'Closed' meeting discusses theme party implications

By Liz O'Brien

A closed-door meeting last Thursday including University President Paul Locatelli, S.J., and other top administrators provided a "safe space" to address concerns and voice opinions regarding January's "south of the border" theme party and discuss ways to report discrimination, said Jeanne Rosenberger, vice provost for student life.

Participants in the meeting, which included administrators, faculty and students, were told not to discuss what was said at the meeting, according to several people who attended.

"I listened more than I spoke," Rosenberger said. "The idea of the meeting was, 'How do we move forward to improve the campus climate to be one that's more respectful of all of our members?' "

Rosenberger said that one key focus of the meeting was the development of a new bias-incident reporting protocol.

"We're close -- we do hope by spring that we will have a protocol in place that will allow students more easily to report on incidents of bias that occur in the campus community," she said.

Provost Lucia Gilbert, Athletic Director Dan Coonan, Associated Students President Jenny Moody and dance and theater department chair Aldo Billingslea, all attendees of the meeting, declined to comment. Students from the Multicultural Center staff and student-athletes also declined to comment.

"I'm glad it happened," said Bernice Aguas, Multicultural Center director. "I think it's one of many ways it needs to be addressed. Unfortunately, we can't disclose what exactly happened. But it happened."

The invitational meeting to discuss February's off-campus theme party was organized by the Provost's Office and was "a chance for students and administrators and faculty and staff to get together and brainstorm, a way to further build on things," Gilbert said in an earlier interview.

"We were hoping to create a safe space to share information," Rosenberger said. "Based on what I believe was some very honest and genuine participation, I think that really happened."

James Briggs, executive assistant to the president, said Locatelli wanted to have a closed meeting so people could freely, openly and honestly share their thoughts about the theme party.

Aguas, a member of the Campus Climate Committee that was formed after the theme party controversy, said the committee had requested an open meeting earlier this year, but the administration did not accept that request.

"This was effective in its own way," she said of the closed meeting, "but it's obviously not the same as a community meeting. At least it was one step to address the issue, but it's definitely not the only step."

While Rosenberger did not discuss the specific content of the meeting, she did list some of the changes that the Office of Student Life will be making as a result of the theme party. OSL is currently evaluating Welcome Weekend and new student orientation.

"While that happens every year, I think there's a special attention to the degree to which we welcome students into the community and educate them about our diversity," she said.

Rosenberger also emphasized a review of peer education training. Rosenberger said close to 600 students are serving in peer education roles, including student ambassadors, community facilitators, orientation leaders and leadership positions.

"As we're thinking about their training and formation, again we're looking at what we are doing and what we need to be doing differently," Rosenberger said.

Contact Liz O'Brien at (408) 554-4546 or eobrien@scu.edu.