Meetings held to discuss resignation

When students who care about former Dean of Student Life and Services Charlene Cole-Newkirk heard Monday that she had resigned, they responded immediately, despite midterm week courseloads.

Approximately 25-30 concerned students and Student Life and Services' staff met with President of the College Nancy Dye in an open forum Tuesday morning. Students asked questions about the circumstances surrounding Cole-Newkirk's resignation and expressed anger, hurt and a sense of institutional betrayal over Cole-Newkirk's departure. The tense discussion, which ran for over an hour, was punctuated by occasional outbursts of tears. Through it all Dye maintained that she was sorry, and through it all, the students maintained that hearing Dye tell them that she was sorry wasn't good enough.

At the end of the forum, when the students demanded Dye meet with them again, saying their questions had gone unanswered, Dye arranged to be at Afrikan Heritage House for dinner and another question and answer session. The students at the first forum invited other students to attend, and about 150 students, administrators and staff packed into Afrikan Heritage House for a couple hours to listen and speak. But after the second forum, students remained unsatisfied, upset and still in a state of shock.

The news of Cole-Newkirk's departure flew through campus, and by Monday night many students were aware of it, even though no official College announcement had been made.

Before the forum Tuesday morning Dye met with Student Life and Services' staff in Cole-Newkirk's Wilder office. When the students followed Dye into the office she told them that this meeting was not an open forum and said she would meet with them in 10 minutes. During Dye's meeting with staff, the students waited for Dye in the hallway.

At the forum in Wilder, Dye told students that Cole-Newkirk had resigned Monday and that no acting dean would be named. Instead, Assistant to the President Diana Roose will oversee the division until a replacement for Cole-Newkirk is hired, Dye explained. "We are in an honest-to-goodness interim," she said.

Junior Nakisha Heard said she did not understand why the position of acting dean was not offered to Associate Dean of Students Ken Holmes. "We already have Ken Holmes, who we are more comfortable with," Heard said.

During the meeting, students expressed dissatisfaction and fear about the number of staff members of color who have left Oberlin, pointing to departures dating back to 1995, and including the resignation of former Associate Dean of Students Deb McNish and Assistant Dean of Students Yeworkwha Belachew's medical leave this fall.

"I just need to calm myself," Heard said. "I am a product of an Oberlin education. How can you expect me to sit back? I will be here another semester, much to your dismay President Dye, I'm sure. Because if I'm not happy, nobody will be happy. This being done midterms week is bullshit. I dare a professor to fail me for not showing up, then that'll be just another lawsuit. We are not going to go home and come back docile. This is unacceptable to the black community." Following Heard's statement, students applauded and cheered.

"This is the same bullshit that been happening since my freshman year. I'm sorry because I'm paying for this bullshit," senior Andrea Clarke said.

"Regardless of anything you have to say," Heard said to Dye, "this administration is lily white."

Clarke said she felt Oberlin had not demonstrated any commitment to its reputation as a progressive institution. Clarke said she felt initiatives such as the video Follow the Morning Star were meaningless in the face of Cole-Newkirk's departure.

"Why are we supposed to sit back and promote multiculturalism?" Clarke said.

Senior Melody Waller questioned Oberlin's commitment to alumni, pointing out that Cole-Newkirk is a graduate of Oberlin.

"It's easy to put someone like Pat Penn in office," senior Kiese Laymon said. "When people like me and Andrea leave, don't be happy with just a person of color. Charlene is out of here because she wasn't just a person of color. I think she did a lot for the campus in general."

Late in the meeting, Dye asked, "What have I not answered to your satisfaction?"

In response, students yelled, "Where is she?"

"Who?" Dye asked.

"Charlene."

"I assume at home," Dye answered.

Junior Belice Cabrera asked Dye to explain what role the Board of Trustees play in determining hiring and firing at the College. Cabrera suggested that trustees were responsive to the concerns of wealthy white students who did not like Cole-Newkirk but contributed a lot of money to the College.

"The white community has a lot of money," Cabrera said. "People of color don't have a lot of money."

"The College is not run to make any sort of preferential treatment," Dye said. "There are no decisions made on the basis you just suggested."

"You have to excuse me," Cabrera said, as she began to cry and another student rushed to hug her. "I'm very hurt. You know that, right? We're all very hurt."

Cabrera opened the forum at Afrikan Heritage House by saying she felt her questions were not anwered by Dye earlier that morning. Cabrera addressed the lack of communication she sensed between Dye and Cole-Newkirk.

Dye responded by saying she did communicate with Cole-Newkirk, but that it wasn't her job or responsibility to micromanage the affairs of senior staff of the College.

Dye emphasized she did not hear every decision Cole-Newkirk made. When Cabrera asked what Dye's job as Cole-Newkirk's supervisor was, Dye said Cole-Newkirk only ran decisions on which she wanted Dye's opinon by her. Dye said this was the same procedure followed by other deans.

"There isn't a formal checks and balances system of authority," Dye said. She said she has to respect the decisions her senior officers make. "It's up to me to have faith in the pattern of decisions someone is making, including major ones," Dye said.

Senior Vayram Nyradroh addressed the black student retention study released last year and wondered if similar statistics were available on retention of administrators of color. Director of Human Resources Ruth Spencer said that while there hasn't been a formal study conducted, numbers are available.

"We will give you support if you truly show - not just in words - that you care about us on this campus by keeping people of color in the administration to represent me," Nyradoh said. "What are you doing to change this?"

"I agree we're not anywhere close to diversifying the faculty and administration, but I do believe I continue to work to make Oberlin diverse," Dye said. She said she thinks there are more people of color in the administration than there were three years ago. "

This isn't a black/white thing," said a student, "and so many people turn it into that. This doesn't mean black equals diverse."

Clarke noted six people of color had left the administration since she arrived four years ago. "I want answers as to why people of color don't feel comfortable staying here," she said.

Roose recounted some steps taken to follow through with the results of the black student retention study, such as the creation of a financial adviser position in the Office of Student Accounts.

"Today," said senior Rich Santiago, "no one will admit to overt sexism or racism that is encountered every day. Do you feel there's an underlying current of sexism and racism here that prevents faculty from staying? If so, what will you do? If not, what's wrong here?" he asked Dye.

Dye admitted to the presence of sexism and racism at Oberlin. "The reality is, there's a gap. What you commit yourself to at Oberlin is trying to eliminate that gap. It's not just saying 'everyone should love one another.' It's a matter of constant effort to make that a reality," Dye said.

"Are there problems? Yes," Dye said. "Is there awareness more so than there used to be? Yes."

After a short break, junior Dana Robinson, Cole-Newkirk's student assistant, brought the conversation back to Cole-Newkirk's resignation. Dye repeated that she couldn't talk about her conversation with Cole-Newkirk, and reiterated that Cole-Newkirk was the only one who could answer questions about her resignation.

Robinson asked why Dye couldn't talk about the conversation. Dye said it was a private conversation that it would be unethical to discuss.

Junior Lynn J. Watkins asked Dye ways in which students could assure that this type of turnover doesn't happen in the future, or with Cole-Newkirk's staff. He expressed concern for the present Student Life staff once a new dean is hired.

Dye told the audience that no one in Student Life was in danger of losing his or her job. She continued to say the College wasn't planning on naming a new Dean of Student Life for a long time in order to allow for plenty of time to work together and decide what they want.

"Most people don't work by union standards," Dye said. "That doesn't mean people don't have job protection. We do have job protection at Oberlin. No one in the Student Life division need fear for their jobs," Dye said.

Sophomore Michael Preacly asked what Dye's "sincere feelings" on Cole-Newkirk's resignation were.

"It's always a disruptive experience," Dye said.

Waller asked the last question of the evening. "What are you going to do? We've talked prettily for two hours and no-one's had any questions answered. As President, what are you going to do to keep black people here?" Waller asked.

Dye said, "I know you're mad at me and I understand that, but there's no way I can defend myself, all I can say is that I feel very deeply."

(Sara Foss contributed to this story.)

Photos (from top to bottom):

Voices of protest: Sophomore Robyn Brazeal speaks at a meeting held Tuesday morning. The meeting was held after students learned of Cole-Newkirk's resignation. (photo by Nachie Castro)

Looking for answers: Sophomore Michael Preacely asks Dye a question at Tuesday's forum. The dining hall at Afrikan Heritage House was filled with interested on-lookers. (photo by Mike Oleson)

Open mic: Junior Belice Cabrera addressed Dye at Tuesday night's open forum. Among other things, Cabrera asked Dye about the role the Board of Trustees had in the resignation. (photo by Mike Oleson)

Dye at forums: Nancy Dye spent a good part of the day on Tuesday meeting with students concerned about Dean of Student Life and Services Charlene Cole-Newkirk's resignation. Dye is unable to comment about the circumstances surrounding the resignation because of confidentiality issues. (photos by Mike Oleson and Nachie Castro)