What are your opinions on Affirmative Action?
I want to communicate to the whole student
body that affirmative action is important. We
have some barriers because of state caps regard
ing out-of-state students as well as many stu
dents of color coming from less advantaged
areas, but we need to work hard on increasing
the number of students of color here at Carolina.
How do you feel that students can take action
upon themselves to work toward diversity?
I do not think that people should forget the
power of individual personal relationships. We
should relate to people one-on-one, not as part
of a group. I encourage more interactions
between students of all sorts of differing back
grounds. Whether they come from a small town
in Georgia, North Carolina, Hong Kong or New
York City, they should all feel at home at this
University.
Please elaborate on the professional relation
ship between your office and the Office of
Minority Affairs.
1 asked Dr. Ervin to put together a community
advisory board so we can have good contacts
with the minority community in Chapel Hill. It
is helpful to have a network to advise me on
how to handle possible situations.
In the past, the Chancellor's Office and the
Black Student Movement have alternatively
worked together and against each other in mat
ters regarding campus diversity. What mea
sures are you willing to take to increase the
positive relationship with the BSM?
I would listen. The Chancellor's Office needs to
know about its performance. We cannot pro
vide resources or correct problems unless people
tell us about them. We encourage the BSM to
continue to tell us what we are doing wrong
and what we can do to fix these problems.
Do you believe that minority students (as well
as the mainstream population) will be advanced
during your administration?
I do. I hope people will say, "It's better now
than it was five years ago."
Matthew Shaw may be reached at
pshaw@email.unc.edu
October 2000
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