When Chancellor Marye Anne Fox came to UCSD nearly four
years ago she had big plans for campus diversity. She hired Jorge Huerta as the
campus’ first chief diversity officer, a position she created in response to
recommendations from the Chancellor’s Diversity Council and the
Senate-Administration Task Force on Underrepresented Faculty.
But Huerta’s work in office made little difference for
campus diversity. Though the enrollment of typically underrepresented students
increased during his term, that had little to do with any university
initiatives, and outreach programs were continually hit with hard and recent
budget cuts. And while that’s only partially his fault — the chief diversity
officer was given no significant staff or fiscal resources to utilize — Huerta
still remained almost purely a symbolic appointment.
Now Sandra Daley, previously the assistant dean of diversity
at UCSD’s
has been hired to fill Huerta’s shoes. And following suit, Daley has taken up
her new post without any tangible goals or specific project plans; she said she
wants to start by talking with students and feeling out the campus climate.
But hasn’t Daley been at her post for a month, in addition
to previously working on campus? In the past month students have consumed half
a quarter’s worth of knowledge, powered through thick texts and confusing lab
periods and completed countless papers and midterms. And Daley is still getting
acclimated to her surroundings? She should have come into office with not only
a set of manageable goals, but a concrete plan for achieving them.
Looks like the beginning of another useless term for the
office. And that’s unfortunate, not only because of the arguable importance,
and lack, of diversity at UCSD, but also because of all the new student-started
projects and outreach initiatives. The Cross-Cultural, Women’s and
recently upgraded. Additionally, this year’s A.S. Council has made diversity a
top priority, but think how much those groups would be able to accomplish if
they had the support of a leading campus official.
So while all of UCSD’s tangible progress on diversity has
been made by these smaller, hardworking groups, students are still left
wondering when this chief officer is going to actually provide the change Fox
promised so long ago. And while this board sincerely hopes Daley is able to
bring about profound improvements, making diversity a top university priority,
she has already proven to be sadly lacking.