Complete Report - Task Force on Campus Culture
Members on the Task Force on Campus Culture
Trustees
Patricia K. Applegate '74
William H. Browne '67
*Charles G. Carey '76
Christopher Clifford '67
John A. Golden '66
Mark H. Hayes '98
Robert W. Jones '72
Charles Karelis
Bruce Morser '76
*Karin B. Mueller '94
Jane L. Pinchin
Gergory A. Threatte '69
Ralph F. Verni '64 (chair)
*Resigned for Personal Reasons before completion
Students:
Virginia Crowe '02
Christian B. Johnson '02
Leanne Teager '03
Holly Teliska '02
Faculty:
Timothy A. Byrnes
Constance D. Harsh
Margeret Maurer
Bruce W. Selleck '71
Staff:
Michael A. Cappeto
James E. Leach
Janet A. Little
Staff to the Task Force:
James Terhune
Kim Waldron '81
Report of the Task Force on Campus Culture
Executive Summary
Introduction
In January 2001, Colgate University’s Board of Trustees charged a task force with “recommending improvements that will better help achieve Colgate’s mission, enhance academic excellence and strengthen the college overall.” While recognizing that Colgate provides an outstanding educational experience to its students, the Board felt that an examination of campus culture was merited in light of disturbing incidents of hazing and fighting and a fatal alcohol-related accident in November 2000.
The Task Force on Campus Culture, comprising ten trustees, four students, four faculty members and three administrators, convened more than twenty sessions over two years, solicited the opinions of a broad cross section of the campus and alumni communities, and conferred with other academic institutions and authorities about issues of importance. In its charge to the Task Force, the Board of Trustees stated that “interactions among students, faculty and staff at a residential liberal arts college are at the heart of the learning and social environment.” These interactions, and the factors that influence the nature of these interactions, became the focus of much of the Task Force’s study.
In characterizing Colgate’s campus culture, the Task Force noted the remarkable energy, intensity and commitment with which students pursue their educations, both within and outside the classroom. Faculty members approach their teaching and research with similar passion and express a strong commitment to providing Colgate students with an excellent education, a goal frequently echoed by administrators and other staff members. Alumni, too, take enormous pride and interest in the university and feel continued loyalty that is based in large part on their rewarding experiences at the institution.
These positive aspects of campus climate notwithstanding, the Task Force heard Colgate described as a community with deep internal divisions. They found that the fatal accident and the incidents of hazing and fighting were symptomatic of more pervasive issues in the campus culture that affected the way members of the community — students, faculty, staff, and alumni — interacted with one another and detracted from the opportunities that students have to mature into whole persons.
The Task Force heard that elements of the Colgate culture inhibit interactions among people from different circumstances and backgrounds. Further, the university was characterized as a place where intellectual discourse outside the classroom is discouraged; a place where alcohol consumption, often excessive, defines what it means to be social; a place where groups of students separate themselves along ethnic, socioeconomic and other group affinity lines and rarely interact; a place that suffers a lack of meaningful interaction between students and faculty outside the classroom; and a place where students mistrust the motives and actions of the administration.
The Task Force discovered that, among all constituencies, the most widely held concerns centered around six general issues: alcohol abuse, diversity, residential life, social options for students, student-administration relations and student-faculty relations. Some of these issues (alcohol abuse, diversity) are faced by many, if not most, residential liberal arts institutions. Other issues, such as residential life and in particular, the role of fraternities and sororities, have been a source on ongoing concern at Colgate and have been the subject of previous self-studies. The Task Force report, advisory to the Board of Trustees, provides guiding principles and specific recommendations that address each of these areas. These principles and recommendations are listed below.
The process followed by the Task Force led to a number of positive outcomes, not least of which was to create a dialogue that engaged many members of the community in a searching and candid look at campus culture. Over the years in which the Task Force worked, the mood of the campus became decidedly more positive than it was in the 2000/2001 academic year. Many suggestions discussed by the Task Force, such as the creation of the Center for Outreach, Volunteerism and Education (COVE); new residential options; extended hours for many campus services; the Palace Theater; and increased opportunities for students and faculty to meet informally over meals, were implemented before the completion of its report. To a person, the members of the Task Force acknowledge that there has been progress.
The Task Force submitted their report to the Board of Trustees in March 2003.
Principles and Recommendations
Alcohol Abuse
Principles:
- Any approach to addressing this issue must be in compliance with New York State Law.
- The primary role of the college as regards alcohol use and abuse should be educational, not punitive.
- There must be one set of alcohol procedures for Colgate. These procedures should have consequences clearly identified and communicated to students and should be consistently applied to all students.
The Task Force recommends:
- the formation of a President’s Council on Alcohol that would oversee the college’s approach to addressing the alcohol culture and that the President’s Council establish a subcommittee to review and update the college’s alcohol policy and procedures.
- that alcohol education programs employ the concept of “social norming.”
- that, in addition to continued interaction with other colleges, a consultant be brought to campus with expertise in this area.
- that the residential life staff be augmented to provide support for the student Residential Advisors and to develop proactive alcohol education programming in all residences.
- that the university continue involving parents in addressing this issue and that the circumstances under which parents are notified be clarified and publicized to students, to parents, and to the rest of the community.
- that Colgate support students in their efforts to provide more non-alcoholic social options, especially late at night on weekends.
- continued university support for the campus shuttle service.
- that efforts that have been made to offer a full complement of classes on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday mornings be continued so that full and creative use of the daily and weekly calendars is achieved.
- that the administration work with student leaders to clarify the sanctions resulting from the most egregious behaviors.
Diversity
Principles:
- Every Colgate student is equally a member of the university community and must receive equal respect.
- It is important to foster a student body that represents many backgrounds and interests.
The Task Force recommends:
- that diversity be made a hallmark of the Colgate experience.
- that programming encourage students to avail themselves of the diversity of the campus.
- enrollment of larger numbers of students of color and expanded efforts to realize the full-benefits of the diversity of the college’s current population.
- that the college explore other approaches that might create a larger population of persons of color.
- that Colgate continue its commitment to hiring faculty of color.
- that diversity awareness/sensitivity training be required of all new faculty and staff and recommended strongly for all others.
- that the socioeconomic diversity of the student body be developed as a strength of the college.
Further, the Task Force endorses the idea — recently implemented — of appointing a Director of Multicultural Affairs, reporting to the dean of the faculty/provost, responsible for the oversight and coordination of all campus-wide diversity efforts.
Residential Life
Principles:
- Colgate should foster a diverse set of residential options with the goal of having students experience several residential situations during their four years at the college.
- University oversight and standards of governance should be consistent across all elements of the system.
- Equal access and opportunities for men and women should be strongly emphasized and encouraged throughout all residential options.
- Racial, ethnic, socio-economic, and geographic diversity should be evident throughout all residential options.
- Residential life should encourage interaction among diverse groups.
- The various forms of residential life should provide and promote opportunities for student leadership and self-governance.
- Residential life at the college should emphasize the development of community with fellow Colgate students, staff and faculty, as well as with the Village and Town of Hamilton.
- Residential life should contribute to extending the living/learning environment outside of the classroom through enhanced contact with faculty and staff.
The Task Force recommends:
- that the University maintain consistent oversight and standards of governance of all residential units, including Greek-letter houses. Most members of the Task Force recommend that Colgate acquire all Greek-letter residential units as soon as feasible to facilitate their efficient operation and ensure standards of safety, amenities and appearance.
- that the university not permit the establishment of any more new Greek-letter organizations.
- promotion, outside the Greek-letter system, of opportunities for students to organize social functions within their residential units.
- moving sophomore rush from September to February to give sophomores more time to bond with each other as well as to establish themselves at Colgate before having to select the major commitment of joining a Greek-letter organization for the rest of their Colgate experience.
- that pledging, currently referred to as “new member education,” be banned.
- that upper-class residential houses, including Greek-letter organizations, incorporate the elements of the Residential Adviser system.
- that seniors be required to live in their respective Greek-letter houses, space permitting.
- reaffirmation of the recommendation of the 1990 Special Committee on Residential Life (SCRL) that Colgate provide sufficient housing so that no more than 250 students would reside off campus.
In addition to the above recommendations, the following were recommended by many members of the Task Force:
- half of the members of the Task Force recommend that membership in Greek-letter organizations and residence in houses be a matter of election by students through the campus residential life system, not selection by existing members.
- a majority of the members of the Task Force recommend that membership in Greek-letter organizations that maintain residential houses be coeducational.
Social Options
Principles:
- There need to be more social alternatives.
- The university needs to be involved in encouraging students to imagine new social alternatives.
The Task Force recommends:
- the creation, by the dean of the college, of a standing committee of representatives of all segments of the Colgate community to establish approval criteria for such gatherings and to monitor their application.
- that the presence of Campus Safety, residential and administrative staff in university living facilities and at social gatherings be maintained at the minimum level necessary to ensure safety.
- more social programming after 11:00 PM on the weekends.
- that the renovation of the O’Connor Campus Center proceed with all deliberate speed.
- exploration, with respect to desirability, potential use, options, and priority with the many other capital demands of the University, of the possibility of building new space to accommodate large events.
- continued efforts and funding to promote recreational and competitive athletics, the Outdoor Education Program, and other recreational pursuits as alternative social outlets that do not involve alcohol.
- the university find creative ways to provide dining facilities “off the hill” that can accomplish this goal, particularly with respect to students who live in university apartments, theme houses and Greek letter houses.
- that the administration centralize the scheduling of all campus events, including large parties, to reduce conflicts and better manage attendance.
Student Relations with Faculty and Administration
Principles:
- Promote more interaction between students and administrators and opportunities for professors, administrators and students to interact socially.
- Promote more involvement of faculty in the extracurricular lives
of students.
The Task Force recommends: - that the university consider ways to periodically bring an entire class of students together at one time to communicate vital information and further develop a feeling of shared experience/community.
- that student groups recognize that they will need to make significant programming changes to better accommodate the interests and circumstances of their potential guests.
- better accommodation at evening and weekend events of the needs and interests of families, including families with young children.
- that students have the opportunity to attend social receptions during which they would meet their administrative advisers and other key members of the administration.
- that each student arrange a brief meeting once every academic year with his or her administrative dean to encourage a beneficial relationship.
- that the university extend the model of Campus Safety’s “Adopt-A-Dorm” program to include members of the administration.
- clear articulation to students of administrative responsibilities and policies regarding academic and disciplinary situations.
- department receptions at the beginning of every semester to allow students and faculty to interact in a more relaxed setting.
- the expansion of the popular program of faculty-student dinners at Merrill House.