Montclair State University
PCAA 2002-03

Minutes
January 23, 2003

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Present: M. Brown, C. Meneghin, L. Lemley, M. Coleman-Carter, D. DeBlasio, H. Gera, L. Rodriguez, L. Smith, L. McInerney, I. Caprio, I. Barriera, D. Rogers, C. Ortiz, E. Isaacs, H. Perez, N. Connolly, J. Hain, B. Milton, L. Wise, C. Fitzpatrick, R. Halaby, R. Baylor, J. Harris

Absent: Managerial (vacant), Q. Dent, J. Rivera, S. Vallejo, S. Shah, L. Wilson, T. Jacobowitz

I. Call to Order
Vice Chairperson, N. Connolly at 12:10 PM after reaching a quorum, called the meeting to order.

A. Minutes
Minutes from the December 19 meeting were approved after correcting the third paragraph in B. about the description of This Fine Place So Far From Home. H. Gera moved for adoption with correction and R. Halaby seconded the motion.

B. Readings - N. Connolly
Instead of discussing anti-affirmative action readings from Sex, Race, and Merit, we discussed the University of Michigan case and President Bush’s opposition to affirmative action. Breaking precedent, the White House is filing an amicus brief that holds that race should not be a factor in admissions.
Affirmative action opponents offer no solutions to replace what they consider a flawed system is an observation C. Meneghin made.

B. Milton indicated that the 10% plan used in Texas offers very limited access to undergraduates and does very little to add diversity to campus populations. In addition, the 10% doesn’t apply for professional school admission.

N. Connolly added that this is the first time a U.S. President has filed a brief to the Supreme Court. They usually appoint justices that support similar constitutional positions (liberal, moderate, or conservative) to their own.

H. Perez holds that anti-affirmative action opponents do not address the issue of social justice adequately in that they never acknowledge that underrepresented groups have been denied equal access to the benefits this country offers.

L. Rodriguez said that assumptions about success in higher education and the workplace are based on race. Some test scores are necessarily a complete indicator of a person's intelligence and ability. If a person has a 97, he/she is considered smarter than a person with 95. What does the difference in scores measure?

We were admonished by J. Harris to watch issues like welfare reform and Roe v. Wade, which he considers to be more important and having more far reaching effects than affirmative action.

II. Special Report   L. Smith
Students with disabilities are also a protected class. Cases regarding accommodations were also based on law school admissions. She shared information about a case where an undergraduate asked that time to take the LSAT be extended due to a disability. The student had a congenital birth defect; short arms that made it difficult for the student to write and work with the scantron form. Initially, he was denied, but after appeals, he was granted the extra time.

Section 504, an anti-discrimination law (1993) to which all schools receiving federal aid must adhere, protects people with one or more limited major life activities. Limited major life activities include sight, mental illness, learning disabilities, etc. Some disabilities may be invisible like psychiatric and learning disabilities.

A five-year study at MSU showed that 80% of the students enrolled with disabilities graduate. Only 12% were lost due to academic failure. Currently 425 students receive academic accommodations.

There is a need to educate faculty more about services to students with disabilities. While they are not entitled to know the nature of a student’s disability, they need to know the accommodation the student needs to be successful. In a survey with 84 responses, 80% felt that MSU was committed to providing accommodations. Only 40% agree that the physical facilities are accessible. All doors don’t open automatically and all doors are not wheelchair
accessible. Kiki Williams is ADA Coordinator, the person responsible for making physical facilities accessible.

With the growing number of students using services, she now has a counselor to assist her. She hires students with disabilities to work in her office and appealed for commission members and other campus offices to hire students with disabilities to work in our offices. Smith reminded us that disability is a status that any one of us could find ourselves in tomorrow. She is dedicated to making MSU a friendly and inviting place for all.

Chris Fitzpatrick commented that he had the pleasure of being in the class of a faculty member who had a disability. D. Rogers complimented L. Smith for the kind of services her office provides.

The PCAA will link to the Health and Wellness website and the to Students with Disabilities.



III. Committee Reports

A. Status of Women - M. Coleman-Carter
The committee met and discussed PAR training. Shanita Brokenburr
has scheduled a series of workshops that teach managers and supervisors to use the developmental approach. The committee is also working with the Women’s Center on Women’s Month programming.


B. Status of Minorities
Chair T. Jacobowitz appointed J. Harris temporary chair.

C. Recruitment and Retention - L. Rodriguez
New faculty and staff hires need to be informed about minority caucuses, staff associations, and services for people with disabilities. C. Meneghin recommended that Human Resources should develop welcome packages instead of the divisions. This would insure uniformity and completeness of materials.

The committee is also considering examining the exit process. This would provide the University with a method to collect information on the reasons and circumstances for employees leaving. VP Hain said she would be happy to share the current instrument with the committee.

D. Executive Committee - C. Meneghin
The executive committee is discussing a restructuring of the committee system. Under consideration is whether committees should be structured around issues or underrepresented groups, their inclusiveness, and the PCAA charge to educate the campus community. Recommendation should be forthcoming by the next meeting or certainly by the end of the year advance. Any feedback should be directed to Chair T. Jacobowitz or any member of the executive committee.

IV. Old Business
A. Affirmative Action Day
We will use our regular meeting time on February 20 at 12-2 PM to have a roundtable discussion on Affirmative Action at MSU. We will discuss the admissions policies at MSU, especially in the wake of the Michigan State University case.

B. Physical Plant
Vice President Shuckle will be meeting with the Physical Plant Department on Tuesday to introduce the new Assistant VP. The new VP will share the executive summary of the consultants’ report with the PPD after which, the report can be shared with the PCAA.


C. Other
C. Meneghin updated the PCAA on the progress for the right for gay and lesbians to marry in New Jersey. The town meetings have been well attended. Legislation for domestic partners is swiftly moving through the Assembly and may be introduced as early as March.

Adjourned at 1:55 PM

Next Meeting February 20, 2003 - Affirmative Action Day

Submitted,

Michael Brown
Recording Secretary