Collegio Online

Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: Front Page

Media Credit: Aaron Anders/Collegio Students met with PSU officials like Tom Bryant, university president, Steve Scott, vice president for academic affairs, and Andy Tompkins, dean of the College of Education, for a roundtable discussion on diversity, held Wednesday night in 316 Hughes Hall.

Minority students discussed issues they face on the PSU campus and to create and strengthen support networks for minority students at a diversity forum held at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 7, in Hughes Hall.
The forum was divided into three groups of students who sat at different tables. Professors, chairs and committee members rotated among the students in 10-minute intervals, which permitted students to fully engage faculty members with questions and concerns.
In the first round, PSU President Tom Bryant asked students if they were going to be able to comfortably complete their degree at Pitt State, to which all students shook their heads in approval.
"I don't like any of you leaving without a degree," Bryant added.
As the discussion went on, students mentioned that the university could improve class sizes as the population climbs and offer scholarships beyond freshman year. Students may be lured into their freshman year with scholarship money, but then be financially left in the dust for their sophomore year.
Brittany Gholsen, junior in early education, voiced her concern about a lack of university support for minority student organizations.
"Our university can focus on minority sororities," said Gholsen. "That would increase enrollment and provide opportunity for minority students to engage in African American heritage. There are 22 girls that have been trying to get a new sorority for minorities, but we lack support from the school."
In round two, Andy Tompkins, dean and associate professor in the College of Education, posed students with the question, "How can we make your experience at PSU the best it can be?"
Anthoney Moreno, graduate student in communication, said that he felt that PSU faculty are generally na've when it comes to diversity.
"A big chunk of faculty is from this area and can't relate to some of the issues minorities face," Moreno said. "We don't have the administrative support. There was no Hispanic student organization... what we had to go through to get the organization going was unbelievable."

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