University of Missouri leaders discuss progress and steps to improve diversity, inclusion

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

University of Missouri leaders participated in a panel Thursday about the challenges the University has faced with diversity and what progress it has made up to this point. 

Between 2015 and 2019 the university decreased 20% in the total of undergraduates, 14% in underrepresented minority undergraduates and the largest decrease of 29% in Black undergraduates. 

Mun Choi, President of the University of Missouri System and MU Interim Chancellor, said the university has lost around 600 Black undergraduates during that time and now the university is making a strong effort to reverse those trends.

For the Fall 2020 semester, the number of Black applicants increased by 29% since last year and there was a 33% increase in those admitted.

Choi said from 2017 to 2019 the University has seen an increase of eight percent of the total underrepresented minority undergraduates and graduates. 

Compared to the 11 flagship Midwest universities, Mizzou is ranked highest in Black undergraduate students.

The University of Missouri has also increased its hiring in the total underrepresented faculty by 32%, and 23% increased total in black faculty. 

In the presentation it stated that this group is committed to developing and supporting greater diversity education and awareness moving forward, as well as to increase transparency and accountability while building greater relationships between its leaders and community. 

Vice Chancellor of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Maurice Gipson stated in the presentation that the university will have seven immediate actions take place. 

• Launch a “Bias Hotline” for community members to report concerns 
• All faculty, staff and students will take two mandatory trainings: One on cultural competency and one on bystander and civil discourse
• Developing supervisor training to address acts of discrimination
• Hold offenders accountable
• Review "Use of Force Policies" and continue to practice "de-escalation strategies" at MUPD
• Post signs and physical messaging on campus to display their commitment to diversity and inclusion and stance against racism and discrimination
• Modernize its video equipment to increase safety for students, faculty, staff, and visitors

Clark Peters, MU faculty council chair, said since 2015 the university has made progress, but he said there’s still a lot to do. 

Peters said that Inclusion, Diversity and Equity leaders have recognized that there’s a lot of work to do and it remains a priority for administrators. 

Peters said this meeting was packed with information and was transparent, making it a very fair exercise for the administration. 

“I think it's easy to focus on what we're not getting,” Peters said. “But this is relatively new, this was much more engaged, administration, what I've seen in the past.”

Peters said that faculty members are not fans of training in general, but that this training stands for a clear idea of what the expectations are on campus.

“A lot of those incidents are painful and embarrassing and hurtful,” Peters said. “And so what do you do with that. We can do better. So I think good training is going to speak to that.”

Peters said he is very happy about the "Bias Hotline." 

Peters said the hotline isn't meant to punish people but to have a place to have direct and initiate conversations and where people have a place to turn. 

Peters said overall he thought it was really valuable to have this information laid out clearly, but when it comes to what more needs to be done there will be many opinions. 

“As far as want more needs to be done," Peters said. "I think you'll have as many opinions as council members, and maybe more, because people are very passionate about this topic and have strong ideas about where the university needs to deploy resources.”

Peters said the Inclusion, Diversity and Equity group is very data driven when it comes to measuring the effectiveness of these new steps.

“They don't want to ground their activities in concrete ways,” Peter said. “So that's reassuring.”