CalPolyStudentsDemandsforCampusDiversityandInclusivity

UnderrepresentedstudentsatCalPolydemandchange.Wearetiredofthediscrimination
evidencedinactssuchastheFreeSpeechWall,theColonialBrosandNavahoesparty,the
cropshouseincident,aswellasthedailymicroandmacroaggressionsthatunderrepresented
studentsfaceonthiscampus.Toaddresstheseissues,wehaveformedastudentcollective
calledSLOSolidarity.OurgoalistomakeCalPolyabetterplacewhereequalityforallstudents
isrealized,notjustidealized.Weareputtingforththislistofdemandstobedelineatedand
actedonbythosestaff,facultyandadministratorswhosejobitistorepresentthestudentsof
CalPoly.Whileitisimperativethatstudentsarehighlyinvolvedintheprocessofimplementing
thesedemands,itshouldnotfallontheshouldersofunderrepresentedstudentstodothejobs
ofourrepresentativesandpolicymakers.

WedonotbelieveCalPolyislivinguptoits
StatementonDiversity,
whichstates:

Attheheartofauniversityistheresponsibilitytoprovideitsstudentswithawellrounded
education,aneducationthatfosterstheirintellectual,personalandsocialgrowth.Forstudents
preparingtoembarkuponworkandlifeinthe21stcentury,acriticalelementofawellrounded
educationistheabilitytounderstandandtofunctioneffectivelyinadiverseandincreasingly
interdependentglobalsociety[Diversity]cannotbeamereadjuncttosuchaneducation,but
mustbeanintegralelementoftheeducationalexperience,infusedthroughoutthecommunity
(faculty,students,andstaff),thecurriculumandthecocurricularprogramsoftheUniversity.We
mustbededicatedtotheprincipleofensuringthatallofourstudentsroutinelyencounterdiverse
people,ideas,andexperiences...Onlythroughintellectualandfirsthandpersonalexposureto
diversityinitsmyriadformsracial,ethnic,cultural,gender,geographic,socioeconomic,
etc.willstudentsgaintheunderstanding,empathyandsocialskillsthattheywillrequiretobe
effective,engagedcitizensinanincreasinglycrowdedandinterrelatedglobalcommunity.The
benefitofdiversityisuniversal.CalPolyscommitmenttodiversitysignalsanaffirmationofthe
highesteducationalgoalsofthisUniversity,includingmutualrespect,civility,andengaged
learning.

InorderforCalPolytoliveuptoitsStatementonDiversity,wethestudentsasktheCalPoly
administrationtomeetourdemands.Thesedemandswereformedbyvariousworkinggroups
withinSLOSolidarityandwerewrittentoaddressmanyofthenegativeexperiencesthat
studentsatCalPolycontinuouslyface.AspreviouslydiscussedwithPresidentArmstrongand
otheradministrators,weasktheadministrationtoreleaseanactionplanbythestartofWinter
Quarter2016thatdetailsthestepsourUniversityleadersaretakingtomeetourdemandsand
makeCalPolyasafeandequitablecampusforallstudents.Inordertohelpwiththisprocess
weissuehereourdemandsthatwebelievearenotonlynecessary,butareachievableifCal
Polyleadersaretrulyinvestedindiversityandinclusion.

Theseareourdemands:

CampusCultureandLeadership

I.
GreekLife
A. WedemandtheformationofaGreekLifeDiversityandInclusivityTaskForce
madeupofstudentsfromculturalclubsoncampus,staff,faculty,administrators,
andgreeklifemembers.
B. WedemandthatGreekLifeconductanannualreviewoftheirimpactoncampus
climateforunderrepresentedgroupsincludingthecompilationandinterpretation
ofdatatoformgoalsforinclusionanddiversitywithintheirorganizations.
C. WedemandthehiringofafulltimeGreekLifeadvisorforUnitedSorority&
FraternityCouncil.Thisadvisormustholdextensiveexperiencewithcultural
greekorganizations.
II.
ASIStudentGovernment
A. Wedemandtransparency,streamlinedcommunication,andactiveeducationon
thepartofASI,tothestudentbodyregardinghowASIworks,operates,andis
organized.
B. WedemandincreasedfundingallocationtoASIsocialprogramminggeared
towardsunderrepresentedpopulationsoncampus.
C. WedemandtheformationofaDiversityandInclusivitypositionineachASI
branch.
D. WedemandtheallocationoffundsforlowincomestudentstocampaignforASI
elections.
E. Wedemandspendinglimitsonstudentcampaigns.
F. Wedemandtheformationofanaffinitygroupinparitywithwhathasbeen
proposedforthealumnicouncilinstitutionalization(SeeResolutionASI#1404).
III.
Orientation
A. Wedemanddiversityandinclusivityprogramming,education,andtopicareas
throughoutSoarandtheWeekofWelcome,includinganawarenessprogram
specificallycoveringdiversity.
B. Wedemandorientationsocialeventscenteredaroundunderrepresentedgroups.
C. Wedemandmandatoryonlineculturalsensitivitytrainingfornewstudentsbefore
comingtoCalPolyinadditiontoallofthis,sostudentsarethinkingofthese
issuesbeforetheyevenarrive.
IV.
UniversityHousing
A. WedemandoverhauleddiversityandinclusivitytrainingforCA/RAs.
B. Wedemandgenderneutralorcogenderhousingoptionsforanystudentliving
oncampusinlocationsother

thanPCVorCerroVista.
C. Wedemandthatfirstyearresidencehallsprovideacomparablelevelof
genderneutralfacilitiestogenderedfacilities,inrestroomfacilitiesandliving
arrangements.

V.

AcademicAffairs&UniversityAdvancement
A. WedemandthatthePolyRepsprogrambereviewedastohowthecampusis
presentedtoprospectivestudents(i.e.diversionofareasoreventsoncampus)
andthatincomingstudentsaremadeawareoftherealityofourcampusclimate.

EducationandCurriculum

I.
WedemandthatCalPolyinstitutemandatoryWomens&GenderStudiesorEthnic
Studiescoursesforstudentsinevery

major.
II.
WedemandthereevaluationoftheUSCPrequirement,assessingthecurrentmodelof
Outof100options,take1.ThiscouldmodeltheareaZGErequirementatCSU
Fullerton,orcouldbedividedintoahandfuloftopicareas,likeRaceandEthnicity,
Sexuality,Gender,withstudentsrequiredtotakeatleast2or3coursesfromdifferent
topicareas.
III.
Wedemandafirstyearseminarfocusedontopicareasrelatedtogender,race,
sexuality,andculture.
IV.
Wedemandtheimplementationofaculturalsensitivityclassaroundprivilege,
oppression,culture,society,andcampusclimate.Studentsmandatedtotakesuch
coursewouldreceiveadequateeducationaroundthesetopics.
V.
WedemandtheimplementationofaQueerStudiesminor.
VI.
WedemandtheestablishmentofaWomens,Gender,&QueerStudiesmajor.
VII.
WedemandthehireoftenuretrackfacultymemberstoteachinWomens,Gender,&
QueerStudies.
VIII.
WedemandincreasedresourcesandcurricularopportunitiesinEthnicStudies,including
coursesinArabAmericanStudies.
IX.
Wedemandthehiringoftenuretrackfacultymembers,astoenableEthnicStudiesto
provideethnicallyspecificconcentrationsforstudents(AfricanAmerican/Blackstudies,
AsiaAmerican/PacificIslanderstudies,Chicanx/Latinxstudies,etc.)
X.
WedemandthatEngineeringstudentsberequiredtotakeanadditionalGEareato
supplementnottakingD5orF.ThisGEarea,perhapsaD6orG,shouldonlyinclude
coursesthatprovideanintroductiontofeministandantiracistscienceandtechnology
studies.
XI.
WedemandthatSTEMstudentsshouldbeexposedtofeministandantiracist
perspectivesintheircurriculum.
XII.
WedemandFacultyandStafftrainingsothatallmembersofthecampuscommunityare
awareofissuesfacingunderrepresentedstudents.

Admissions,Faculty,Staff,Retention,andSupport

I.
WedemandthatCalPolyrecruitfacultyofcoloracrossallcolleges.
II.
WedemandthatCalPolyincreasethenumberofCrossCulturalCentersstafftomore
thanjustonerepresentativeofeachethnicminority.Currentlythesmallstaffisstretched
toothintofulfillalloftherolesnecessary.

III.

IV.
V.

VI.

VII.
VIII.
IX.
X.

XI.

WedemandthatCalPoly
dramatically
increasetenurelinefacultyofcolorhiresacross
allcolleges(Atleast3%increaseeveryyearuntilfacultydemographicsare
representativeoftheStateofCalifornia).
Wedemandthatadepartmentleaderindiversityisimplementedineverydepartment
(ModelafterCollegeofBusiness).
WedemandguaranteedtransferproceduresforstudentstransferringfromCuestaand
HancockcollegesaswellasotherCommunityCollegesinCalifornia,similartoTAG
agreementsthatexistatotherUCsandCSUs.
WedemandPathwayprogramsforlocalk12students,withanemphasisonschools
thathavethehighestpercentageoffreeorreducedlunch,undocumentedstudents,and
studentsofcolor.
Wedemandthesupportofveteranssuccessoncampusthroughresources,staff,and
programming.
WedemandthepositionofExecutiveDirectorofDiversityandInclusivityberaisedtothe
VicePresidentlevel.
WedemandthemovingoftheCrossCultureCentersfromStudentAffairstotheOUDI.
WedemandatleastonemultistallAllGenderRestroomineverybuildingoncampus,in
compliancewithASIResolution#1506,andatleasttwoinbuildingswithcapacities
exceeding500.
WedemandthatstaffintheCrossCulturalCentersbegiventheopportunitytoworkona
12monthworkingschedule.

Data,Transparency,andAccountability

I.
WedemandtheexpansionoftheStudentOmbudsservicetoencompassbiasincident
reportingsystemsspecificallytargetinginstancesofracism,homophobia,transphobia,
ableism,Islamophobia,xenophobia,orqueerphobiaincludinganonlinereporting
systemwithtiestotheOmbudsoffice.
II.
WedemandquarterlyupdatesfromthePresident'sOfficeandothercampusentities
highlightingspecificactionsthathavebeentakeninthelastquartertoaddressour
demandsandimprovecampusclimate.

Ifthesedemandscannotbemet,wewilldemandanewadministrationwhichwilltreat
underrepresentedstudentswithequityandmakeCalPolyaplacewhereeveryoneisequally
empoweredtoobtainahighqualityeducation.