WASHINGTON — After campus protests that followed an incident in which a banana was thrown at a Black female student, officials at American University announced plans to take action this week to develop a “roadmap” that will “radically impact the campus climate in positive ways.”
“Though the development of this roadmap is the responsibility of the university’s leadership, students made clear that they want a greater voice in any decisions that affect them,” Scott A. Bass, provost, and Gail Hanson, vice president of campus life, said in a memo to the American University community that was shared with Diverse.
“We will find ways to engage students in the formation of our plans,” the memo states. It also states that AU President Cornelius Kerwin’s Council on Diversity and Inclusion will be invited to “play a role in gathering ideas from the community that will expedite our progress.”
Among other things, the memo outlines plans to increase faculty diversity and revamp the way incidents of racism and bias are reported and dealt with on campus.
“Bias related incidents seldom have identified perpetrators,” the memo states. “We will seek community recommendations to increase reporting and accountability.”
Ma’at Sargeant, a sophomore at American University and president of the Black Student Alliance, said the university’s plans represent a “step in the right direction.”
“But, we have been asking for things like more Black faculty and punishments for racist acts for years,” Sargeant said. “So this email is nice because they use the right language and do a step-by-step process, but we want action.
