SUNY chancellor: Situation at Brockport 'unacceptable,' will visit campus

Calling the current racial climate at The College at Brockport "unacceptable," SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson is intervening and plans to visit the campus in the near future.

Johnson outlined several efforts aimed at addressing concerns. Those include assigning outside staff to assist and assess diversity efforts, and promises to revamp the bias reporting process as well as develop a plan to diversity what she called "diversity deserts" that exist in some college departments.

The chancellor described the plan in a Thursday letter to Mayor Lovely Warren. Brockport President Heidi Macpherson highlighted the same when addressing a student protest midday outside her office.

“Please know that these actions are just the beginning," Macpherson said. "I will continue to do everything in my power to help rebuild what has been broken on campus."

Warren had written to Johnson expressing "grave concern and frustration" about the college in light of the recent dismissal of chief diversity officer Cephus Archie.

"I am aware of the situation on the campus, and it is disheartening to learn that you feel our students, faculty and staff of color do not feel welcome," Johnson wrote in her reply letter. "This is not acceptable, and I want you to know that my commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is unwavering, and I do not take their trepidation lightly."

Racially based disparities alleged

This week brought the resignation of the college's diversity recruiter for faculty and staff. Also on Thursday, the college's Faculty and Staff of Color wrote to Macpherson demanding similar actions along with Archie's reinstatement and mental health support for students of color, noting a lack of diversity in counseling center staff.

"The structural and systemic racism we have observed and experienced is deeply rooted and goes beyond particular personalities and distressing anecdotes," read the faculty and staff letter. "It is manifested in differences in the application of policies, employee evaluation processes, compensation disparities, campus governance, hiring

and search processes, distribution of resources, and most vitally the lack of focused critical support to increase the academic success of underrepresented students, particularly students of color."

"It has become evident that a system and practice of racially based disparities exists, which excludes and/or renders non-whites, particularly Blacks and Hispanics, invisible, steadily neglecting and suppressing the needs and interests of persons of color," reads the letter from faculty and staff, alleging disparities in employee evaluation processes, compensation, academic support, hiring and search processes.

"This negligence trivializes persons of color and the great potential within each of them," the letter continues. "There is no shortage of evidence of these biased practices from our collective years at The College. The trivialization of our complaints and verified experiences is borne of apparent contempt for things and people that are seen as necessary 'evils.'"

Students have also set demands

The letter is not signed by any individuals, in part out of fear of retaliation, said Douglas Thomas, associate professor and chairman of the African and African-American Studies Department. He liked what he heard from the chancellor and president. Students have also set forth demands, he said.

"I have the attitude of wait and see," Thomas said, explaining he had told Macpherson as much as past promises have been followed with inaction.

The group has asked Macpherson to respond by Feb. 19.

In a statement, Warren said that while "heartened to know that a plan has been put into place" it was imperative that all parties work in concert to improve the situation.

"I am also aware that SUNY Brockport’s students, who are the most important in this matter, are continuing to protest the circumstances at the college," the mayor said, "making the need for action even more critical."

Both Johnson and Macpherson claimed ownership of the plan.

Johnson sent a delegation to campus back on Feb. 3, meeting with faculty, staff and students who, she wrote, spoke "candidly about the mood on campus, and their disappointment with the lack of minority representation across the faculty, staff and administration."

Macpherson has been criticized for not diversifying her cabinet until recently, naming interim chief diversity officer Lorraine Aker to the otherwise all-white body. In a message to campus on Thursday, the president acknowledged, "that several past attempts to bring about a more inclusive and diverse environment at the college have resulted in missteps by me. I am committing to our entire campus community that structural changes in campus policies and practices will begin as of today."

SUNY Oswego's chief diversity officer Rodmon King, the most experienced in that position across the SUNY system, has been directed to work with Macpherson and Aker. Johnson wrote that King would be seated as a member of the president's cabinet as well, "and report to me regularly on the progress made toward achieving the goals and outcomes I have outlined for the campus."

King also is to provide Johnson an assessment of those actions by the end of April.

"I remain committed, as does SUNY, to prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion on our campuses. And if at any time an issue arises that imperils this core mission, we will fix it," Johnson wrote. "Our collective communities deserve nothing less."

Contact reporter Brian Sharp at bdsharp@gannett.com or at 585-258-2275. Follow him on Twitter @sharproc. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers. Sign up today for a digital subscription.