The university’s recent report on relations between diverse groups on campus is a commendable first step towards addressing a very important issue at Carleton. The Commission on Inter-Cultural, Inter-Religious and Inter-Racial Relations on campus was announced two years ago, and its report has been eagerly awaited by the campus community. The report, however, falls short in several ways.
The two-year-long commission has released a paltry 11-page report. The report touches upon only two specific groups on campus: aboriginal and Jewish students. For a commission with dozens of members and years of time, a much more wide-ranging report should have been produced. There are many religious, ethnic, racial and cultural groups on campus, and this commission was created for all of them.
President Roseann Runte has launched a President’s Diversity Advisory Committee to deal with ongoing issues surrounding student groups on campus. This is another promising step from the university administration, but only if the new body will be given significant powers.
Students and members of the Carleton community need a permanent forum to voice their concerns. They need a dedicated body they can go to with issues they face relating to their cultural and religious backgrounds. They need a continuous assessment of cultural relations on campus, not a one-time report. They need an assessment that touches upon all the diverse groups on campus and their concerns, not an 11-page report that mentions only two specific communities.
Runte has repeatedly stressed her personal commitment to making every student and community member on campus comfortable and included, whatever their background may be. This is especially important as the university aims to recruit more foreign students.
We hope the university will stand by its commitment and fill in the blanks where the commission falls short.
