Degrees of contention

Large public institutions sometimes seem immune to controversy. In just this semester at IU-Bloomington, the Indiana Daily Student editorial board has highlighted the lack of a student vote on the General Education Committee, the many problems with Webmail, the lack of an undergraduate or Bloomington student representative in the IU presidential search and more. The response? Silence.\nThe IUPUI chapter of the Black Student Union can't let this happen to it, not if it is serious about a multicultural center, an African-American studies major and $78,000 to support campus initiatives. Two weeks ago, the Black Student Union gave the IUPUI an ultimatum: Provide the long-overdue resources listed above or face a lawsuit. The group's president, Dominic Dorsey, has since changed his approach, saying, "Dissatisfied minority students are not going to file a lawsuit" -- \nat least not immediately. \nAnd we agree with the Black Student Union on this, as a lawsuit is probably premature. Nevertheless, whether through petitions, demonstrations or editorials, students both at IUPUI and IUB need to make their voices heard by the IUPUI administration and officials of the IU system. \nIn response to the group's concerns, IUPUI officials have written that to "request for results is reasonable, and (they) are committed to working with (Dorsey) and with other fellow students, staff and faculty to respond." But the Black Student Union has rejected the administration's offer, calling it "unsatisfactory" and incomplete. Why? Dorsey explained to the IDS that the IUPUI administration "didn't properly outline a timeline to have all of their initiatives achieved, and they didn't address the issues of the cultural center or an African-American undergraduate studies degree or a definitive cultural initiative."\nAgain, we understand where Dorsey is coming from. Because the student body rotates so quickly, student organizations lack the institutional memory administrations have. Dorsey is already a senior, and the IUPUI administration might try to wait out the storm, banking that he will graduate and not be succeeded. This tactic has a well-proven track record in thwarting the demands of those student groups that are not sufficiently mobilized to achieve reforms quickly. \nHowever, there is no reason to believe that some proposed reforms could not be achieved quickly. A multicultural center might take a few years to build, but there seems little reason why an African-American studies major could not be arranged in the near future (we'd be very surprised if the faculty of IUPUI's African-American studies program put up a lot of resistance to offering a degree, for example). \nIndeed, IUPUI Black Student Union member Jocellyn Ford, a senior, indicated that the administration simply being involved in the organization's activities would be an improvement. \n"We don't see administrators at any of our educational functions, yet they are quick to go to the (Black Student Union) during one of our parties to make sure nothing's happening that's not supposed to be," she said. \nTomorrow is the administration's deadline, which the Black Student Union extended, to rethink its offer. If diversity is more than a word at IUPUI, the university will give the group's demands the full respect they deserve.