Students give list to president to improve race relations at UK

About two dozen black and African-American students wrote the following list and gave it to President Eli Capilouto:

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University of Kentucky African/African-American Student Concerns on Racial Climate

1) Accessibility to resources/funds for our student organizations/Scholarships/African-American programming

  • Percentage of student fee can be dedicated to African-American programming
  • Increase scholarship funding proportionately

2) (Office of Institutional Diversity) is not effectively structured or empowered

  • Restructure OID with input from students, faculty and benchmarks
  • Allocate funding and specific protocol for racial violence and discrimination should be updated in the student code of conduct

3) Measurable benchmarks for diversity and accountability measures

  • Ongoing transparent communication of outcomes and mechanisms of meeting strategic plan benchmarks, as well as consequences for not meeting planned benchmarks

4) Lack of African-American professors and their retention

  • Intentional recruitment plan for hiring and retaining African-American professors that is supported and funded

5) Class on race & ethnicity that all students must take as a graduation requirement

  • Update UK core requirements to include a required class that focuses on race & ethnicity

6) Retention plan that includes African-Americans explicitly

7) Lack of concern for African-Americans

8) African-Americans are voiceless

9) KY Kernel- Lack of representation from African-American writers

10) Cultural taxation without representation or compensation

11) University propaganda

12) A reporting office and protocol for racial violence and discriminatory acts

13) Lack of attendance at cultural events by administration, faculty and staff

14) Racist mural at Memorial Hall

15) Ongoing sensitivity training for faculty, staff, and students

16) Cultural climate

17) Unwelcoming environment for African/African-American students on campus

18) Hire African-American senior leadership in decision making roles

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