Discrimination on Campus

The University of Indianapolis policy on discrimination states the following: The University of
Indianapolis does not discriminate, and does not permit members of the university community to
discriminate, based on a persons race, color, sex, age, religion, national or ethnic origin,
disability, citizenship status, military status, sexual orientation, [or gender identity or expression].
The university provides equal opportunity in all aspects of a students University experience,
including academics, activities, employment and athletics. According to the University of
Indianapolis student handbook, whenever there is an incident of discrimination reported, the
university must thoroughly investigate the situation and take action according on the perpetrator.
If the offender is a University of Indianapolis student, the student will be dealt with according to
the student conduct policy and process. If the offender is a person of the community, he/she must
answer to the police department.

About a month ago, there was a swastika etched into one of the universitys statues in the
basement of the Schwitzer Student Center. President Robert Manuel noted that while this was the
first time a discrimination incident included the destruction of property, the university is prepared
for these situations.

So thankfully, we havent dealt with something like this in the past, which is the good news,
Manuel said. The other good news is; you plan for it. So the police officers, Kory Vitangeli or
academic groups have done planning for this so we know how to manage what this is and how to
begin to engage the educational process to make sure students understand the severity of what
this is.

Manuel sent out an email letting the student body know the university was addressing the
situation and that no matter the intention; the incident will be dealt with very seriously.

So the intent is irrelevant, the fact that it is, is the disturbing part, said Manuel. Whether it
was a joke or whether it was a serious threat, they both need to be dealt with in the same severe
manner, the serious manner that we have engaged in.

Upon sending this email, Manuel has received many grateful emails back from the student body
and staff.

Manuel told about the student bodys response, The emails that have come back to me from my
response have been pretty grateful that were addressing that it happened, that its a really
egregious act and that we need to, as a community, kind of embrace diversity and use it as a core
element of who we are. And so, I think were all looking forward to figuring out how to process
it and move ahead.

Sophomore biology and pre-med major Melina Hale has experienced discrimination from her
own peers and classmates in three separate situations. Because few people of color are biology
and pre-med majors, Hale is often a minority in her classes. She has had issues of discrimination
in some classes, especially within small groups.

So oftentimes, I am the only person of color in my class and we do labs and oftentimes, the
Caucasian students will not let me do the calculating or the measuring stuff, but they have me

doing the cleaning, Hale explained. I dont know if it comes off to them as peculiar, but if I
want to measure something, theyll say, No, but can you go clean the dishes and can you clean
the table.

This is not the only classroom-related discrimination Hale has experienced. In Hales genetics
class, she has been questioned time and time again if she has taken care of the responsibilities her
partners ask of her.

We had genetics lab and my partner...everyone else had to leave for class, it went over the
class timeand she asked me to stay and monitor something, so I stayed and I did that, Hale
said. So the next morning she asked me if I did it and I said, Yeah, I did. Then she goes to the
other girl in the group and says, Hey, can you go make sure she did that? when I just told her
that I did it. When I was in the room with the teacher who witnessed me do it. The other girl in
the group said that she asked the teacher if I had done it then went to ask her to make sure. That
made me think, Do they not think I am intelligent enough to go switch a vile, that I am
incapable of doing things on my own?

A third experience Hale has had with discrimination did not take place in a classroom setting, but
instead in an Registered Student Organization event aimed at speaking about diversity and
inclusion on campus during mid-February.

The university put on a diversity and inclusion clinic, committee, talk type thing, a couple
months ago, Hale explained her situation. And me and three other people were the only people

of color and everybody else was white and we were talking about how we felt included on
campus. How we felt diversity is on campus. We all had pretty similar responses. We all thought
it was a relatively diverse campus and everyone felt included. For some reason, it turned into
kind of an attack on the Black Student Association, which I am a part of. People were asking
Why is there a Black History Month? and I dont get it. Thats not really a form of inclusion.
And I guess they felt like the Black Student Association isnt for everyone.

Hale hopes to be the president of the Black Student Association RSO on campus next year. Her
goals as president would be to make sure the public knows the RSO is not exclusive and that
anyone can join. The crowds attack on BSA did not stop with attacking the club, they soon
turned their attention to the entire Black History Month. While Hale was offended by this, she
focused on remaining calm and working to educate those who had questions.

Hale said, Because as someone being raised to celebrate Black History Month and take pride in
it, take pride in our culture and our people, and then to come here where people are just attacking
it like, I dont see the purpose. I dont think you should have it. Its not a real thing. Then, its
kind of hurtful.... I got a lot of thank you letters from people around campus, which made me feel
good. I got a lot of thank you letters and emails, people saying they were proud of how I handled
it, because I was just trying to stay calm and educate instead of getting angry.

Hale advised students to think twice about their actions and their words, working on describing
someone by characteristics other than their skin color.

I know sociology will teach you that a lot of that stuff is learned behavior, Hale said. I know
when I was growing up, my dad always taught me that when I describe people, to not describe
their race. That was something he stressed to me. When wed be out in public and I would say,
Dad, look at the white lady. Hed say, No, look at the lady with the glasses or look at the lady
with the pink shorts or long skirt. You dont want to address color all the time, because that
doesnt fix anything.

Both Manuel and Hale realize that there will not be a solution to the problem of discrimination
until there is a solution to the problem of hatred and racism.

The larger public policy issue here is, why doesnt Indiana have a hate crime statute that helps
these kind of things move forward and thats where we dont, Manuel suggested. That is a
limitation to our ability to really see to the full end of the spectrum, the recourses for this.

I remember, someone once told me that racism wont stop until we stop saying the color of each
others skin, said Hale.