I N EW S Wednesday, August 14, 1996 - The Michigan Daily - 9 INSIDE ORIENTATION '96 Tension, accusations plagued summer program * Student leaders say director was insensi- tive to diversity By Laurie Mayk Daily Editor in Chief Somewhere between the academic advice and Michigan traditions of Orientation '96, smiles crumbled and pleasantries faded. When Orientation '96 ended last week, student leaders employed by the Office of New Student Programs this summer began to voice their concerns dissatisfaction about a program designed to package a first impression of the University. The students, coordi- nators and administrators involved with the program are now taking a second look at relations within the office and the factors that led to their decline. The concerns within the program stem mainly from tense relations between tice of w Student The leas director Penni under a tio Reed and the student orien- amount of Cation leaders. Reports of conflict with- Orientation ' in the office have included allegations of ignorance and insensitivity trinority issues, poor organization and insufficient training. Reed called her first year as ONSP director "tough," but denied any allega- tions that her actions were offensive. Reed said in her three years as a con- sultant on the University Medical }School diversity program and through- out her career she has never encoun- red allegations of racial insensitivity. Sone leaders, however, claim Reed i the faction offended, alienated and in tears. "She managed to offend practically everyone - including me," said Khalilah Burt, a student orientation leader. Relations between Reed and the lead- ers turned sour early on during training, said Michael Burke, a student orienta- tion leader. Burke said she gestured to minority students as she explained the ersity portion of the orientation pro- rm. "She made a couple of racist state- ments, I feel," said Atiba Bell, a student orientation leader "She literally pointed her finger out at me and said 'you as a black man."' Bell said he was offend comments, but chose to w, the program ended to bring Reed or University admini Reed said her commen diversity session and the training were not offensi' formed. "I was extremely them and honest in that me said. "It may not have ber wanted to hear but it wasc was honest and it was fa said she could not commer relations with student lead personnel issues. Reed's comments left number of the leaders in te ried about the quality oft Burke said. "The leaders were Lrnd dous amount of stress ... h was just in tears," Burke sa Reed's comments thr rders were hmendous stress ...' - Michael Burke 96 student leader parison to last year s training sessions, ed by Reed's Burke said. ait until after "In the past the stuff had been final- concerns to ized months and months in advance ... strators. last year facilitators received three its about the weeks training," Burke said. facilitators' Four days before the first group of ve or mtisin- orientees arrived, Reed refused the direct with leaders' request to participate in a :eting," Reed Global Community session before the en what they program began. The leaders didn't correct and it know what the students experienced in ctual." Reed the workshop and therefore couldn't nt directly on field questions or concerns properly, ers beause of Burke said. "She told us they hadn't gone a significant through training, they weren't ready to ars and wor- do that," Burt said. "That left me feeling the program, very shaky in term of what the students were going to see." er a tremen- Reed said the diversity facilitators alf the group continued to evaluate and fine-tune aid. their program and training as the sum- oughout the mer progressed. s u m m e r "We knew we didn't have enough i n d i c at e d training," Reed said. "We didn't do it she did not exactly as we would have done it but like the what we have done was far better than d i v e r s i t y what we had dreamed," she said. part of the The diversity session is just one of orientation the programs offered within orientation, pro g ram, and input from student leaders aren't said Shari part of the planning or responsibility of Strauss, a the individual programs, Reed said. student ori- "Why do the leaders feel they have e n t a t i o n these rights over the diversity program?" Reed said. "Where is the leaders' owner- ore empahsis ship of that program? It isn't." emphasis on The diversity facilitators contacted sis on multi- would not comment on the program or Strauss said. allegations. to deal with Vice Provost for Academic and how to deal Multicultural Affairs Lester Monts said ersity means that although the orientation program said. After a has encountered some "glitches" this ihe close of summer, "this is a year of transition." said she was ONSP was reorganized this year to d's intentions include Orientation. Welcome to and relations Michigan and Mentorship programs. "You can only prepare for this kind of was an issue thing so far," Reed said, referring to the out the sum- reorganization of the office, as well as ation of last the programs within the organization. and an advi- Monts said the program took a new last year, the philosophical approach this year, in o be less con- concentrating on academics and look- who was a ing toward a yearlong facilitated discus- ientation 95. Sion of diversity. The Global nity session, Community session is "meaningful" ors, was cut and "message-driven," he said. inutes. Reed "It is one of the best diversity sessions s" in diversi- that I have seen anywhere,' Monts said. st throughout Monts said he has met with Reed and niversity. The permanent ONSP staff this summer, and rimal in corn- plans to conduct a comprehensive evalu- leader. "(This year there is) m on academics and more computers and less empha eulturalism and diversity," "She doesn't know how issues. She doesn't know with diversity - to her div black and white," Strauss meeting with Reed at t Orientation '96, Strauss more optimistic about Ree to improve the program within the office. The diversity program within the office through mer. On the recommend year's student evaluations sory committee that met program was redesigned t frontational, said Burke, diversity facilitator for Or The new Global Commu led by diversity. facilitat from 90 minutes to 40 m said it was "just a first clan ty education that would la the students' time at the UT training, however, was min ation and assessment of the program for next year. Monts said this process will include gathering the input of student and parent leaders, permanent staff, Reed and others within the office. In letters and meetings with Monts some student leaders have asked for a full evaluation of the program and hinted at the possibility of removing Reed as director if there is no positive consensus. "I feel (Reed), as the director of New Student Programs, to promote a University of diversity and multicultural- ism - is the wrong person," Bell said. "I don't believe Penni Reed is a mali- cious person, but there's a lot of igno- rance there, Gatterman said. Gatterman said Reed's defensiveness made her difficult to approach about concerns. "We didn't feel we could talk to her," he said. Burke said Reed was not receptive to his requests to discuss concerns during the program, but met with him last week at the end of the pro- gram. Burke said the meeting estab- lished more open lines of communi- cation but "as far as the summer is concerned, it's too late." When Burke contacted Monts about the program, Monts suggested he address the concerns after Orientation '96 concluded to focus on new student orientation rather than internal concerns during the summer. "(That) the new director of this office is not only making students upset but also making her employees upset is what I'm really concerned about. In her position she can't afford that. We need Orientation '95 leader Tanisha Giles points out the West Engineering Arch to a group of orientees. to have someone who does not make people upset," Burke said. Part of the planning for next year's program will include the selection of a replacement for Orientation Director Barry McDougal, who left the office several weeks ago to assume another University position. McDougal said although the changes implemented this year created tension within the office, the program is contin- ually changing and will be reassessed for next year. "There's been a process of change a and evaluation," McDougal said. "Sometimes things work and some- times they don't." Monts said the entire program will be evaluated in meetings and focus groups. Although new student evaluation forms will be part of the evaluation process, several of the leaders said internal office problems won't be found on the forms because students weren't directly affected by those issues. , During student programs the smiles and pleasantries were still in tact, and the internal concerns didn't affect their experiences, leaders said. Reed also said students weren't affected by the personnel issues. "The new students don't see it - but it creates a very tense working environ- ment," Bell said. Reed said students who attended ori- entation this summer received a quality program. Reevaluation will strengthen the program for next year, she said. "A lot of things we did this year we're going to try to build on," Reed said. CENTER Continued from Page 1 the center's administrative staff will also take over office space in the new building within the next few weeks - Damm and Director Barry Checkoway. Anita Bohn, director of Project SERVE, said, "We're going to move over there, but we have no idea when. They have like a tremendous amount of renovation to do before we could even move in." Bohn said she was excited about the oppor- tunity for other groups to get office space in the facility. "We have been advocating for stu- dent service organizations to have office space there," Bohn said. Bohn added that she recom- mended Circle K, Alpha Phi Omega and the Black Volunteer Network be officed in the building. Damm said that those groups may be allocated space at CLCS after renovations are complete. "We do expect to have space for a variety of groups." The new center will take on several new pro- jects, including creating a program called Community Strategies Against Poverty, which will look at poverty at local levels and welfare reform, Damm said. About 10-20 faculty members will be involved in the new programs, which are still in the early stages of development. Damm said the Center is looking to expland not- for-credit community service projects such as Alternative Spring Break while building up for- credit learning programs, including Project Community. Carolyn Tyson, director of the Pound House said, "I think we're going to move out on August 23 if all goes well." The Pound House was licensed to care for 34 children; the new Towsley Center is licensed to hold 47.,