DiversityWeb Information
Provider - Knox College
DIVERSITY RESEARCH, EVALUATION, AND
IMPACT
The February Fifth Forum: Cultivating
Community
Level Two Information:
Reason and Purpose Behind the Forum
Designed by the President's Council
on Intercultural Initiatives, the February
Fifth Forum: Cultivating Community,
was designed to engage the Knox community
in dialogue about existing campus relations
and power structures, and about the
personal and institutional changes needed
to improve these aspects of our campus
environment. The impetus for this highly
intensive and day-long forum came from
concerns raised in three previous and
smaller scale "open forums" sponsored
consecutively by our Student Senate,
our Greek organizations, and our Office
of Intercultural Life. In all three
forums, repeated frustrations with harassment
and discrimination, especially the subtler
forms, were expressed along with the
inadequacies of current institutional
policy and procedure to effectively
respond to these concerns. Participants
also expressed concern over the amount
of clearly established institutional
support and advocacy in place for improvement
upon these concerns. Because the President's
Council on Intercultural Initiatives
strongly felt such institutional support
and advocacy already was in place, they
determined that further investigation
into where this support was lost, and
why people didn't feel engaged in the
integral frameworks of the campus, was
necessary. They then began plans for
the February Fifth Forum.
The Program
Throughout the day, students, faculty
and staff participated in case-study
discussions; witnessed a powerful performance
piece titled Face to Face and brought
to us by Story Performances; experienced
a form of street theater presented by
Knox Students and exemplifying their
frustrations and experiences with discrimination
on campus; and engaged in dialogue about
what changes and proactive measures
we could take as an institution to improve
our campus relations and power structures.
Participation was voluntary, and we
were encouraged by the standing-room
only attendance of the performances,
and the majority of the campus that
chose to join in the conversations taking
place during the day. An itemized and
detailed account of the program is provided
in the level three information for this
section.
The Result
The February Fifth Forum has proven
to be a turning point on our campus
in that the amount of discussion, and
the increased awareness over our campus
relations and power structures has been
phenomenal. Faculty, staff, and students
alike learned that the healthy, diverse
community is possible only through the
engagement and dedication of its members,
and that silence or indifference to
this end is really a statement against
the diverse community. Also, we came
to terms with the fact that, whether
intentional or ignorant, injustices
do occur on campus, and it is everyone's
responsibility to make sure that when
they do happen, full and positive resolution
takes place. We have come to define
our "community" as one where, though
we may not share personal goals, we
do share the common goal of creating
and experiencing an educational and
diverse environment conducive to everyone's
well-being and compatibility, emphasizing
the benefits and richness of difference
as a unified and shared diverse experience.
Follow-Up
Though the forum will not always be
held on February Fifth, and though topics
might become more focused as we learn
where our greatest challenges lie, we
plan to continue an annual reflection
and evaluation of our progress as we
now see the benefits of such a direct
and concerted effort. Another result
of the Forum is the addition of the
Institutional Policy and Procedure subcommittee
of the President's Council on Intercultural
Initiatives, whose objective is to evaluate
current judiciary policy and procedure,
and to investigate a means of improving
them. More information about the forum
in the form of publicity, reviews, reports,
and articles is available in the Level
Three information for this section.
Practical Examples and Working Documents
related to this topic
Level Three Information:
Agenda:
February Fifth Forum: Cultivating
Community Agenda and Descriptions of
Events
Case Study Discussions
Either during class periods through
the voluntary choice of faculty members,
or in alternate classrooms with other
faculty, staff, and student facilitators,
everyone will have the opportunity to
analyze a case study compiled from actual
situations and experiences of Knox community
members. Through discussion, we will
identify where positive communication
breaks down and becomes a barrier to
effective interaction between people,
why such breakdown occurs, and what
can be done in Knox's future to prevent
similar problems.
Face to Face Performance
Face to Face is a fast paced performance
piece that deals head-on with contemporary
community relations. It is presented
by a skilled team of artist-educators
committed to encouraging cultural diversity
and unity through self-expression and
cross-cultural communication. It unfolds
in a series of monologues in which the
performers tell their own personal stories,
and dialogue-dramas that touch on history,
stereotyping, speech and language, class,
gender, interracial relationships, and
personal and group identity as elements
to influencing the racial picture. The
performance is followed by group discussion.
Community Lunch
All faculty, staff, and students are
invited to join for lunch in the Hard
Knox Cafe to continue conversation on
the morning's case study discussions,
and the Face to Face performance. Also,
a team of Knox students will perform
dramatizations of situations that demonstrate
some of the most common forms of communication
breakdown that take place on our campus.
Afternoon Campus-Assessment Discussions
During the afternoon class schedule,
each period will have a series of rooms
and facilitators assigned for anyone
who wishes to participate in an evaluation
of campus relations at present, and
in planning proactive measures to improve
such relations for Knox College. Discussion
of the morning performances will be
included.
Facilitator Wrap-up Session
Group facilitators will meet with the
performers of Face to Face to share
the day's experiences, and to assess
the morning discussions. This will also
be the time for facilitators to share
their own opinions and thoughts on the
topics of the day, since as facilitators,
they have refrained from inserting personal
opinion in the earlier discussions.
Community Assembly: Where Do We Go
From Here?
The performers of Face to Face and
designated Knox members will open discussion
to the entire community for their feedback
on the day, and what participants envision
for the future in communication relations
on campus. Assessment forms will be
distributed, and follow-up plans determined
at this time. The performers of Face
to Face will also share vital communication
skills and planning that allow for positive
growth and interaction among a diverse
campus community.
Face to Face Information/Advertisement:
FACE TO FACE
presented by STORY PERFORMANCES
Director/Manager: January Kiefer
At the Midtown Arts Center
3207 Washington Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63103
314-533-0566
fax 314-533-4191
FACE TO FACE is a fast-paced performance
piece that deals head-on with contemporary
community relations. It is an excellent
vehicle for opening dialogue and moving
forward on highly sensitive and uncomfortable
issues.
FACE TO FACE is presented by a skilled
team of artist-educators committed to
encouraging cultural diversity and unity
through self-expression and cross-cultural
communication. It unfolds in a series
of monologues in which performers tell
their own personal stories, and dialogue-dramas
that touch on history, stereotyping,
speech and language, class, gender,
interracial relationships, and personal
and group identity as elements influencing
the racial picture.
FACE TO FACE will be at Knox College
on February Fifth o help us in our February
Fifth Forum: Cultivating Community;
as we explore our own campus community
relations and power structures, and
as we learn together our needs for progressive
community development.
FACE TO FACE has been presented at
the Missouri Conference for the Socialization
of the Culturally Diverse Child, the
Kansans of Color Conference, the St.
Louis Area Secondary Principal's Association,
the Midwest Desegregation Assistance
Center's Regional Conference in Kansas
City, Missouri, the National Training
Association's Annual Conference in Asilomar,
California, the Leadership for Diversity
Conference in Dallas, Texas, and numerous
other educational institutions and organizations
including Oklahoma State University,
Kansas State University, Webster University,
Washington University, the St. Louis
Community College System, and the Consolidated
Services for School Reform National
Conference at Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Case-Study Documents Cover Letter:
February Fifth Forum: Cultivating
Community
Case Study Cover Letter
TO: Knox College Faculty, Staff, and
Trained Student Facilitators
FROM: Sandra Idol, Coordinator of Intercultural
Programs and Student Activities
RE: The February Fifth Forum Case Study
Documents
Attached you will find four case study
documents with discussion questions
and facilitation guidelines.
Please understand that the choice to
lead a case study discussion is voluntary,
and that just because you have received
these documents, you are not obligated
to facilitate a discussion. They have
been distributed to all faculty and
staff, plus the trained student facilitators,
to provide the option for you to lead
a discussion if you wish.
The documents are based on, but not
replicas of, stories that Knox community
members have submitted to me in confidentiality.
In no circumstance has the gender, department,
ethnicity, and/or position of any person
or setting been duplicated. Also, each
document is a merging of at least three
stories, and therefore as a story itself,
is not based on any exact situation
at Knox. Please emphasize this to your
group if you are facilitating so that
no one is falsely accused of being represented
in any of these stories. If you have
questions about the stories and their
origins, please contact me. Those who
have submitted stories being used in
the documents, have been contacted and
have approved their distribution and
use.
The questions that are listed after
each section in the documents are there
to help you guide the discussion. If
you have other questions you'd like
to ask, or if you only want to focus
on certain sections, please feel free
to use them in any way you deem appropriate.
The goal of the discussion, to encourage
participants to start thinking critically
about our campus relations and community
issues in a progressive manner, is the
only constant for the discussions.
Thank you for your participation in
this forum.
Case Study Facilitation Guidelines:
February Fifth Forum: Cultivating
Community
Facilitation Guidelines
Compiled from Various Sources
These guidelines are offered to you
simply for added structure in your facilitation,
and are not meant to be used in the
discussion itself. Simply keep them
in mind as you interact with your group,
understanding the unique position you
are in as the group "leader."
Qualities of a Facilitator:
- A deep commitment to the issue
of eliminating racism and/or injustice.
- An ability to honor people's feelings.
- A willingness to keep doing one's
own healing work.
- Friendships with members of other
ethnic groups.
Facilitating Behaviors:
- Encourage: being friendly, warm,
responsive to others, respectfully
dealing with individuals and their
ideas, agreeing and accepting contributions
from others.
- Initiate: suggesting new ideas,
new definitions, new attacks on the
problem or new organization of ideas.
- Seek: asking for clarification
or suggestions, requesting additional
information or facts.
- Orient: bringing the group back
on task when they have deviated on
a tangent that seems unnecessary.
- Give: offering facts or generalizations,
relating one's own experience to the
group problem to illustrate points.
- Evaluate: asking questions to cause
the group to look at a value in a
different manner or more in depth.
- Summarize: pulling together related
ideas restating things after the group
has discussed them for focus.
- Mediate: harmonizing, conciliating
differences in points of view, diffusing
conflict.
- Gatekeep: trying to make it possible
for another member to make a contribution
to the group, or suggesting limited
talking time for everyone so that
all will have a chance to be heard.
- Clarify: interpreting ideas or
suggestions and clearing up confusion.
Steps Toward Becoming an Interculturally
Sensitive Person
- Admit that my way of perceiving
the world is not universal.
- Believe in the necessity of understanding
my own culture prior to discovering
the cultures of others.
- Decide to embrace opportunities
for encountering others who are different.
- Recognize and admit that my initial
reaction to cultural difference may
be defensive either by denigrating
the differing culture or implying
my culture is superior.
- Recognize and admit that my initial
reaction to cultural difference may
be to deny my own culture in order
to gain acceptance from a differing
culture.
- Discern from my investigation of
my own culture the valuable cultural
traits that affect my attitudes and
behavior.
- Let go of my prejudices as I discover
them within myself and make amends
to the persons and groups that I have
hurt as a result of my prejudice whenever
possible.
- Discern from my encounters of other
cultures and reflect on what makes
their cultural traits valuable to
them.
- Continue to increase and modify
my inventory of my own cultural traits
by practicing steps 3-7.
- Remain silent and listen when my
discomfort toward others' descriptions
of cultural differences causes me
to trivialize their differences.
- Actively seek opportunities such
as reading and listening to and interacting
with those with extensive cross-cultural
experience that will enhance my relationships
with others.
- Withhold judgment when I encounter
what I consider "improper" verbal
and non-verbal behavior and attempt
to discern what is attributable to
cultural traits and values.
- Honestly believe that I can value
difference among people and use them
as opportunities to learn about self
and others by practicing the above
steps regularly.
- Immerse myself in a different culture
for an extended period of time and
continue to practice the above steps.
- Commit myself to understanding
a given situation not only from my
point of view but also from the cultural
world view of the other.
- Accept my cultural marginality
and use it creatively to help individuals
and groups to better understand each
other.
- Recognize that this is an ongoing
process!
Case-Study Facilitation Worksheet:
February Fifth Forum: Cultivating
Community
Case-Study Facilitation Worksheet
1. Explain the purpose of analyzing
the case study document, and the nature
of these documents.
Example: "The purpose of the case study
discussions is to initiate critical
thinking about our own campus relations
issues, and to engage in dialogue about
the proactive measures that can be taken
to alleviate campus conflict and dilemmas.
The documents are based on, but not
replicas of, stories that Knox community
members have submitted in confidentiality.
In no circumstance has the gender, department,
ethnicity, major, and/or age of any
person or setting been duplicated. Therefore,
though you may find similarities between
the stories and your own experiences,
it is very unlikely that the story is
actually based on your prior knowledge.
Please refrain from assuming that anyone
you know is represented in the story."
If anyone has a question about the
origin of the stories, they should contact
Sandra Idol at ext. 7223, box 595, or
sidol@knox.edu.
2. Lay down ground rules for the group.
This is an important step to insure
that everyone will have a safe haven
for discussion.
Example: Rule #1: "Though discussion
of the actual case study, and about
general campus issues can extend outside
of this classroom, any personal stories,
examples, comments, or opinions cannot
leave this room. If you aren't sure
if something can be shared outside of
this room, PLEASE check with me AND
the person whose comment you wish to
share before you do so."
Rule #2: "If someone shares a personal
story or opinion, it is not O.K. to
criticize that person for their own
beliefs. If you choose to respond to
an opinion, please base your response
solely on your own experience, and not
on your perception of the other person's
opinion. Please maintain respect for
each person in the room, and conduct
conversation in that manner."
3. Read the case study document one
section at a time, facilitating discussion
based on the section's questions before
continuing on to the next section. Below
are other questions you can ask should
conversation take another turn, or if
you have extra time at the end of the
discussion.
- At what point in the story do you
think the conflict started or the
problems began?
- How could this conflict have been
resolved differently to the benefit
of all concerned?
- How could this conflict have been
avoided from the very start?
- Does this situation seem familiar?
Have you ever witnessed or experienced
a similar situation that might have
been resolved differently? better?
- Ultimately, what happens when such
a situation isn't fully and positively
resolved? Who suffers? What happens
in the future to the community involved?
In future interactions? Also, whose
responsibility is it to make sure
that the situation is fully resolved?
- Could there have been a different
system in place to handle this conflict
better? What would it be like?
4. There are two levels of facilitation.
If your group is hesitant about talking,
and seems uncomfortable with the exercise,
keep discussion at the first level of
simply analyzing the text, not making
connection between the document and
themselves, or the campus at large.
If your group is responsive and involved,
the next level of association, that
of making inferences and connections
to personal and institutional experiences,
is ideal.
5. Save time at the end of the discussion
for further comments, making sure that
everyone has a chance to leave feeling
like they've had "their say." Also,
end the discussion by reiterating the
confidentiality rule, and by reminding
participants that the document is based
on stories shared by Knox community
members. Emphasis should end of the
fact that a community is every members'
responsibility, and that we each have
an obligation to insure that our interactions
are positive, and that when conflict
occurs, we pursue full resolution to
the best of our abilities.
Case Study Document #1
February Fifth Forum: Cultivating
Community
Case Study Document #1
Please read each section of the story
out loud to your group, and lead them
in a discussion about the questions
that follow before proceeding on to
the next section.
Section One:
Susan is a first-year student who was
born and has always lived in Arizona.
She is a first-generation college student,
meaning she is the first person in her
family to go to college. Susan is also
bilingual, in that she has spoken Spanish
and English fluently all her life. When
Susan first comes to Knox, she meets
April, another student from the south-west
who is also a first generation college
student and bilingual. April and Susan
are both in the same preceptorial class,
and agree to sit together on the first
day of class.
When Susan gets to class, April has
already chosen seats near the back of
the room. Susan sits down, and a few
minutes later, the professor walks in.
When seeing Susan and April in the back
of the room, the only two Latina students
in the class, she asks them if they
are "keeping near the border." Susan
and April don't respond, but are shocked
by the comment.
- What should Susan and April do?
- Why do you think the professor
made this comment? What motivation
did she have, or what might have been
her intentions?
Section Two:
Later that week, after Susan and April
agree to sit closer to the front of
the class, discussion starts to focus
on language barriers between women and
men, stemming from a reading of Bell
Hooks Talking Back. The professor makes
a quick comment about how "some of you,
however, are probably from homes where
the women are more dominant, and the
men probably don't speak at all, or
even have much control; but this is
just because of your culture." Since
Susan and April are the only minorities
in the class, the comment comes across
as very pointed. After class, they talk
together about what they should do,
and Susan decides that if one more comment
is made, she will report her professor.
One week later, discussion is focused
on how comfortable people feel in America.
One student in the class says he always
thought of America as a place where
anyone can make their way as long as
they work hard and follow the rules.
The professor points out that it may
not be as simple as that, since people
with the most power in the country are
predominately white and male, and there
are stereotypes that others must confront
on a daily basis that may keep them
from enjoying the fruits of their labors
as much as a white male may enjoy. She
concludes this statement with "Susan
and April probably understand what I
mean since the U.S. isn't their first
home. I'm sure they've had a lot more
to face in learning English, and even
getting into college, than some of the
rest of you here." Susan and April get
up and leave the class
- How do you feel about the professor
at this point?
- What do you think Susan and April
should do now? Do you agree with their
plan to report the professor?
Section Three:
Later that day, while meeting with
her advisor to talk about what happened
in class, Susan is told that many Latino
men and women have made considerable
contributions to the U.S. and World
progress. She is also told that they,
too, had to meet with horrible injustices,
but that they rose above them, and succeeded
in spite of all that was against them.
The advisor does say that he will speak
with her professor, and that Susan should
come back if things don't improve.
- How do you feel about the advisor's
response to Susan? Is it appropriate?
If not, what do you think is problematic
about the response?
- How do you think Susan feels about
the response?
- How else could the advisor have
responded to Susan?
Section Four:
The professor does ask to meet with
Susan and April the next day, and apologizes
for the comments she has made in class.
She says she had thought se was "understanding"
their background, but now understands
she was only applying some preconceived
notions she had of the two girls based
on their ethnicity that were obviously
ungrounded and inappropriate. She asks
that if she again makes a comment that
is inappropriate, that Susan and April
please come and tell her so that she
can become aware of what she says in
class, and learn not to make similar
assumptions in the future.
- How do you feel about this resolution?
- How do you feel about the professor
at this point?
- What would have happened if Susan
and April had approached the professor
before going to the advisor?
- What would have been the long-term
effects on Susan and April if they
had not pursued action of any sort?
On the professor? On the community
at large?
Case Study Document #2
February Fifth Forum: Cultivating
Community
Case Study Document #2
Please read each section of the story
out loud to your group, and lead them
in a discussion about the questions
that follow before proceeding on to
the next section.
Section One:
Professor Whittier teaches Biology,
and assigns lab groups randomly by entering
his class list into a computer program.
However, he always tells the groups
that if the situation warrants it, he
will rearrange the groups. A few weeks
into the term, a female student named
Susan approaches him about conflicts
she has with another student in her
group. She says she knows this student
from Black Alliance meetings and has
seen him at sporting events, but that
this is the first time she's really
interacted with him in a classroom setting.
Also, she adds that outside the class,
she considers him more of an acquaintance
than a friend. She is concerned because
this student continually makes comments
about her appearance in front of the
group, the most recent comment being
"why don't you wear that shirt you wore
to the alliance meeting the other night
to class? It showed you off really well."
She also feels that whenever they start
to work on a lab, this student makes
a point of getting "too close." She
works well with the rest of the lab
group, however, and would prefer to
have him leave the group rather than
her, since he doesn't seem to interact
with the other members of the group
at all, or only coldly.
- What should Professor Whittier
do?
- What ethnicity are Susan and the
male student in question?
- How do you feel about the male
student at this point?
Section Two:
Professor Whittier decides the first
step would be to meet with the male
student since he's noticed that Greg
doesn't participate in class discussions,
and hasn't seemed to content in the
classroom, though his written work has
been fine. He asks Greg about the class,
and Greg says he's fine with it, only
he's not too sure everyone in the class
is comfortable with him, since he's
the only male of color in the class.
Professor Whittier encourages Greg to
speak up in class discussions, and comments
on the quality of the written work.
He also emphasizes that Greg can come
to him if anyone in the class does express
something inappropriate. He then mentions
that he's heard there's some tension
between Greg and Susan in lab. Greg
says that Susan is a "friend" and knows
he's just joking around. He also says
the rest of the students don't know
what they're talking about, and probably
just don't want him in the group. Professor
Whittier then lets Michael know that
it is Susan who has approached him about
the situation. Michael expresses surprise
and disappointment. He says he wishes
she would have said something to him,
and that he really thought she understood.
He is used to "flirting" with his female
friends, and that this is the first
time anyone has said anything negative
about it. Professor Whittier asks if
Greg would be willing to talk with Susan
in his office about this situation to
see if it can be resolved without anyone
having to move out of the lab group.
- How well did Professor Whittier
deal with Greg?
- Why do you think Greg is surprised
to hear about Susan's complaint?
- Why do you think Greg is concerned
about how the rest of the class responds
to him?
Section Three:
Susan comes in, and through discussion,
Greg and Susan conclude that they can
still work together in the lab group,
and that Greg will need to treat the
situation as a professional and academic
one, and that Susan will need to alert
Greg and Professor Whittier if she feels
uncomfortable again with the way Greg
acts toward her.
- How did you feel about this resolution?
- Did Professor Whittier do the right
thing?
Section Four:
Professor Whittier feels some relief
that the situation has been resolved,
but uncomfortable because he isn't sure
he would have dealt with the situation
in the same way had Greg not been African
American. He feels he might have been
more apt to simply change the lab groups
around had two white students been involved,
and less cautious about taking the disciplinary
action. He is glad to know what Michael
faced coming into the Biology Department,
and hopes that Michael continues with
the major, but doesn't think he'll ever
know if he responded to this situation
appropriately or not, since he doesn't
know if it is all right to confront
a student differently based on their
ethnicity.
- How do you feel about Professor
Whittier's reaction to the entire
situation?
- What might you say to Professor
Whittier if you were his superior
and he came to you to ask about his
unease?
- What would have happened if Professor
Whittier, rather than try to interact,
had chosen not to respond to the situation
at all? or had simply moved Greg to
a new group without talking to him?
Case Study Document #3
February Fifth Forum: Cultivating
Community
Case Study Document #3
Section One:
Judy has worked as a custodian on campus
for seven years. During this time, she
has interacted well with students in
their suites, and they often find her
to visit when they come back for homecoming
or other events. Recently, Judy has
been given the added responsibility
of cleaning a set of offices in an academic
building next to the dorm that is also
under her supervision. One evening,
as Judy is organizing one of the offices,
the professor walks in and, after finding
out her role and what she is doing,
asks if she can clean somewhere else
first so that he can finish some work.
She complies, and moves on to work in
another office first. After a few moments,
the professor rushes into the office
where she is working and asks, rather
angrily, where the papers that were
on his desk are. Judy explains that
she hasn't touched his desk, and that,
in fact, she had only emptied the trash
in his office before he came in. He
begins to yell, asserting the importance
of the missing papers, and insinuating
that Judy simply won't admit she's moved
them, or thrown them away, because she
doesn't want to get into trouble. Regardless,
Judy maintains that she never touched
his desk, and suggests that he might
have moved them himself. He leaves muttering
insults under his breath, including
calling Judy an obscenity.
Section Two:
The next day, Judy tells her supervisor
what happened, because she is afraid
the professor will report her. Her supervisor
hasn't heard anything, but is angry
about how the professor treated Judy.
He suggests they go to the Dean of the
College to ask that action be taken
against the professor. When they meet
with the Dean, however, he expresses
sympathy for what Judy experienced,
and agrees that the professor was very
wrong in his actions, but explains that
the professor has such a great impact
on the students, it would not be in
the college's best interest to publicly
take action against him. He asks that,
instead, Judy's supervisor simply assign
someone else to that area, and the dean
will talk to the professor and ask that
any future complaints be directed only
to the supervisor. He also asks that
Judy and her supervisor not tell other
people about the situation.
- Do you agree with the way Judy's
supervisor responded to her story?
- Do you agree with the way the dean
responded to her story?
- How could either the supervisor
or the dean have responded differently
to the situation?
- What, in your mind, would have
been the best possible solution?
Section Three:
Though Judy feels O.K. with this solution,
(at least she won't have to deal with
the professor again,) her supervisor
is very upset about the fact that nothing
more is to be done. He feels that had
a student come to the Dean with a similar
complaint, he would have responded differently.
Also, he feels that Judy's relationship
with the students was undermined by
the Dean's emphasis on the importance
of the professor's relationship with
the students. However, he doesn't know
who else to talk to about the situation,
not knowing who would support him, or
what anyone else could do to help, and
so doesn't proceed with any further
action.
- How do you feel about Judy's response?
About the supervisor's response?
- Is there something else the supervisor
have done to aid the resolution?
- What would have happened if Judy
hadn't told her supervisor about this
situation? What effect would it have
had, long term, on Judy? on her interactions
with students? on her interactions
with other faculty and staff?
- What might be the long term effects
as things stand on the professor,
the professor's students, and on Judy
and the supervisor?
Case Study Document #4
February Fifth Forum: Cultivating
Community
Case Study Document #4
Section One:
Amy is a sophomore in college, and
has just found out about the lesbian
coalition on campus. She goes to the
next meeting, and is pleased to find
many students in attendance. She becomes
a regular member and enjoys the sense
of community she feels with the group
during that year. The next year, Amy
returns and finds herself roommates
with Allysa, a transfer student who
is interested in the same major, and
someone Amy feels she'll get along with
just fine. They interact well as roommates
and in classes, though they don't spend
a lot of social time together.
One day, as Amy is returning to her
suite, she sees Allysa and some other
suitemates walking ahead of her. Two
of the girls have their arms locked
and are walking ahead of Allysa, laughing.
Allysa hurries to catch up and shouts
ahead, "wait up, you lesbo-sickos!"
Amy is shocked and hurt by what she
hears.
Once in the room, Amy asks Allysa just
what she meant by that comment, and
Allysa explains that it was just a joke,
and that she knows that the two girls
who were ahead of here aren't lesbians,
and therefore shouldn't have been offended.
Amy explains that she is a lesbian,
and did hear the comment. She suggests
that Allysa needs to be aware of people
around her, and not assume that everyone,
regardless of their sexuality, would
be comfortable with such as statement.
- How do you feel about Amy's response
to Allysa's comment?
- How might Allysa respond to Amy's
comment in their room?
Section Two:
The next day, Amy is surprised to be
called into her head resident's office.
The head resident explains that her
roommate wants her to be moved out,
because she isn't comfortable living
with her. The head resident asks her
some questions, and from them Amy infers
that Allysa told the head resident that
Amy was "after" her, and that Allysa,
since she is heterosexual, didn't want
the advances. Amy is very angry, and
explains the situation as she understands
it to the head resident, including the
fact that she is faithful to the relationship
she is in, and that Allysa didn't even
know her sexual orientation until the
day before, and had never complained
about "advances" before then.
- What should the head resident do?
- Why does Allysa feel Amy should
move out?
Section Three:
Amy voluntarily moves into the single
room in the suite because she isn't
sure she wants to room with Allysa anymore.
In the meantime, Allysa tells other
people in the suite about what has happened.
Though some of the girls are quiet and
suggest that it's none of their business
what Amy's sexual orientation is, others
express shock and side with Allysa in
her desire to have Amy moved out. When
they find out that Amy is only going
to be moved into a single room in the
same suite, they aren't happy with the
solution.
Amy notices the change in the suite
in that now she is always alone in the
bathroom, and that the other women make
a point of being fully clothed or wrapped
up when in the suite; whereas before,
shared bathrooms and people scurrying
around to borrow clothes was normal.
Amy goes again to the head resident
to ask for help, feeling completely
misunderstood by the people she had
thought were her friends.
- What stereotypes might be controlling
the suite's judgment in this situation?
- What should the head resident do?
Section Four:
The head resident calls a meeting, and Amy is given
the first chance to talk to the group about how she
feels. She tells them that she hasn't changed at all
just because now they know her sexual orientation, and
that she's never hidden it from them. One girl responds
by saying that she's never mentioned it before, and
Amy says that she didn't think it was a secret since
she felt she was open with her relationship on campus,
she did attend meetings for the lesbian coalition, and
she felt that had such a topic come up in the suite,
she wouldn't have purposefully hidden this about her.
Another girl then speaks up explaining she hasn't before
because she felt uncomfortable about the overall atmosphere
in the suite. She says she always knew Amy's sexual
orientation, and simply wasn't bothered by it. She's
been upset by the suite's reactions and wishes that
they could go back to how they were before, since everyone
got along so well then. She points out that no one could
really say that Amy has made 'advances' since she's
acted no differently than anyone else as far as sharing
the bathroom, or commenting on how people look, etc.
The head resident then explains to the suite about the
stereotypes that have been assumed in this situation,
and suggests that maybe they could learn more about
why these stereotypes are wrong if they talk to Amy
and others before making assumptions.
- What might the women in the suite
ask Amy now that communication is
more open?
- How might Amy feel at this point?
- What else could the head resident
do, or the suite do, to resolve the
situation?
Section Five:
The women talk for two hours, and at the end, Amy and
the rest of the suite agree that there is no reason
for the living arrangements to be changed, and specific
women apologize to Amy for what has happened. Allysa
tells Amy that she still doesn't know if she's comfortable
with Amy as a roommate, since she still feels Amy was
'hiding' something from her, but that she's sorry everything
became such a problem. She now sees how such a seemingly
innocent joke actually can cause a lot of damage since
it was her comment that lead to the big suite meeting
that just took place.
- How do you feel about Allysa's
response to Amy?
- What is keeping Allysa from feeling
totally comfortable with the situation
and the resolution?
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