As a member of the Daily Tar Heel’s Editorial Board during the 2015-16 school year, I was highly critical of the lack of transparency the University had this past year. It was my hope that given the criticism received in years past, the University would move toward a more transparent administration. However, with the recent departure of Dr. Taffye Benson Clayton, UNC’s Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Multicultural Affairs, I see that they have not.
Dr. Clayton’s departure was sudden and unknown to many in the UNC community. For such an important and valued administer, not only to the University but the community as a whole, her departure has been uncommon and a bit disrespectful. For someone so regarded, shouldn’t she have been given a proper send-off by the University? There was no statement released by the University regarding where she is going or how to contact her once she left. Students working and volunteering with Dr. Clayton in Diversity and Multicultural Affairs found out she was leaving two days before she was gone. Shouldn’t the departure of an administrator like this be a bit more transparent? Although the way UNC handled this is not appreciated, it is not unexpected.
I understand that there are laws regarding employee departure. However, in the past two years, the University and system overall have had extensive, continual issues with transparency, especially as they relate to controversies.
From the ousting of Tom Ross and subsequent hire of Margaret Spellings, to the renaming of Saunders Hall, to the academic scandal that put us on probation for a year, the local and state UNC community has continuously been in the dark when it comes to issues that matter the most.
I cannot speak for every student on this campus, nor can I speak for every minority student on this campus, but to a large part of the student body, Dr. Clayton was a pivotal figure in our success. When I was a counselor this summer for North Carolina Renaissance, her kind and encouraging words during our staff training gave me the confidence to help the over 40 students that my co-workers and I were entrusted to lead that week.
There are many amazing administrators and staff members at UNC, but Dr. Clayton was special. People like her do not come often. She deserved better. If the University couldn’t have given her the departure that many wanted, at the very least they could have been open and honest with this community about what happened. Time and time again they have failed us in that regard. When will it change? Only time will tell.
