U. Of VT-"First Priority:DIVERSITY"

WCAXTV ^ | 9/8/03 | WCAXTV

[JimVT]

Diversity is number one priority at University of Vermont

Below is the transcript of the WCAX-TV story on the UVM convocation.

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Two years ago the University of Vermont revived its tradition of starting the year with a convocation. This morning, the school took the occasion to set a tone. A well - known expert on diversity and affirmative action took the stage. Joan Ritchie reports. 12} UVM_PKG

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University of Vermont President Dan Fogel files in to mondays convocation along with another University President. Lee Bollinger is the head of Columbia University ...but he was the president of the University of Michigan while the school defended itself in two historic supreme court cases on affirmative action. (( bollinger: i believe i will never have in my lifetime the opporunity to be engaged to work on something as important to the society as these lawsuits and the issue))

bollinger spoke monday on the importance of affirmative action in creating a diverse campus. (( bollinger 2525 what is it that we expect of diversity?? -- well we want people of course to understand what its like to be in a group and see things differently.... to be african american - asian -- to be caucasian -- to be muslim and so on)) (( joan standup: diversity on campus is an issue that this university has dealt with for decades - but in a state thats 97 percent white its a challenge to recruit and retain minority students ...but in plans fogel has outlined for the future he says diversity is his number one strategic iniative)) (( fogel 155 its absolutely a top priorty -- building a diverse community is a number one goals in strategic action plan ....))

while fogel says there are no actual percentage or numbers the school is aiming for ...he wants to continue to increase diversity yearly... this years freshman class is the most diverse in university history

(( melissa sandoval 3040 i feel uvm has done alot of help the amount of diversity )) students we spoke with agree that fogel is pushing for a new climate on campus.... calling for diversity as a number one priority impresses alana program director sandra speigel

(( sandra speigel/alana 3333 setting of diversity as number one stragic issue is a statement - real statement says at top this is what we believe -- what we want to do and i think that carries alot of weight)) university officiasl say bollingers talk today sets a tone for more work on the issue this coming school year...joan ritchie - ch 3 news - btv 13} UVM_TAG

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Fogel says the most current numbers arent in yet on the new freshman class, but in June the school reported an enrollment of 136 students of color for september -- up from 114 last year. 14} BOAT_RUP

[JimVT]

Hallelujah.....never mind educating students so they can deal with a harsh world, make a decent living and contribute to society......President Fogel says his first priority is to make sure they "learn" in a diverse environment.

President Bollinger thinks the best thing he ever did in a long career in education is to fight lawsuits against affirmative action.

I told Dr. Fogel in an e-mail UVM that I would rather hire a person of any color who displayed a well-rounded education than one who new all the words to "Kumbayah"

[mhking]

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[45Auto]

Like many, many universities, these people are completely nuts. They are sacrificing academic excellence at the alter of PC foolishness. I wonder if they realize that they are destroying their own schools? When I graduated from high school oh, so long ago, my criterion for college was to find the one that had the best academic ranking that would accept me.

[cyborg]

first priority should be EDUCATION

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

They aren't simply nuts, they are Vermont nuts, one of the most potent species of nuts.

[JimVT]

My goals weren't quite as lofty.

I wanted to go to Providence College (which in those days did have a pretty good academic record) because they had a world-beating basketball team.

My high school days were loaded with diversity.

I learned how to swear in Greek from Andy Ravanes; what Yom Kippur meant from Stanley Berg; how to dance the shefta telle (sp)from Helen Simon (who taught me a few other things, as well); how Dick Coia's momma made the best past fazool....and on and on and on.

I met my first black buddy in the USAF and I didn't need any Dan Fogels to tell me how to treat my neighbors.

[caisson71]

Count another "institution of higher learning" in the dung heap.

[Mr. Mojo]

First Priority: DIVERSITY

Gee, I wonder if these yahoos include gun owners and pro-lifers in their vision of 'diversity'?

[Fixit]

[Bosco]

Gee, I wonder if these yahoos include gun owners and pro-lifers in their vision of 'diversity'?

You mean this kind of diversity?

[nmh]

I'll have to excuse myself from U. of V.'s racist love feast. I've gotten beyond color. It's the content of ones character that I form my opinion on.

[Mr. Mojo]

LOL....exactly. My kind of diversity. But I must say, although my collection is diverse, I definitely have my prejudices/preferences -- .308, .30-06, .45ACP, and .45LC

[CSM]

"while fogel says there are no actual percentage or numbers the school is aiming for ...he wants to continue to increase diversity yearly... this years freshman class is the most diverse in university history"

All they care about is the racial make up of the incoming freshman classes. I looked into the graduation classes racial make up for U of Michigan and the % rates of certain races is much lower than the % rates admitted. They don't care about education, instead they care about "looking" progressive. Socialists at their best.