‘People Would Die’ To Have Oxy’s Diversity, Says Gonzalez

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Author: Dean DeChiaro

Following his convocation speech last month, the new Dean of the College, Dr. Jorge Gonzalez, sat down to discuss diversity with The Occidental Weekly. He stated that although some may question Oxy’s diversity, the college’s commitment to multiculturalism is actually one of its greatest strengths.

According to Gonzalez, the college’s commitment to diversity was a huge factor in his decision to work for the school. And while he recognized the concerns of the student body regarding diversity, he said the college is much more diverse than may at first seem apparent.

“We have to be truthful, on some level, about our commitment to diversity, and we are very diverse,” he said. “If you’re looking for schools like Occidental, you won’t find more than two schools with more diversity than us. People would die to have the diversity that we have in place.”However, ASOC Senator Michael Clegg, who sat on the search committee that brought Gonzalez to campus, observed that the Dean seemed to be advocating complacency with Oxy’s level of diversity, as opposed to furthering the cause of multiculturalism on campus.

“He is right that Oxy is very diverse in relation to other schools. But it’s not good to be complacent with our level of diversity, especially when we’re comparing it to schools that have no diversity,” Clegg said. “I don’t think that anyone would argue that we’re as diverse as we can be.”

Gonzalez also argued that last year’s diversity issues, which culminated in the Black Student Association’s (BSA) Honor Board case against the ASOC Senate, highlighted the student body’s underlying commitment to diversity.

“Obviously it’s never easy, and obviously there will be conflicts, but that’s the challenge of diversity. With a school that’s 80 percent or 90 percent homogeneous, you’re not going to have those conflicts,” he said. “And you’re going to think everything is fine, but having those conflicts is what life is about.”

ASOC President Aliza Goldsmith praised Gonzalez’s comments, saying that she appreciated his support of discourse and dialogue as an effective tool in mediating issues regarding diversity.

“As someone who has spent a great majority of my time here trying to change the school and getting a great deal of pushback, it is comforting to hear that he expects our input,” she said.

However, Goldsmith questioned Gonzalez’s opinion on Oxy’s diversity as compared to other schools. “I’m not quite sure how accurate [that] statement is,” she said. “I’d love to see some concrete statistics.”Gonzalez stressed the importance of student involvement in the diversity dialogue. “You’re at college to have it shape you, but hopefully you can shape the school as well. We want your input, and hopefully there’s many avenues for you to do that,” he said.

Goldsmith pointed out that several resources are available to students who want to further the conversation on diversity. “If people are unhappy with the makeup of the school, I say you should contact the Generally Assembly co-chairs,” Goldsmith said. “Bring in admissions officers, bring in deans, bring in students, and have an open and honest dialogue.”

In final response to Gonzalez’s comments, Clegg said he appreciates the Dean’s commitment to diversity, but that there is much to be done to realize Oxy’s official mission.

“I believe the Dean is using other colleges’ neglect to address diversity as a measuring stick to show how Oxy is. But simply because they’re doing badly, it doesn’t necessarily mean we’re doing well,” he said.

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