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Show lessons, Spring/Summer 2002 page 21 A University of Utah instructor speaks with Everardo Martinez-Inzunza from Utah State University. The Changing Faces of Utah Diversity Conference was about making contacts and partnerships to achieve greater diversity at Utah schools. regarded [around the country] as a code word for discrimination in the admissions process." People believe this because they are misinformed, Gardner said. They do not understand how diversity complements education. They think diversity is unfair. It is this issue of fairness that Gardner said we must overcome before we can start helping students of diverse backgrounds. "People's perception of fairness differs…There is no solution that will be regarded as fair by everyone. Period," he said. Gardner said universities must understand that "we're not just admitting individuals, we're admitting a class. You don't just want 4.0 students, just like you don't just want all white students. We [at UC-Berkeley] didn't want students that reflected society; we wanted students that encompassed it." Once universities start thinking about how to serve all students better, then minority student populations will grow, he said. "People want answers whether they work or not, and unworkable answers give a barrier to true solutions…We must acknowledge how difficult this problem is. Answers aren't perfect and we have a lot to learn." Gardner said educators must discourage legislative solutions because they are a result of political compromise. "They get in the way of solutions by providing answers that don't work…We shouldn't sit back and let our ideas be misrepresented." Instead, he encouraged educators to get involved, work together and "make clear the purposes of their diversity policies." Mark Bezzant, Director of School, College and University Partnership at Utah Valley State College, agreed that Utah institutions have not made enough progress with helping diverse students because "we are unwilling to work together." Although the speakers admitted to "preaching to the choir," they suggested the group go back to their schools and get others excited about diversity. They encouraged them to get to know the minority students in their classes, learn about their cultures and develop a love for them. A panel of four minority students taught the conference participants that having instructors who care is what brought them to college, and what keeps them there. Each student explained that they had a teacher in K-12 who encouraged them to succeed, and along with family support, they knew that they could do it. The students said their involvement in student groups at Utah universities has helped them feel welcome. "When a person feels wanted, they'll come," said Jacob Holiday, a Navajo student at UVSC. "People want answers whether they work or not, and unworkable answers give a barrier to true solutions." |