HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY (i.e. Black, Latinx, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Native American/Indigenous, and LGBTQ) BE BROUGHT TO CAMPUS BY THE END OF EVERY ACADEMIC YEAR. This includes, but is not limited to, vocal and instrumental artists, comedians, public figures and celebrities.
18. WE DEMAND A MORE DEMOCRATIC AND INCLUSIVE STUDENT GOVERNING SYSTEM. The current Student Government Association (SGA) is explicitly representative of TCU’s systemic exclusion of marginalized students. Every fabric of this association, especially its election system, disproportionately privileges IFC and Panhellenic recruits who have access to larger populations of students. This association’s illusion of democracy directly supports and perpetuates nepotism and the erasure of marginalized voices and power.
Therefore, we demand that class representative elections be moved to the end of fall semester. This will allow students to adequately become acquainted with all candidates and provide more students the opportunity to learn about SGA and the opportunity to serve their class as a representative. Moreover, the number of class representatives should be increased to one representative per 500 students for every class. Additionally, a supplemental endowment fund comparable to the budget of the SGA budget must be created to automatically fund TCU organizations for and by students of color, LGBTQ and other marginalized identities each and every academic year. These funds cannot be reallocated or decreased; only increased.
While we expect to be met with concerns around where funding will come from to meet these demands, we call on you as leaders to engage this as an equity-driven project. By this we mean that it is high time that TCU aggressively allocate and invest in areas (as listed above) that have either been intentionally underfunded or have barely received funding. This also means that areas that have been privileged should be in part divested from. We provided an example of reallocating the funds, resources, and space from the John V. Roach Honors College to grow CRES and WGST. The budgets of athletics, TCU Police, TCU Student Government Association, Fraternity & Greek Life, and major campus events like the annual Christmas Tree Lighting, and money frivolously spent on fireworks, travel, food and campus swag should all be reduced to offset costs that may be incurred to meet our demands and vision for a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus.
Sincerely,
Coalition for University Justice & Equity (CUJE)
As a collective of Texas Christian University (TCU) undergraduate and graduate students from various historically marginalized backgrounds, we are deeply concerned with the allegations against the institution that were raised in the recent lawsuits put forth by “Jane Doe #1” and former TCU faculty member, Dr. Silda Nikaj. Both cases highlight the deep history of unchecked overt and systemic racism that has run rampant at this institution since its founding. As leaders of this university, we call on you to make substantive changes across TCU that will work to transform the campus climate, advance equity, and realize justice through TCU’s meaningful atonement for its white supremacist, patriarchal, classist and ableist past and present. We put forth these demands with the hope that you all will immediately act in good faith. This administration has until Wednesday, February 12, 2020 to publicly respond and commit in writing to our demands. Should our demands not be met, our peers will continue to pressure the university via the legal system and we will continue to exercise our right to protest.
1. WE DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE TERMINATION OF Dr. DIANE SNOW. In her capacity as Dean of the John V. Roach Honors College, Dr. Snow is listed as one of the primary TCU employees that helped create a hostile learning environment for Jane Doe #1. Dr. Snow has been accused of conspiracy, unlawful detainment, assault, retaliation and fraud within the legal case. Additionally, it is alleged that Dr. Snow was intoxicated and disorderly in front of TCU students and abandoned students while serving as a chaperone on an out of state trip. Both of the latter offenses are in clear violation of TCU’s Faculty and Staff Handbook and campus policy. Given Dr. Snow’s heinous acts, it is apparent that she is unfit to serve as a TCU leader, let alone a member of the faculty.
2. WE DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE DEMOTION AND REPLACEMENT OF Dr. Darron Turner. As Chief Inclusion Officer and Title IX Coordinator, Dr. Darron Turner has been tasked with ensuring TCU complies with various federal laws—Equal Employment Opportunity, Title IX, The Age Discrimination Act, etc.— that aim to protect the rights of the most marginalized. This office has a history of mishandling and neglecting various complaints and cases that has not been addressed nor remedied, even under the leadership of Dr. Turner. A position of this magnitude requires a person with extensive legal knowledge and competence in order to accurately and appropriately address the needs of the TCU community. This position would be better suited for someone with an education law and/or civil rights background.
WE PUT FORTH THAT Dr. Turner’s POSITION AND OFFICE BE RESTRUCTURED. We propose that Dr. Turner’s current office in addition to the Office of Compliance led by Chief University Compliance Officer, Andrea Nordmann, be merged and converted into a full-service Office of Investigations and Civil Rights Compliance overseen by a Chief Civil Rights Officer accompanied by three new Directors of Title IX, Equal Employment Opportunity, and Affirmative Action. Furthermore, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion will be renamed the Office of Diversity, EQUITY, and Inclusion and led by a Chief DEI Officer and three new Directors of Student Access and Success, Faculty Access and Success, and Staff Access and Success. In addition to these staff, the office will also include 4 ombudspersons: 2 student representatives, 1 staff representative, and 1 faculty representative. These departments should be audited annually by an external investigative firm to ensure that the department runs effectively and appropriately. These audits should be published and accessible to the entire TCU community. We demand that all new hires for these appointments be made through an external nationwide search and that no internal hire is approved. We also demand that both a historically marginalized graduate and undergraduate student be appointed to the search committee for each position and that they each have a vote.
3. WE DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION AND REMOVAL OF Drs. Russel Mack, Robert Garnett and Frederick Gooding. With these faculty members also being named in Jane Doe #1’s lawsuit we believe that it is important that both faculty members be removed from all university instruction and service work until the university’s external investigation has been completed. It is problematic to continue to allow faculty that have been accused of conspiracy and discrimination to continue to teach. The allegations made by Jane Doe #1 with regards to having her grade manipulated as a form of retaliation is concerning. These faculty members have broken student trust. Moreover, they potentially jeopardize the university’s accreditation and credibility. If either faculty member is being considered for a promotion and/or tenure, we ask that those decisions are not made until the university concludes its external investigation and Jane Doe #1’s lawsuit is resolved.
4. WE DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE DISSOLUTION OF THE JOHN V. ROACH HONORS COLLEGE. While just over ten years old, the Honors College has thrived as a highly selective space for what are often perceived as TCU’s “brightest.” However, many of us have witnessed this space (and its resources) be used to further exclusion, inequities, and racism. The college is overwhelmingly a white space, with few opportunities for historically marginalized students. It should be noted that the college recently updated its Admissions Policy and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts JUST this past Fall, per their own website. The allegations that Jane Doe #1 lays out are not surprising. The college has been given dedicated space, faculty, housing, and often disproportionately more resources than other departments. Students from the Honors College are able to receive a unique experience at TCU that is not afforded to all, even those that often meet the college’s admissions criteria. Moreover, the few historically marginalized students that are in the space are often antagonized by their white peers and professors simply because of their presence. It is for these reasons that we strongly believe that the college should be dissolved.
WE PUT FORTH THAT THE JOHN V. ROACH HONORS COLLEGE BE DISSOLVED AND MADE INTO A PROGRAM. There are many peer and aspirant institutions where Honors students are enrolled in a program NOT a college with the types of privileges and excess that have been afforded to ours. So, such a move would not be unheard of. All Honors faculty should be relocated to departments reflective of the disciplines they currently teach at the College. Given the creation of the new School of Interdisciplinary Studies, we view this School as a potential site to house the Honors program. We also demand that all Honors College program and staff funding, office and classroom space, housing, and unused tenure lines be reallocated to departments and programs that are best positioned to tackle DEI—the Department of Comparative Race and Ethnic Studies, Women and Gender Studies, the Africana/African American Studies Program, and the Latinx Studies Program. We demand that Honors housing be converted to accommodate themed-living learning communities for Black, Latinx, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Native American/Indigenous, and LGBTQ students.
5. WE DEMAND A PUBLIC WRITTEN COMMITMENT FROM THE TCU BOARD OF TRUSTEES, CHANCELLOR VICTOR BOSCHINI, AND VICE CHANCELLOR KATHYRN CAVINS-TULL TO BUILD A CROSS-CULTURAL STUDENT CENTER WITHIN THE NEXT THREE ACADEMIC YEARS. For far too long have students at TCU not been privy to the many resources, spaces, programming, and support that are accessible at most universities, including a center dedicated to the recruitment, retention, support, and visibility of students of color and LGBTQ students. We have been told time and time again that we have to wait for space. A new administrative building and additional football stadium skyboxes were both seen as priorities while providing historically marginalized students with a space remains on the backburner. This is unacceptable and we demand a new multi-floor building on this campus!
WE PUT FORTH THAT THE NEW CROSS-CULTURAL STUDENT CENTER BE IN DEVELOPMENT AND NEAR COMPLETION WITHIN THE NEXT THREE ACADEMIC YEARS. This building should be on par with all university buildings with regards to staffing, technology, and funding. This space should include a recruitment and retention office dedicated to working with historically marginalized students. This space should include a library filled with books and media reflective of our diverse histories and scholarship. This space should be provided funding to develop identity-relevant programming for students, like Native American Heritage Month, Black History Month, Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Latinx Heritage Month, Pride Month and other identity-relevant celebrations. This space should include a Gender Resource Office. This space should include ample study and lounge space, and be decorated to reflect our various cultures. This space should include conference rooms that will allow marginalized students to hold meetings and gather for social, academic, and/or professional planning. This space should also include a tutoring/writing center staffed with tutors and educators that reflect the cultural backgrounds of the students the building aims to serve. This space should also have office space for additional mental health counselors of color. This space should include gender-neutral bathrooms that are easily accessible. This space should also include campus restaurants that reflect the various cultural cuisines of Black, Latinx, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Native American/Indigenous students. These restaurants should also accommodate various dietary needs and restrictions such as plant-based diets, gluten-free diets, and religious diets. These eateries should be included within existing TCU meal plan options, accept both campus cash and meal swipes, and offer late night service. During the development of this center, we demand that students are actively included in the process. We demand that various student representatives from historically marginalized backgrounds be appointed to the taskforce assigned to complete the project. We demand that this new cross-cultural student center is funded by a separate endowment, NOT by university general funds that can be reallocated or defunded; only increased.
WE ALSO PUT FORTH THAT THE NEW CROSS-CULTURAL STUDENT CENTER BE COMPRISED OF SEPARATE OFFICES FOR EACH REFLECTED IDENTITY (i.e. Black, Latinx, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Native American/Indigenous, Women, and LGBTQ). Each office should be staffed with its own qualified Director, Assistant Director, and at least three non-student support staff. We demand that all new hires for these appointments be made through an external nationwide search and that no internal hire is approved. We also demand that both a historically marginalized graduate and undergraduate student be appointed to the search committee for each position and that they each have a vote. These personnel would be in charge of planning and executing culturally-relevant programming for students.
6. WE DEMAND THAT THE NEW CROSS-CULTURAL STUDENT CENTER BE NAMED THE FRED ROUSE STUDENT COMMUNITY CENTER TO COMMEMORATE HIS LIFE AND PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE VIOLENT LYNCHING IN WHICH TCU FACULTY AND STUDENTS PARTOOK AND SUPPORTED IN 1921.
WE ALSO DEMAND THAT THE FOUNDER’S STATUES BE REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH A PLAQUE THAT EXPLICITLY ACKNOWLEDGES THEIR PARTICIPATION AS CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS IN THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR. THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE CONFEDERACY SHOULD ALSO BE MENTIONED IN EVERY OTHER PUBLIC AND WRITTEN HISTORICAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND COMMEMORATION OF THE FOUNDERS, Addison and Randolph Clark.
If TCU is truly committed to “examining and understanding” its racist history as stated in response to the recent lawsuit concerning Jane Doe #1, the university must begin with explicitly and publicly acknowledging the racism, classism, and sexism upon which it was founded and has continued to thrive. Likewise, the university must actively commit to dismantling such structures that continue to plague this campus and inhibit the full realization of its mission statement. “Ethical leaders” cannot only “think” about ways to resolve such issues, they must also “act”. “Responsible citizens” cannot only serve those who think and look like themselves, they must extend service to the entire “global community”.
7. WE DEMAND THAT THE UNIVERSITY IMPLEMENT ZERO-TOLERANCE HARSH SANCTIONING AGAINST HATE SPEECH AND PROPAGANDA (e.g. slurs, symbols, manifestos, flyers etc.) USED OR SPREAD BY MEMBERS OF THE TCU COMMUNITY (i.e. students, faculty, and staff). Those who are found guilty of committing or engaging in such actions will be subject to suspension for their first offense and expulsion for any offense thereafter. This sanctioning will be added to the Student Code of Conduct and publicly announced to the campus community by administration.
8. WE DEMAND THAT THE UNIVERSITY IMMEDIATELY ERECT A BEST PRACTICES TASK FORCE FOR NON-BINARY AND TRANS STUDENTS. This task force will be comprised of staff members representative of the following departments: housing and residence life, Greek life, campus life, the Rec center, the health center, and the counseling center led by a professional or expert within non-binary and/or trans activism or Queer studies. This expert will also serve as a personal consultant for students.
WE ALSO PUT FORTH THAT THE UNIVERSITY MAKES PUBLIC STATEMENT THAT EXPLICITLY AFFIRM AND SUPPORT LGBTQ STUDENTS IN RESPONSE TO PUBLIC HOMOPHOBIC AND TRANSPHOBIC SPEECH, PROPAGANDA, AND/OR ACTIONS.
9. WE DEMAND A PUBLIC WRITTEN COMMITMENT FROM CHANCELLOR VICTOR BOSHINI AND PROVOST/VICE CHANCELLOR TERESA DAHLBERG TO INCREASE FACULTY DIVERSITY VIA CLUSTER HIRES ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY AND ADDITIONAL TENURE TRACK LINES PROVIDED TO CRES AND WGST. TCU’s faculty membership is overwhelmingly white and male. Many of TCU’s faculty are also not teaching or researching in cutting-edge fields or new areas of study. We need to work to transform and diversify the faculty. We put forth that the university actively recruit ten scholars during the 2020-2021 academic year via a cluster hire. Candidates for the cluster hire should be expected to have expertise in an Ethnic Studies area—African American Studies, Chicanx/Latinx Studies, Asian American and Pacific Islander Studies, Native American Studies—or Women and Gender Studies (prioritizing transnational feminism, Black feminism, Native American feminism, Asian American feminism, Queer Studies, and Trans Studies) and a traditional field like, History, English, Biology, Political Science, Journalism, or Business. With this cluster hire, TCU would then be able to bring in qualified and diverse faculty with a critical race and/or gender background to teach in traditional departments. These hires should be made at the Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor rank.
We also put forth that CRES and WGST be allocated at least one tenure/tenure track line (at the rank of Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor) for the next five academic years to adequately grow the departments and to put them on parity with existing departments. More faculty in the aforementioned departments will result in increased course offerings that will certainly satisfy the DEI core requirement.
10. WE DEMAND IMMEDIATE TRANSPARENCY AND AN ANNUAL REPORTING OF RECEIVED TITLE IX AND OTHER CIVIL RIGHTS COMPLAINTS.
11. WE DEMAND THE IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION OF THE FINDINGS FROM ALL CAMPUS CLIMATE SURVEYS. We also demand that a campus-wide climate survey be conducted every three to five years and the results are shared with the TCU community, including alumni.
12. WE DEMAND THAT THE UNIVERSITY IMMEDIATELY CREATE AND PUBLISH A CAMPUS MAP THAT EXPLICITLY DISPLAYS ACCESSIBILITY POINTS AND SERVICES ON CAMPUS. THIS MAP SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT RESOURCES AND SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
WE ALSO PUT FORTH THAT THE UNIVERSITY OFFER HYBRID COURSES THAT WILL ACCOMMODATE THE NEEDS OF NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
13. WE DEMAND INCREASED FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED AND VULNERABLE STUDENTS. Given the high cost to attend TCU, many people from historically marginalized communities and even middle-income families are not able to even consider the institution as an option for higher education. TCU is able to maintain the dismal racial demographics that it has because of the inflated cost of tuition and fees, which continues to rise every year. For this reason, we demand that the university dramatically increase the staffing, programming, and scholarship budgets for the Community Scholars and STEM Scholars programs. Additionally, we demand that the university aggressively invest in merit/academic scholarships specifically for students from historically marginalized communities that exist outside of the current Community Scholars and STEM Scholars programs. As the cost of attendance continuously rises, gift aid should also increase to accommodate the ever-growing population of marginalized, financially disadvantaged, and even middle-class families who cannot afford the institution.
We also demand that the university increase funding for some of the most vulnerable students on campus—graduate students. There are currently graduate students on campus that are making well below a livable wage while being threatened if they take on any other forms of employment. This is shameful and must be fixed immediately. Graduate students are deserving of living stipends that match or are similar to what other graduate students in the region and state earn. Graduate funding packages must also include summer funding and opportunities for conference travel and research funds.
14. WE DEMAND THAT THE DEI-CORE REQUIREMENT BE OVERSEEN BY THE SCHOOL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES, SPECIFICALLY CRES AND WGST FACULTY. We strongly believe that faculty in these departments are best suited to assess and roll-out DEI courses across the campus as they possess the necessary skills (in being able to work with diverse groups), knowledge and expertise, and backgrounds. Any attempts at having faculty from other departments with minimal experience in teaching specifically about race, gender, class, ability, etc. is insufficient and, as Jane Doe #1 notes, fraud. Moreover, we do not believe that faculty can simply be trained to teach about diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. Thus, any attempt at offering faculty in other departments training is also insufficient. We don’t simply offer training in Chemistry for faculty in other departments to teach Chemistry; the same should not be done in this case.
15. WE DEMAND THAT THE TCU BOARD OF TRUSTEES COMMITS IN WRITING TO EXPANDING THE BOARD BY TWO SEATS WITH VOTING POWER FOR A HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE.
16. WE DEMAND THAT FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE PROGRAMS BECOME INCLUSIVE AND PRIORITIZE THE EXPERIENCES AND NEEDS OF HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED STUDENTS. Students from historically marginalized backgrounds, both within and especially outside of scholarship programs and athletic communities, have a unique transition period and tend to be at a higher-risk of experiencing isolation and disconnection from the TCU community. In an effort to directly combat this issue and strengthen the retention of these students, we demand that funding be allocated to create culturally and identity relevant programming and curriculum that is specific and sensitive to the unique experiences of marginalized students and their entrance into the university. This programming should include opportunities for historically marginalized students to find community among one another, meet faculty/staff from similar backgrounds and who share similar identities, and learn about campus resources specific to their communities and/or experiences.
17. WE DEMAND THAT HIGH-PROFILE CAMPUS ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS HOSTED BY THE END AND THE CREW REFLECT THE INTERESTS AND CULTURES OF EVERY HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY (i.e. Black, Latinx, Asian American and Pacific Islander, Native American/Indigenous, and LGBTQ) BE BROUGHT TO CAMPUS BY THE END OF EVERY ACADEMIC YEAR. This includes, but is not limited to, vocal and instrumental artists, comedians, public figures and celebrities.
18. WE DEMAND A MORE DEMOCRATIC AND INCLUSIVE STUDENT GOVERNING SYSTEM. The current Student Government Association (SGA) is explicitly representative of TCU’s systemic exclusion of marginalized students. Every fabric of this association, especially its election system, disproportionately privileges IFC and Panhellenic recruits who have access to larger populations of students. This association’s illusion of democracy directly supports and perpetuates nepotism and the erasure of marginalized voices and power.
Therefore, we demand that class representative elections be moved to the end of fall semester. This will allow students to adequately become acquainted with all candidates and provide more students the opportunity to learn about SGA and the opportunity to serve their class as a representative. Moreover, the number of class representatives should be increased to one representative per 500 students for every class. Additionally, a supplemental endowment fund comparable to the budget of the SGA budget must be created to automatically fund TCU organizations for and by students of color, LGBTQ and other marginalized identities each and every academic year. These funds cannot be reallocated or decreased; only increased.
While we expect to be met with concerns around where funding will come from to meet these demands, we call on you as leaders to engage this as an equity-driven project. By this we mean that it is high time that TCU aggressively allocate and invest in areas (as listed above) that have either been intentionally underfunded or have barely received funding. This also means that areas that have been privileged should be in part divested from. We provided an example of reallocating the funds, resources, and space from the John V. Roach Honors College to grow CRES and WGST. The budgets of athletics, TCU Police, TCU Student Government Association, Fraternity & Greek Life, and major campus events like the annual Christmas Tree Lighting, and money frivolously spent on fireworks, travel, food and campus swag should all be reduced to offset costs that may be incurred to meet our demands and vision for a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus.
Sincerely,
Coalition for University Justice & Equity (CUJE)