|
 Diversity and
Idaho. These are two words the University of Idaho is working
hard to make synonymous. But not hard enough.
Diversity is about more than skin color and ethnicity. It's about
minorities; it's about non-traditional students, homosexual students,
disabled students, women in male-dominated areas of study and
vice versa.
When was the last, or should we say the first time there was
a forum for women in science, or a big-name guest speaker discussing
sexual identity. There are a lot of stereotypes and stigmas that
come with both of those topics and students should be given opportunities
to learn about them. Both are very real issues, and both are
currently being ignored.
UI's disabled students
Disabled students are acknowledged
and the university does have a "strong commitment"
to them, according to coordinator of Student Disability Services
Dianne Milhollin, but how can disabled students even get around
when roughly half of UI's buildings do not pass ADA codes (this
is including all on-campus residences)?
"(The university involvement) has been mostly positive,
but that doesn't mean there still aren't challenges," Milhollin
said. She cited building accessibility as one of those challenges.
The university has plans to renovate all the buildings in the
future, according to Milhollin, but where are our priorities?
Instead, building a rec center, and remodeling the UCC have been
targets for not only attention, but money.
Arguably, both projects can be classified as wants, while we
have roughly 140 disabled students with unmet needs. If a building
were labeled "inaccessible" for Hispanics, it's a sure
bet it would be made a priority. Replacing Hispanics with disabled
students in that equation shouldn't create any less of a stir.
Money, or an absence of it, has often been the reason for lack
of action. However, that isn't a reason UI can use. We're already
in the midst of renovating the Kibbie Dome and building a rec
center, and we're doing it without knowing where a lot of those
monies are coming from.
If the UI could raise fees for an oversized gym, you'd think
we could figure out a way to get some ramps, elevators and Braille
on signs.
Women as a minority
Women, perhaps the largest minority
in numbers on campus as a whole, are largely underrepresented
in certain fields of study, engineering/science being a major
one. While women hold about 40 percent of the teaching positions
on campus according the 2001 Fact Book, they hold an estimated
16 percent of the science faculty positions, according to Mike
Nitz, UI professor of Science Communication.
This number is similar to the entire minority student population
at UI, which makes up about 12 percent, according to the 2001
UI Fact Book.
Homosexual, bisexual and transgender
students
The Gay-Straight Alliance is
an organization that represents a group some may say is a chosen
lifestyle, but they still add to the diversity on campus. While
there are only eight official members, sexuality issues are a
much larger concern on campus than many may realize.
Attendance at the monthly Tabikat Drag Shows is evidence that
gay, straight or otherwise, diverse sexuality provides diversity
in the student population, as do religious groups, Greek activities
or sporting events.
Don't get us wrong. Our hats
go off to the school for the changes they've made so far and
for the attention that has been given to making UI different.
We have a lot of stereotypes to break down in Northern Idaho
alone.
However, we need to give these other groups not just equal voice,
but equal action, and if possible, equal funding. Let's put out
press releases that talk about more than just race. We should
try to be an all-diversity-friendly university, not just a racially
diverse university.
for the Argonaut Editorial Board
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UI should focus on more than skin color