“Black History Celebrated Across Ursinus Campus”
Recruitment and retention of students of color at Ursinus College
Staff writer, Nipun Suri, wrote “Black History Celebrated Across Ursinus Campus” on February 22, 2000, from the Ursinus student newspaper, The Grizzly. Paulette Patton was key in planning and creating cultural and artistic events designed to educate the Ursinus campus community of black history. Historical events were centered around the civil rights movement during the ’60s. Films were shown, brief lectures, and chapel services were held to “honor, remember, and celebrate the past.” Dean Todd McKinney weighs in his thoughts and feels that there needs to be more incorporation of black history than just one month of focus.
Nipun Suri, The Grizzly
Ursinus Grizzly
February 22, 2000
Ursinus College
Ursinus student newspaper, The Grizzly
English
Confrontation: Black Vs White
Recruitment and retention of students of color at Ursinus College
An article from the Ursinus Weekly by Byron Jackson explaining the importance of uplifting the presence of the Black community.
Bryon Jackson
the Ursinus Weekly
Ursinus College
January 23, 1969
Courtesy of Ursinus College Archives
PDF
English
Newspaper
Ursinus College Minority Student Union Constitution
Recruitment and retention of students of color at Ursinus College
These two typed pages are the constitution drawn up for the Minority Students Union. Although it is undated it was pulled from the Ursinusiana archives from a folder labeled 1987/1988 so can be tentatively dated to that general timeline. The constitution includes description of the organization's purpose - to foster a sense of awareness and serve as a support system and unifying body, as well as information about officer roles and duties, voting, and meeting plans. Another specific function of the organization and officers is to promote cultural programming on campus. The organization is open to any member of the college community.
Ursinus College students
Ursinusiana Archives of Myrin Library
Ursinus College
Tentatively: 1987
Ursinus College holds the right to this resource
Two pages typed document
English
Text
Ursinus Minority Students Union Constitution, 1987
Ursinus College campus, 1987-1988
Ursinus Joins the National Minority Faculty Identification Program
Recruitment and retention of students of color at Ursinus College
This is a series of primary sources documenting the college's joining of The Chronicle of Higher Education's Minority Faculty Vita Bank, and related documents explaining and describing exactly what that means. The first document is a one-page letter from the Director of the National Minority Faculty Identification Program, Dr. William B. Jones, dated August 5th, 1987. The letter is to then-president Richard P. Richter inviting Ursinus College to join the program and explaining the program’s function. The program is a “computerized minority faculty databank for member institutions,” offering lists of candidates and access to resumes. Dr. Jones also mentions that participating institutions will be listed in an advertisement in The Chronicle of Higher Education so long as they join by a certain date. The following document is a handwritten note from August 10th, addressed to President Richter (“RPR”) explaining that Ursinus has decided to join, and referring to “attached” for more information. The “attached” consists of the next three pages - one pulled from the January 7, 1987 Chronicle list of Minority Faculty Vita Bank, and the next two listing information about the program (number of participants, demographics, statistics on the types of degrees, etc.).
Ursinus College Administration of 1987
Ursinusiana Archives of Myrin Library
Ursinus College
August 1897
The Chronicle of Higher Education, Dr. William B. Jones
Ursinus College holds the right to this resource
Printed handwritten memo, pages from the Chronicle of Higher Education, typed letter from the Director of the National Minority Faculty Identification Program
English
Text
Ursinus College Joins the National Minority Faculty Identification Program, 1987
Ursinus College campus, 1987-1988
Ursinus Board Meets on Diversity
Recruitment and retention of students of color at Ursinus College
The newspaper article details an Ursinus College board meeting in 2012 regarding diversity on campus. A report given to the board by the FDC expresses dissatisfaction with the current handling of diversity affairs on campus. It is stated in the report, that a new Ursinus Committee on diversity would help distribute responsibilities which were at the time unstructured. Also addressed is a common issue regarding diversity on campus, "visibility, and transparency." The college community was said to be allowed to address topics of the CPPC's workgroups later that semester and the Collegeville community as well. The campus discussion was held high in importance and regard to the board in making their decisions.
The Ursinus Grizzly
The Ursinus Grizzly
Ursinus College
March 1, 2012
Ursinus College holds the rights to this document.
Scan from the Ursinus College Archives
English
News Article
Ursinus College Board Meeting on Diversity
Ursinus College 2012
"Board meets on Diversity Reports" Grizzly article
Recruitment and retention of students of color at Ursinus College
This article from the March 1st, 2012 edition of the Ursinus College Grizzly newspaper announces the beginning of a retreat for the college’s Board of Trustees. At this meeting the board plans to discuss a strategic diversity plan based on three campus diversity reports. These reports come from the Teagle Home Team, the Faculty Committee on Diversity, and the Presidential Committee on Race and Equality. There is a note from then-president Dr. Bobby Fong that the three recommendations “sometimes diverge”, and that the largest of these divergences concerns the implementation of a specific Chief Diversity Officer position (which one report suggests and the other two deem unnecessary). The report which argues for the new position asserts that the most pressing issues affecting campus diversity are those of “visibility and transparency,” and such a person would provide structure and clarity to all of the “diversity work” on campus. The article closes with the information that the Ursinus community can publicly discuss the reports after spring recess, and that Collegeville residents can contribute their ideas online. This article displays part of the back and forth discussions, particularly in 1987-1988, regarding the best ways to recruit and retain students of color.
Senior Staff Writer James Noebels
Ursinusiana Archives of Myrin Library
Ursinus College
March 1, 2012
Ursinus Grizzly staff of 2012
Ursinus College holds the right to this resource
Two pages including the intro/title page of the article as well as the continuation and conclusion of the article on a separate page
English
Text
Ursinus College campus, 2012
Confrontation: Black vs. White
Recruitment and retention of students of color at Ursinus College
The article is a brief recounting of black students at Swarthmore College in their fight for acceptance. In their protest, they ask for programs of education and to promote the realization of the Black struggle. The Afro-American students Society of Swarthmore sets goals to increase openings for black youth, expose and realize the history of Swarthmore and its connection to racism, and to create educative programs regarding black people, their history and struggle, and to increase even black staff. This event, as Byron Jackson writes, connects directly to the Ursinus College Black Student Alliance, in their quest for approval or denial. The two groups share the goal of increased black participation, even by black women as well, in their educative process and furthermore talk on the existence of black students on campus, and how the organizations future will affect it.
The Ursinus Weekly
Ursinusiana Archives of Myrin Library
Ursinus College
January 23rd, 1969
Byron Jackson
Ursinus College holds the right to this resource
Newspaper article
English
Text
"Confrontation: Black vs White" Ursinus Weekly, 1969
Ursinus College campus, 1969
The Black Stereotype - A Dead Era
Recruitment and retention of students of color at Ursinus College
In this article of the Ursinus Weekly, Byron Jackson goes into small detail about the movement for student rights. The article attempts to bridge the gap between the acquisition of student rights, and the striving of black people towards their deserved place in society. Essentially, Byron Jackson tries to debunk the idea that black students fighting for their rights are all Black Nationalists. Simply put, the scenario described had involved Black Nationalists fighting for their rights under the guise of being students. However, Jackson attempts to falsify this claim, because as he states "each individual black person is his own person." In other words, Black Student Activism had been given a bad look as it related to black peoples movement in general towards equality, this stereotype reached black students, and Jackson here attempts to remove it. This would effect black students for generations, as they would be seen as parts of the Black Power movement, taking away from their fight for individual freedom.
The Ursinus Weekly, Byron Jackson
Ursinusiana Archives of Myrin Library
Ursinus College
December 5th, 1967
Ursinus College holds the right to this resource
Newspaper Article
English
Text
"The Black Stereotype - A Dead Era", Ursinus Weekly, 1967
Ursinus College campus, 1967
What's Going on with Exposure?
Recruitment and retention of students of color at Ursinus College
In The Grizzly, published February 1st, 2007, Jon Gagas wrote “What’s going on with Exposure.” One evening the semester prior, Exposure had a potluck dinner where students of every color came together for a communal meal. Exposure is a group that gives students a faculty a forum for exposing their experiences of harassment and discrimination, as well as exposing people of different backgrounds. President Heather Saunders of Exposure believed the dinner was an achievement where it gives people of all “religious traditions, races, and sexual identities a place to dialogue.” Exposure is a response from students at Ursinus College that have created a designated time and place for all people of color to come together and build relationships with one another.
Jon Gagas
The Grizzly
February 1st, 2007
Ursinus College
Ursinus College
English
First African-American Graduate to be Honored
Recruitment and retention of students of color at Ursinus College
In The Grizzly, published February 3rd, 2011, Joshua Walsh wrote “First African-American graduate to be honored,” recognizing and awarding William Robert Crigler who was the first African-American graduate of Ursinus College in 1956. After an interview with a scout from Ursinus College, who was looking for an African-American student to enroll, Crigler ended up enrolling at Ursinus College. Crigler was very involved on campus; he studied several hours a day, played two sports, and sang in the school choir, to name a few. Crigler was devoted to helping children and young people and suggest to them “to take every opportunity. There’s room for everything.” The ceremony for William Robert Crigler took place on February 4th and 6th. He delivered an address in Bomberger Meditation Chapel as part of Ursinus College’s celebration of black history month. Since early efforts to recruit students of color, the recognition of Crigler is one of the ways Ursinus College has continued to work towards becoming more inclusive.
Joshua Walsh
The Grizzly
February 3rd, 2011
Ursinus College
English