BATON ROUGE, La. (KLFY) — LSU’s president and board chair have pledged “concrete steps” the university can take to make the university a more inclusive place for minorities in the wake of this summer’s nationwide race-related protests.
The message was sent to students today and is also being hosted on the university’s website. The address comes after a meeting with minority student leaders on campus.
“The actions we’re outlining today will not immediately solve every issue we need to address,” stated the address signed by both LSU Interim President Thomas Galligan, Jr. and LSU Board of Supervisors Chair Mary Werner. “Thus, we have committed to ongoing conversations so that we continue to make progress. As we move forward, mistakes will surely be made. However, if we continue to work together in a spirit of collaboration, we are confident our mistakes will lead to continued forward progress.”
Details are available at the school’s website, but the broad strokes of the plan include the following:
- Increase the ratio of minority professionals in every academic area.
- Increase funding for minority programs and departments to positively affect the Black student experience.
- Organize LSU resources specifically targeted towards minority students and workers dealing with mental health and trauma.
- Address and correct issues of racism and discrimination on campus through the Student Code of Conduct and LSU Student Advocacy and Accountability.
- Make timely statements condemning racism and injustice and implement policies clearly outlining the University’s standard of disapproval.
- Include Black student representatives in University administration conversations that impact the student body.
The university also committed to the following:
- Making inclusion a major part of university communications;
- Developing and implementing improved annual diversity training;
- Increasing community building opportunities for diverse students, faculty, and staff;
- Adding diversity offerings to New Employee Orientation; and
- Strengthening LSU’s position on diversity to reflect anti-racism.
The address also comes on the heels of requests to rename the university’s library, as the library’s current namesake, Troy H. Middleton, was a segregationalist. The issue will be officially considered at the LSU Board of Supervisors meeting on June 19.