TO THE EDITOR:
First of all, allow me to thank you again for the interest that The Daily Tar Heel is showing regarding important issues of diversity at UNC. To that point, I wanted to express how in reading last Tuesday’s article regarding diversity and underrepresented minority (URM) students, I noticed that there was no mention of American Indian students in the article or in the accompanying graphic — even though American Indian students were mentioned in the presentation from which the data was pulled.
As Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Diversity Officer at UNC, I have the important role of supporting and engaging a variety of diverse groups across our campus. The context of any discussion regarding underrepresented minority (URM) students (or faculty, or staff) should always reflect each underrepresented minority group — no matter how underrepresented the numbers among any given group might be.
The American Indian community has experienced such oversight in the past. This topic is reflected in a book entitled Beyond the Asterisk: Understanding Native Students in Higher Education by Heather J. Shotton, Shelly C. Lowe, Stephanie J. Waterman and John Garland. Please consider this observation as an important diversity and inclusion learning opportunity for the DTH staff and an important consideration for considering bias in the media.
We are proud to have a rich tapestry of diverse students at UNC — which includes a number of underrepresented minority students. We respect and appreciate the contributions of scholarship and presence that the American Indian community has made and continues to make at this great institution. Each number represents a wealth of human potential that should not be overlooked.
Taffye Benson
Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer
