By Gloria Dulan-Wilson
It is clear by his inactions, and by the blatant disrespect shown to students who presented a petition with more than 500 signatures demanding audience and answers from him, that William Pollard, ersatz president of Medgar Evers college, has no intention of meeting with them in an open forum. He’s probably hoping that, since it is near the end of the school year, that time will simply run out and students will lose interest.
Fortunately, that is not the case with this group of students, who have ratcheted it up a notch by calling for a rally in front of Medgar Evers Monday, May 16 at 11:00 am to demand the dismissal of William Pollard and Howard Johnson (provost) from Medgar Evers College.
The number of signatures on the petition, which includes 31 questions they want answered, has not grown to nearly 1,000.
Among their demands are the following:
Answers to the students’ Sunshine Petition - openly disclose what’s going
on at Medgar Evers.
Restoration of staff to student support services to ensure
academic excellence.
Restoration of the direct enrollment policy at MEC.
Adherence to academic freedom and faculty and staff contract rights.
Support for the college’s centers and community programs.
Redistribution of resources that allocated to ouside
consultants, and the sifting of those resources to student
support services.
Gender Equity in the President’s cabinet - top level
administrative positions.
The Mission of Medgar Evers College as a Communiversity is under attack, and the puppet strings lead back to the CUNY head President Goldstein, who was at the campus last week for a closed, amen corner, by invitation only dog and pony show - blatant and lame attempt to put a smiley face on a serious situation that the Brooklyn community is becoming increasingly aware means them and their students no good.
If you are in New York - not just Brooklyn - this concerns you. If you are of African heritage - African, African American, African Caribbean (aka West Indian), African Cuban, African Puerto Rican, African Dominican, Black, please make it your business to be there in support of this rally. - because this impacts you directly.
If you’re 18, 10, 60, 50, 90 years old - this still affects you, and you need to be there, because this is happening in your community, to your people.
Get the word out. Form a phone tree - tweet, face book, and all the means by which we communicate when something important is jumping out. Get the word out. Get there, get these perpetrators out and let’s get on with the business of getting a Black President and administration in place at Medgar Evers who knows their first allegience is to the students, community and the culture that made it possible for them to be there in the first place.
GET IT? GOT IT! GOOD!!
Now pass it on.
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Medgar Evers Students to Hold Sunshine Rally Monday, May 16 at 11:00AM
NOW THAT YOU KNOW - WHAT WILL YOU DO?
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Showing posts with label William Pollard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label William Pollard. Show all posts
5.15.2011
3.09.2011
Does Culture Have Relevance to Higher Education? Of course it does - Statement to the New York City Council Committee on Education
By Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Does Culture Have Relevance to Higher Education? Of course it does
Statement to the New York City Council Committee on Education
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
By Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Paraphrasing educational psychologist, in "The Concept of Guided Participation"
the concept of guided participation highlights that cognitive development occurs in a social context while extending sociocultural theory beyond language-based dialogue. College student’s cognitive development is an apprenticeship of sorts that occurs via guided participation in social activities with companions, mentors and organizations who support and stretch their understanding of and skill in using the tools of the culture.
Academic or extracurricular centers provide a vehicle for guided participation that focuses more centrally on the interrelatedness of students and the broader society.
While “guided” does not necessarily mean face to face interaction, it does provide exposure and experiential opportunities. For example, a student working on a research report in isolation is still “guided” by the faculty, staff, librarians, classmates, the publishing industry, parents, the broader community who help shape the writing of the research report as a cultural activity. Tying culture to the relevancy of what the student has chosen for a major or for his or her life’s work is also an important function of the MEC college, as it is with any of the other CUNY campuses.
Ironically, Italian students are provided with more than ample opportunity to tie in their cultural heritage from Italy to those who early on came to the US for a better life. It shows a great deal of pride in the maintaining of newsletters that are clearly Italian oriented; programs and activities that reach out to the Italian community; programs that are based on traditional Italian rituals. Italians don’t have any problem with having Italian-American programs.
But when it comes to AFRICAN-AMERICAN, or AFRICAN-CARIBBEAN, or AFRICAN oriented programs that are designed to enhance the lives and educational experiences of AFRICAN-AMERICANS - PROBLEM.
Why? What is the issue with our having the same enlightened programs and activities - even a newsletter - that speaks to the cultural uniqueness of people of AFRICAN HERITAGE? Would it not be the same as those of Italian heritage?
Didactically speaking, the instructional implications are these: “Informed by a sociocultural perspective, learning is thought to occur through interaction, negotiation, and collaboration. While these features are characteristic of “cooperative learning,” what sets instruction that is informed by sociocultural theory apart is that there is also attention to the discourse, norms, and practices associated with particular discourse and practice communities. The goal of instruction is to support students to engage in the activities, talk, and use of tools in a manner that is consistent with the practices of the community in which students will interact, as our future scientists, mathematicians, historians, politicians, etc.
Now, somehow the foregoing concept appears to be perfectly clear and acceptable when it comes to the non-Black society, but appears to be problematical when it comes to those of us who are Black. Why is that. What is the problem with CUNY, from whom the foregoing was paraphrased, can’t make the extrapolation?
When I interviewed the late Percy Ellis Sutton, former Boro President of Manhattan, founder of the Inner City Broadcast Company, entrepreneur, intellect, political figure, hero, I asked him what stood out most in his mind as the motivating factor for so many things he accomplished: he responded that his father had made it a policy to keep them (his brothers and sisters) with so many great Black people of accomplishment and intellect. He thought that having met Carter G. Woodson when he was a kid, and learning of so many things that Black people had accomplished - even back in the day - also inspired him to go beyond the mediocre.
Henry Louis Gates is a distinguished professor of African American History at Harvard University. Director of the WEB DuBois Institute for African and African American Research. What do you think would happen if suddenly Harvard University declared Dr. Gates not relevant to Harvard? There would be a hue and cry that would be heard around the world. Why does Pollard, Goldstein, Johnson and Herschenson think that we would sit quietly by and state that the members of the Bunche DuBois Center, that the Center for NU Leadership, are no longer relevant to the Brooklyn Community and that they can just destroy and dismantle it with impunity? They are only hired by the CUNY System - they don’t own it. And they do owe a responsibility to the Brooklyn Community, and the broader general community of greater New York City to abide by and provide for the same sociocultural programs as Harvard does.
Roger L. Green represented District 57 in the New York State Assembly, which comprises Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Park Slope and Bedford-Stuyvesant. He was first elected in 1980, and provided stellar service to his constituents until he stepped down in 2006. · In 1983, Coretta Scott King and labor leader, Cleveland Robinson asked Green to serve as the New York State Political Coordinator for the Memorial March on Washington. It was during this period that Green authored the bill that established the New York State Martin Luther King Holiday Commission and the New York State Martin Luther King Institute. In 1985 and 1986 in conjunction with the founding of the National Holiday, Governor Cuomo signed these bills into law.
· From 1986–1991, the New York State Martin Luther King Institute trained more than 1000 high school and college students through its Ella Baker Academy. Students participating in this program learned the theory and practice of non-violent conflict resolution. Students were also provided with an opportunity to study civil rights and human rights social history.
In 2006, Green retired from the New York State Legislature . Shortly after, the Chancellor of the City University of New York and the President of Medgar Evers College, appointed him as a Distinguished Lecturer. Green currently teaches a course that explores the historical significance of the freedom amendments, 13th , 14th , 15th and 19th Amendments, and their influence on state and local government.
Roger Green was/is also the Director of the Dubois-Bunche Center on Public Policy, a think tank dedicated to advancing best practices in law, policy, and community covenants that advance social and economic justice for urban communities within the U.S. and throughout the African Diaspora.
ROGER GREEN’S presence at Medgar Evers College is as relevant to Brooklyn, and Henry Louis Gates presence is to Harvard University. Dr. Gates W.E.B. DuBois Center for Africana Studies is relevant as is the Bunche DuBois Center. The BUNCHE-DUBOIS Center at Medgar Evers College must be reinstated under its original leadership immediately and without prejudice. They must be made whole.
Congressman Major Owens, now a faculty member in the Department of Public Administration at Medgar Evers College, retired from Congress at the end of his term in January 2007, and was succeeded by Yvette Clarke. The Congressman received his BA from Morehouse College and a master of science degree from Atlanta University; and was a librarian before entering politics. He was elected to the New York state Senate in 1974.
He authored the treatise on Communiversity, which is the contract that Medgar Evers College and CUNY has with the Community.
In 1982, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, replacing the retiring Shirley Chisholm. One of his achievements in the House was the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Owens district included low income areas of Brownsville, a large Hasidic area of Crown Heights, the heavily Caribbean areas of Flatbush and East Flatbush, and the upscale neighborhood of Park Slope.
Major Owens received an "A" on the Drum Major Institute's 2005 Congressional Scorecard on middle-class issues. For those who don’t remember, the character Mark Richardson in The West Wing, a show no longer on the air, is believed to be based on Owens. Richardson plays an African-American Congressman from Brooklyn who looks a lot like Owens.
Owens is nicknamed the "Rappin' Rep" since he writes raps. His rap songs are often political and liberal in nature.
Owens is also the father of actor Geoffrey Owens, best known for playing the role of Elvin on The Cosby Show. (wikipedia)
An intellectual and pragmatist of the highest order, Congressman Owens called himself the Education Congressman, and firmly believes that an education is not just didactic, but the sum total of what can be brought to bear culturally as well as intellectually. He believes that Pollard and CUNY have violated the concept of COMMUNIVERSITY, the tenets upon which Medgar Evers was established.
Carter Godwin Woodson, a Black historian, author, journalist and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, was one of the first scholars to value and study Black History. He recognized and acted upon the importance of a people having an awareness and knowledge of their contributions to humanity, and left behind an impressive legacy. A founder of Journal of Negro History, Dr. Woodson is known as the Father of Black History (wikipedia)
Convinced that the role of his own people in American history and in the history of other cultures was either being ignored or misrepresented among scholars, Woodson realized the need for research into the neglected past of African Americans. Along with Alexander L. Jackson and three associates, he founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History September 9, 1915, in Chicago. (wikipedia) Now I cite Dr Woodson because it is apparent that neither the CUNY administration, nor Dr. Pollard are familiar with these issues or concerns.
Our Dominican and Puerto Rican Brothers and sisters are embarking on doing for themselves what we as Black people were doing for our selves at Medgar Evers. By the way, in case you did not notice, in case no one told you, our you were not able to observe by empirical observation: MEDGAR EVERS COLLEGE IS A BLACK SCHOOL - IT IS BLACK, AFRICAN, AFRICAN AMERICAN, AFRICAN CARIBBEAN, AFRICAN LATINO - it is Black. It is the only Black College in New York.
Dr. Woodson published The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861; A Century of Negro Migration (1918) and The History of the Negro Church (1927); The Negro in Our History.
In January 1916, Woodson began publication of the Journal of Negro History (I grew up on these publications - they were in my home as well as those of my relatives). It has never missed an issue, despite the Great Depression, loss of support from foundations and two World Wars. In 2002, it was renamed the Journal of African American History and continues to be published by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).
Dr. Woodson worked to preserve the history of African Americans and accumulated a collection of thousands of artifacts and publications. He noted that African American contributions "were overlooked, ignored, and even suppressed by the writers of history textbooks and the teachers who use them. “Race prejudice is merely the logical result of tradition, the inevitable outcome of thorough instruction to the effect that the Negro has never contributed anything to the progress of mankind."
In 1926, long before Stevie Wonder, Dr. Woodson single-handedly pioneered the celebration of "Negro History Week", for the second week in February, to coincide with marking the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. In the 1980’s after a massive national movement on the part of Black people, Negro History Week became Black History Month and was celebrated throughout February.
Dr. Woodson believed in self-reliance and racial respect, values he shared with Marcus Garvey. Back in the day Woodson also wrote for Garvey's weekly Negro World. Woodson collaborated with such Black luminaries as W. E. B. Du Bois, John E. Bruce, Arturo Alfonso Schomburg (founder of the Schomburg Library in Harlem), Hubert H. Harrison, and T. Thomas Fortune among others.
In 1933 Dr. Woodson wrote The Mis-Education of the Negro which continue to have wide readership - they reprint it every 10 to 20 years, but the message continues to miss the mark. Dr. Woodson was perfectly clear that the only ones responsible for preserving and telling our history was we ourselves. We can share the information, but no one can do the telling or preserving for us, but us. Just as our counterparts at CUNY who have the center for the Italian Students, the Centers for Asian students, etc.
Dr. Edison Jackson made it possible for Carver Bank to have ATMs on Medgar Evers Campus. He obviously had a sense of history and connectedness. Carver Bank was named after famed scientist and inventor, George Washington Carver. William Pollard had Carver Bank kicked off campus and replaced by Citibank -on a Black Campus. Who is CitiBank named for?
The purpose of a college or higher education is both for the practical application of instruction and information, as well as the acculturation and refinement of those who come to the institutes of higher learning. Being in the environs of those who have made their mark in the world, who look like those who aspiring to do so is an inspiration in and of itself, is as important as classroom activities. We live in a dynamic community, not a static community.
What would happen if Hostos College students and faculty were suddenly told that they could not speak Spanish, or they could not have community based programs, or Dominican heritage studies. What do you think would happen?
What if Yeshiva University - not part of CUNY, but you understand the analogy - was told that there would be no Jewish or Hassidic information or influences on campus, and their learned scholars were suddenly evicted from the campus, and all their personal computers were seized, and their hard drives confiscated? What do you think would happen?
What do you expect when this kinds of heinous egregious acts are now perpetrated against the programs at Medgar Evers College. These kinds of moves parallel that of Nazis - and Gestapo actions. They cannot be tolerated. CUNY does not deserve a red dime for any of the other programs until the programs at Medgar Evers are fully reinstated with the originators in place; until those who have worked diligently and tirelessly to bring quality to Medgar Evers: Dr. Zulema Blair, Roger Greene, Dr. Divine Pryor, and others, are fully reinstated to their offices, at full salary, plus compensation for their losses - IMMEDIATELY, IF NOT SOONER.
The perpetrators against Medgar Evers College must go. IMMEDIATELY, IF NOT SOONER. They have set up an atmosphere of hostility and adversity on Medgar Evers Campus, where faculty, students, staff feel threatened and cheated. The Black community stands firmly that the CONTRACT FOR COMMUNIVERSITY must be adhered to.
My statement and I’m sticking to it. ###
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Presented to the New York City Council Hearing on
Academic Centers for CUNY
March 8, 2011
Please note: that Brooklyn's City Council Member CHARLES BARRON and Bronx City Council Member LARRY SEABROOK, walked out of the hearings in protest when it was discovered that the committee presenting the program for the hearings were all white, without one representation from any of the African, African America, African Caribbean or African Latino Students and CUNY's many campuses.
The Students themselves spoke out at a recently held Spoken Word Event (3/16/11), in depicting the dismantling of Medgar Evers as though they were walking on Medgar Evers Grave, and putting up a gate to keep the Black students away from their destiny.
But that's a separate article for another edition.
STAY BLESSED &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
SPECIAL EVENT ALERT ADVISORY:
PLEASE NOTE: THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE READING THIS, IF YOU OR ANY OF YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS OR NEIGHBORS OR EVEN YOUR ENEMIES ARE FACING FORECLOSURE, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ATTEND THE UPCOMING NACA FORECLOSURE PREVENTION WORKSHOP IN BROOKLYN AT THE BEDFORD CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH SATURDAY, MARCH 19, FRO 4:30 TO 6:30.
IF ON THE OTHER HAND YOU ARE LOOKING TO BECOME A FIRST TIME HOMEBUYER AND NEED FREE DOWN PAYMENT, CLOSING COSTS AND A MORTGAGE 1% BELOW PRIME RATE, THEN YOU SHOULD ATTEND THE WORKSHOP AT BEDFORD CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FROM 6:30 TO 8:30
BOTH WORKSHOPS ARE LOCATED IN BROOKLYN AT 1200 DEAN STREET, CORNER OF NOSTRAND AVE.; FREE AND OPEN TO NEW YORKERS, NEW JERSEYANS, CONNECTICANS (???) ALL WHO NEED IT - PASS IT ON.
FOR MORE DETAIL, CHECK OUT THE NEXT BLOG POSTING.
STAY BLESSED GDW
Does Culture Have Relevance to Higher Education? Of course it does
Statement to the New York City Council Committee on Education
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
By Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Paraphrasing educational psychologist, in "The Concept of Guided Participation"
the concept of guided participation highlights that cognitive development occurs in a social context while extending sociocultural theory beyond language-based dialogue. College student’s cognitive development is an apprenticeship of sorts that occurs via guided participation in social activities with companions, mentors and organizations who support and stretch their understanding of and skill in using the tools of the culture.
Academic or extracurricular centers provide a vehicle for guided participation that focuses more centrally on the interrelatedness of students and the broader society.
While “guided” does not necessarily mean face to face interaction, it does provide exposure and experiential opportunities. For example, a student working on a research report in isolation is still “guided” by the faculty, staff, librarians, classmates, the publishing industry, parents, the broader community who help shape the writing of the research report as a cultural activity. Tying culture to the relevancy of what the student has chosen for a major or for his or her life’s work is also an important function of the MEC college, as it is with any of the other CUNY campuses.
Ironically, Italian students are provided with more than ample opportunity to tie in their cultural heritage from Italy to those who early on came to the US for a better life. It shows a great deal of pride in the maintaining of newsletters that are clearly Italian oriented; programs and activities that reach out to the Italian community; programs that are based on traditional Italian rituals. Italians don’t have any problem with having Italian-American programs.
But when it comes to AFRICAN-AMERICAN, or AFRICAN-CARIBBEAN, or AFRICAN oriented programs that are designed to enhance the lives and educational experiences of AFRICAN-AMERICANS - PROBLEM.
Why? What is the issue with our having the same enlightened programs and activities - even a newsletter - that speaks to the cultural uniqueness of people of AFRICAN HERITAGE? Would it not be the same as those of Italian heritage?
Didactically speaking, the instructional implications are these: “Informed by a sociocultural perspective, learning is thought to occur through interaction, negotiation, and collaboration. While these features are characteristic of “cooperative learning,” what sets instruction that is informed by sociocultural theory apart is that there is also attention to the discourse, norms, and practices associated with particular discourse and practice communities. The goal of instruction is to support students to engage in the activities, talk, and use of tools in a manner that is consistent with the practices of the community in which students will interact, as our future scientists, mathematicians, historians, politicians, etc.
Now, somehow the foregoing concept appears to be perfectly clear and acceptable when it comes to the non-Black society, but appears to be problematical when it comes to those of us who are Black. Why is that. What is the problem with CUNY, from whom the foregoing was paraphrased, can’t make the extrapolation?
When I interviewed the late Percy Ellis Sutton, former Boro President of Manhattan, founder of the Inner City Broadcast Company, entrepreneur, intellect, political figure, hero, I asked him what stood out most in his mind as the motivating factor for so many things he accomplished: he responded that his father had made it a policy to keep them (his brothers and sisters) with so many great Black people of accomplishment and intellect. He thought that having met Carter G. Woodson when he was a kid, and learning of so many things that Black people had accomplished - even back in the day - also inspired him to go beyond the mediocre.
Henry Louis Gates is a distinguished professor of African American History at Harvard University. Director of the WEB DuBois Institute for African and African American Research. What do you think would happen if suddenly Harvard University declared Dr. Gates not relevant to Harvard? There would be a hue and cry that would be heard around the world. Why does Pollard, Goldstein, Johnson and Herschenson think that we would sit quietly by and state that the members of the Bunche DuBois Center, that the Center for NU Leadership, are no longer relevant to the Brooklyn Community and that they can just destroy and dismantle it with impunity? They are only hired by the CUNY System - they don’t own it. And they do owe a responsibility to the Brooklyn Community, and the broader general community of greater New York City to abide by and provide for the same sociocultural programs as Harvard does.
Roger L. Green represented District 57 in the New York State Assembly, which comprises Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Park Slope and Bedford-Stuyvesant. He was first elected in 1980, and provided stellar service to his constituents until he stepped down in 2006. · In 1983, Coretta Scott King and labor leader, Cleveland Robinson asked Green to serve as the New York State Political Coordinator for the Memorial March on Washington. It was during this period that Green authored the bill that established the New York State Martin Luther King Holiday Commission and the New York State Martin Luther King Institute. In 1985 and 1986 in conjunction with the founding of the National Holiday, Governor Cuomo signed these bills into law.
· From 1986–1991, the New York State Martin Luther King Institute trained more than 1000 high school and college students through its Ella Baker Academy. Students participating in this program learned the theory and practice of non-violent conflict resolution. Students were also provided with an opportunity to study civil rights and human rights social history.
In 2006, Green retired from the New York State Legislature . Shortly after, the Chancellor of the City University of New York and the President of Medgar Evers College, appointed him as a Distinguished Lecturer. Green currently teaches a course that explores the historical significance of the freedom amendments, 13th , 14th , 15th and 19th Amendments, and their influence on state and local government.
Roger Green was/is also the Director of the Dubois-Bunche Center on Public Policy, a think tank dedicated to advancing best practices in law, policy, and community covenants that advance social and economic justice for urban communities within the U.S. and throughout the African Diaspora.
ROGER GREEN’S presence at Medgar Evers College is as relevant to Brooklyn, and Henry Louis Gates presence is to Harvard University. Dr. Gates W.E.B. DuBois Center for Africana Studies is relevant as is the Bunche DuBois Center. The BUNCHE-DUBOIS Center at Medgar Evers College must be reinstated under its original leadership immediately and without prejudice. They must be made whole.
Congressman Major Owens, now a faculty member in the Department of Public Administration at Medgar Evers College, retired from Congress at the end of his term in January 2007, and was succeeded by Yvette Clarke. The Congressman received his BA from Morehouse College and a master of science degree from Atlanta University; and was a librarian before entering politics. He was elected to the New York state Senate in 1974.
He authored the treatise on Communiversity, which is the contract that Medgar Evers College and CUNY has with the Community.
In 1982, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, replacing the retiring Shirley Chisholm. One of his achievements in the House was the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Owens district included low income areas of Brownsville, a large Hasidic area of Crown Heights, the heavily Caribbean areas of Flatbush and East Flatbush, and the upscale neighborhood of Park Slope.
Major Owens received an "A" on the Drum Major Institute's 2005 Congressional Scorecard on middle-class issues. For those who don’t remember, the character Mark Richardson in The West Wing, a show no longer on the air, is believed to be based on Owens. Richardson plays an African-American Congressman from Brooklyn who looks a lot like Owens.
Owens is nicknamed the "Rappin' Rep" since he writes raps. His rap songs are often political and liberal in nature.
Owens is also the father of actor Geoffrey Owens, best known for playing the role of Elvin on The Cosby Show. (wikipedia)
An intellectual and pragmatist of the highest order, Congressman Owens called himself the Education Congressman, and firmly believes that an education is not just didactic, but the sum total of what can be brought to bear culturally as well as intellectually. He believes that Pollard and CUNY have violated the concept of COMMUNIVERSITY, the tenets upon which Medgar Evers was established.
Carter Godwin Woodson, a Black historian, author, journalist and the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, was one of the first scholars to value and study Black History. He recognized and acted upon the importance of a people having an awareness and knowledge of their contributions to humanity, and left behind an impressive legacy. A founder of Journal of Negro History, Dr. Woodson is known as the Father of Black History (wikipedia)
Convinced that the role of his own people in American history and in the history of other cultures was either being ignored or misrepresented among scholars, Woodson realized the need for research into the neglected past of African Americans. Along with Alexander L. Jackson and three associates, he founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History September 9, 1915, in Chicago. (wikipedia) Now I cite Dr Woodson because it is apparent that neither the CUNY administration, nor Dr. Pollard are familiar with these issues or concerns.
Our Dominican and Puerto Rican Brothers and sisters are embarking on doing for themselves what we as Black people were doing for our selves at Medgar Evers. By the way, in case you did not notice, in case no one told you, our you were not able to observe by empirical observation: MEDGAR EVERS COLLEGE IS A BLACK SCHOOL - IT IS BLACK, AFRICAN, AFRICAN AMERICAN, AFRICAN CARIBBEAN, AFRICAN LATINO - it is Black. It is the only Black College in New York.
Dr. Woodson published The Education of the Negro Prior to 1861; A Century of Negro Migration (1918) and The History of the Negro Church (1927); The Negro in Our History.
In January 1916, Woodson began publication of the Journal of Negro History (I grew up on these publications - they were in my home as well as those of my relatives). It has never missed an issue, despite the Great Depression, loss of support from foundations and two World Wars. In 2002, it was renamed the Journal of African American History and continues to be published by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).
Dr. Woodson worked to preserve the history of African Americans and accumulated a collection of thousands of artifacts and publications. He noted that African American contributions "were overlooked, ignored, and even suppressed by the writers of history textbooks and the teachers who use them. “Race prejudice is merely the logical result of tradition, the inevitable outcome of thorough instruction to the effect that the Negro has never contributed anything to the progress of mankind."
In 1926, long before Stevie Wonder, Dr. Woodson single-handedly pioneered the celebration of "Negro History Week", for the second week in February, to coincide with marking the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. In the 1980’s after a massive national movement on the part of Black people, Negro History Week became Black History Month and was celebrated throughout February.
Dr. Woodson believed in self-reliance and racial respect, values he shared with Marcus Garvey. Back in the day Woodson also wrote for Garvey's weekly Negro World. Woodson collaborated with such Black luminaries as W. E. B. Du Bois, John E. Bruce, Arturo Alfonso Schomburg (founder of the Schomburg Library in Harlem), Hubert H. Harrison, and T. Thomas Fortune among others.
In 1933 Dr. Woodson wrote The Mis-Education of the Negro which continue to have wide readership - they reprint it every 10 to 20 years, but the message continues to miss the mark. Dr. Woodson was perfectly clear that the only ones responsible for preserving and telling our history was we ourselves. We can share the information, but no one can do the telling or preserving for us, but us. Just as our counterparts at CUNY who have the center for the Italian Students, the Centers for Asian students, etc.
Dr. Edison Jackson made it possible for Carver Bank to have ATMs on Medgar Evers Campus. He obviously had a sense of history and connectedness. Carver Bank was named after famed scientist and inventor, George Washington Carver. William Pollard had Carver Bank kicked off campus and replaced by Citibank -on a Black Campus. Who is CitiBank named for?
The purpose of a college or higher education is both for the practical application of instruction and information, as well as the acculturation and refinement of those who come to the institutes of higher learning. Being in the environs of those who have made their mark in the world, who look like those who aspiring to do so is an inspiration in and of itself, is as important as classroom activities. We live in a dynamic community, not a static community.
What would happen if Hostos College students and faculty were suddenly told that they could not speak Spanish, or they could not have community based programs, or Dominican heritage studies. What do you think would happen?
What if Yeshiva University - not part of CUNY, but you understand the analogy - was told that there would be no Jewish or Hassidic information or influences on campus, and their learned scholars were suddenly evicted from the campus, and all their personal computers were seized, and their hard drives confiscated? What do you think would happen?
What do you expect when this kinds of heinous egregious acts are now perpetrated against the programs at Medgar Evers College. These kinds of moves parallel that of Nazis - and Gestapo actions. They cannot be tolerated. CUNY does not deserve a red dime for any of the other programs until the programs at Medgar Evers are fully reinstated with the originators in place; until those who have worked diligently and tirelessly to bring quality to Medgar Evers: Dr. Zulema Blair, Roger Greene, Dr. Divine Pryor, and others, are fully reinstated to their offices, at full salary, plus compensation for their losses - IMMEDIATELY, IF NOT SOONER.
The perpetrators against Medgar Evers College must go. IMMEDIATELY, IF NOT SOONER. They have set up an atmosphere of hostility and adversity on Medgar Evers Campus, where faculty, students, staff feel threatened and cheated. The Black community stands firmly that the CONTRACT FOR COMMUNIVERSITY must be adhered to.
My statement and I’m sticking to it. ###
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Presented to the New York City Council Hearing on
Academic Centers for CUNY
March 8, 2011
Please note: that Brooklyn's City Council Member CHARLES BARRON and Bronx City Council Member LARRY SEABROOK, walked out of the hearings in protest when it was discovered that the committee presenting the program for the hearings were all white, without one representation from any of the African, African America, African Caribbean or African Latino Students and CUNY's many campuses.
The Students themselves spoke out at a recently held Spoken Word Event (3/16/11), in depicting the dismantling of Medgar Evers as though they were walking on Medgar Evers Grave, and putting up a gate to keep the Black students away from their destiny.
But that's a separate article for another edition.
STAY BLESSED &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
SPECIAL EVENT ALERT ADVISORY:
PLEASE NOTE: THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE READING THIS, IF YOU OR ANY OF YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS OR FRIENDS OR NEIGHBORS OR EVEN YOUR ENEMIES ARE FACING FORECLOSURE, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ATTEND THE UPCOMING NACA FORECLOSURE PREVENTION WORKSHOP IN BROOKLYN AT THE BEDFORD CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH SATURDAY, MARCH 19, FRO 4:30 TO 6:30.
IF ON THE OTHER HAND YOU ARE LOOKING TO BECOME A FIRST TIME HOMEBUYER AND NEED FREE DOWN PAYMENT, CLOSING COSTS AND A MORTGAGE 1% BELOW PRIME RATE, THEN YOU SHOULD ATTEND THE WORKSHOP AT BEDFORD CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FROM 6:30 TO 8:30
BOTH WORKSHOPS ARE LOCATED IN BROOKLYN AT 1200 DEAN STREET, CORNER OF NOSTRAND AVE.; FREE AND OPEN TO NEW YORKERS, NEW JERSEYANS, CONNECTICANS (???) ALL WHO NEED IT - PASS IT ON.
FOR MORE DETAIL, CHECK OUT THE NEXT BLOG POSTING.
STAY BLESSED GDW
2.28.2011
Medgar Evers Coalition for Academic Excellence Makes a Big Showing at the Black, Puerto Rican & Asian Caucus
By Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Well now that I've recouped from one of the busiest weekends of Black History Month, I have finally gathered up the strength and energy to write this article.
The MEC Coalition took its concerns to Albany last weekend, during the 40th Annual Black and Puerto Rican and Asian Legislative Caucus and placed it squarely on the plates of the elected officials.
Armed with petitions, flyers, parent, student and educator support, they spoke individually and collectively with the elected officials in regards to the egregious acts that have been lodged against New York's only predominantly Black college.
The center of the controversy, William Pollard, newly selected president chosen to replace the outgoing Edison Jackson, who retired after 20 years of successfully leading and expanding the college from a near failure to one of immeasurable success; closely followed by his hand-picked provost Howard Johnson, appeared to have had the same idea. They sponsored a bus with students from Medgar Evers, in an effort to put on a dog and pony show, to persuade the officials that they were doing a positive job.
However, their efforts fell far short of their mark, despite a well crafted speech delivered by State Senator Eric Adams. His support of academic excellence, is of course, laudable. Something all can agree to. However, his speech, eloquent though it was, does not assuage the fact that Pollard and Johnson have eviscerated several essential programs that were part and parcel of what made Medgar Evers such a great success: The Center for NU Leadership, started by Dr. Divine Pryor, and recruited on to the campus as an integral part of their outreach by Dr. Jackson; and the DuBois Bunche Institute, founded and fostered by former Assemblymember Roger Green, Congressman Major Owens, among others, were both ousted from the campus - for what purpose? And what did the termination of these programs have to do with academic excellence? Additionally, MEC had the only Black Think Tank on campus, comprised of historical figures, entrepreneurs, political leaders, formerly elected officials, all of whom were drawing cards for other programs and funding sources. (It should also be noted that the program ended abruptly after Senator Adams' speech, and members of the audience were not afforded the opportunity of asking questions or making comments).
But back on the subject of academic excellence: One wonders what the rationale could have been for curtailing open enrollment for students who were aspiring to new career goals? Congressman Owens, who was part of the originating members who supported the establishment of Medgar Evers reminded us all that the premise of the school was based on the concept of COMMUNIVERSITY. And that there were several contracts drawn between the community and the CUNY bigwigs have been thrown under the bus.
It's clear that things are very much amiss at the college. In fact, anyone walking through the corridors, which were once alive with engaged students, will readily notice the ghost-town like appearance of the halls. Gone are the encouraging bulletin boards, the announcements of opportunities for student participation and achievements that used to populate the walls.
Albany became the line drawn in the sand. At a meeting held Saturday, February 19, caucus members came to hear the concerns of the MEC Coalition, and left determined that there would be no additional funding or other concessions until things were rectified at the campus.
Chancellor Goldstein, who backs Pollard and Johnson, has taken out full page ads in predominantly African American papers trying to thwart the growing discontent among the faculty, staff, and community. The Amsterdam News recently ran a headline stating the students at MEC were "clueless" about what was transpiring at the campus. The facts, however, are that the student organizations have been threatened with funding cuts if they participate in, or evidence any concern about the new regime. A regime that has largely targeted them for extinction, while simultaneously looking to replace them with students outside the boundaries of the Brooklyn community from which a large majority of the student body originates.
Actually, the more telling problem is that they are actually looking to supplant the New York student body completely by giving priority to foreign students who are coming in from other countries, paying high prices to attend CUNY Schools while the neighborhood gets priced out of the market. As it is, prices have crept up for education at our city "owned" university over the past few decades, with students who would otherwise have the right to a free education, paying almost as much as they would to go to a private college or university. In spite of that factor, the CUNY system is constantly crying broke - wonder who is monitoring their budgets?
Medgar Evers was, for all intents and purposes, not supposed to succeed. In fact the first four presidents, prior to the hiring of Edison Jackson, were major disasters. It was as if the CUNY higher ups were deliberately picking miscreants, who were clueless about the mission and intent of the college, which was named after slain Civil Rights leader, Medgar Wiley Evers. The appointment of the current president, is reminiscient of the earlier selections, who had no understanding or concern for the community; had little respect for or alliegience to the faculty and staff, and were largely there as place holders while the school slowly declined.
Such a decline would open the door for the CUNY higher ups to step in conveniently and take over the school, reshaping it so that it no longer serves the purpose of providing a quality educational millieu for African/African American/Caribbean students who have found success in a school that has been the underpinning of their success over the past two decades. (Pollard is alleged to have made threats to curtail financial assistance for several Caribbean-American students, stating they were receiving the assistance illegally).
When compared to other HBCUs, Medgar Evers existence is a drop in the bucket, having only been here a mere 26 years. But their progress has been meteoric. That is until the 2009.
The upshot of the Caucus weekend, however, is that the efforts to make it appear as if all was well at MEC, may well have backfired. Several of the pols who attended the meeting with the coalition, most notably Senator Kevin Parker, and Assemblymember Inez Barron, have vowed not to provide any additional funds to CUNY in general and Medgar Evers in particular until the problems are rectified, the programs are reinstated, and person more in keeping with the mission of Medgar Evers is brought on board to lead the college. This time a full fledged search must be launched to make sure that the right one is appointed- no more hastily selected individuals of questionable backgrounds.
Assemblymember Jeffries, and other elected officials are planning to hold hearings into the circumstances under which the current president was selected, as well as to the recent discontinuations of programs that had been beneficial to the campus, and the blocking of grants that would have enhanced several programs that had been in existence for quite some time. (Still don't understand why Carver Bank's ATMs were taken out and replaced by CitiBank. It may not be in the purview of the elected officials, but inquiring minds want to know.)
The New York State Panhellenic Council (comprised of the major Black Fraternities and Sororities) have likewise agreed to look into what is happening with Medgar Evers' students, and the policies that appear to be aimed at undermining its status as the only Black college in New York. It should be remembered that prior to her untimely, tragic death, Dr. Betty Shabazz, Director of Institutional Advancement and Public Affairs, was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Former President, Edison Jackson, was an active member of Phi Beta Sigma, hosting many student orient programs and scholarship award ceremonies at the campus. Irregardless of whether there are active faternities or sororities at Medgar Evers, the Pan Hellenic Council deem it important to take an active interest in the preservation of Medgar Evers as a predominantly Black college. This is refreshing, since Pollard has claimed that he was not brought to Medgar Evers to head a Black college.
Rev. Al Sharpton stated in his address to the Caucus church goers at the Wilborn Temple in Albany, we have far too many among us who have title without responsibility; who are in positions of power, but are not standing for those made it possible for them to be in that position. Who serve more as a blockage to progress, than a conduit.
It appears that Pollard has been brought into this situation for that purpose; in a which he is not suited- at least not by our standards of quality (though he may well be serving the purposes of the chancellor). And since he was not brought here to be the president of a Black college; it may well have been a case of mistaken identity. He does look a lot like us. But there the similarity ends sharply: MEDGAR EVERS IS A BLACK COLLEGE. It was from the inception, and will continue to be so, despite his or Johnson's or Goldstein's efforts to the contrary.
Academic excellence is not born of destroying programs; it comes from bringing in quality faculty; it comes from providing a millieu of growth, exploration, creativity, and progressive programs. It does not come via demoralization an0d intimidation, inuendos and reprisals. It comes through attracting the brightest and the best via those who are already a beacon for the school; not undermining that beacon, and engendering the ire of an entire community.
A series of television broadcasts via Manhattan Neighborhood Network, (MNN), will further discuss these and other concerns roiling around Medgar Evers College. Check your satellite and cable listings for dates and times. (Of course I will post it as part of my even alert as soon as I have additional information.)
But the main point is this -- to Brooklynites, and all residents of New York, whether or not you have or ever plan to attend Medgar Evers College - this is yet another attack on a Black institution. This is another incursion into our community, with the aim and goal of decimating us, demoralizing us, and depriving us of something that we have worked hard for and built with blood, sweat, tears, pride and respect. My question to you is this: NOW THAT YOU KNOW, WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT IT?
To lend your support contact the meccoalitation@gmail.com, contact your churches, elected officials, community based organizations, and make yourselves a committee of one to demand the cessation of the dismantling of Medgar Evers and the reinstatement of programs that have been unfairly curtailed; and the reinstatement of open enrollment for students in the Brooklyn community. You are the people with the power; this is your community; Medgar Evers came about as the result of your efforts. Stand up, be seen, be heard, be counted, be respected.
STAY BLESSED &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Well now that I've recouped from one of the busiest weekends of Black History Month, I have finally gathered up the strength and energy to write this article.
The MEC Coalition took its concerns to Albany last weekend, during the 40th Annual Black and Puerto Rican and Asian Legislative Caucus and placed it squarely on the plates of the elected officials.
Armed with petitions, flyers, parent, student and educator support, they spoke individually and collectively with the elected officials in regards to the egregious acts that have been lodged against New York's only predominantly Black college.
The center of the controversy, William Pollard, newly selected president chosen to replace the outgoing Edison Jackson, who retired after 20 years of successfully leading and expanding the college from a near failure to one of immeasurable success; closely followed by his hand-picked provost Howard Johnson, appeared to have had the same idea. They sponsored a bus with students from Medgar Evers, in an effort to put on a dog and pony show, to persuade the officials that they were doing a positive job.
However, their efforts fell far short of their mark, despite a well crafted speech delivered by State Senator Eric Adams. His support of academic excellence, is of course, laudable. Something all can agree to. However, his speech, eloquent though it was, does not assuage the fact that Pollard and Johnson have eviscerated several essential programs that were part and parcel of what made Medgar Evers such a great success: The Center for NU Leadership, started by Dr. Divine Pryor, and recruited on to the campus as an integral part of their outreach by Dr. Jackson; and the DuBois Bunche Institute, founded and fostered by former Assemblymember Roger Green, Congressman Major Owens, among others, were both ousted from the campus - for what purpose? And what did the termination of these programs have to do with academic excellence? Additionally, MEC had the only Black Think Tank on campus, comprised of historical figures, entrepreneurs, political leaders, formerly elected officials, all of whom were drawing cards for other programs and funding sources. (It should also be noted that the program ended abruptly after Senator Adams' speech, and members of the audience were not afforded the opportunity of asking questions or making comments).
But back on the subject of academic excellence: One wonders what the rationale could have been for curtailing open enrollment for students who were aspiring to new career goals? Congressman Owens, who was part of the originating members who supported the establishment of Medgar Evers reminded us all that the premise of the school was based on the concept of COMMUNIVERSITY. And that there were several contracts drawn between the community and the CUNY bigwigs have been thrown under the bus.
It's clear that things are very much amiss at the college. In fact, anyone walking through the corridors, which were once alive with engaged students, will readily notice the ghost-town like appearance of the halls. Gone are the encouraging bulletin boards, the announcements of opportunities for student participation and achievements that used to populate the walls.
Albany became the line drawn in the sand. At a meeting held Saturday, February 19, caucus members came to hear the concerns of the MEC Coalition, and left determined that there would be no additional funding or other concessions until things were rectified at the campus.
Chancellor Goldstein, who backs Pollard and Johnson, has taken out full page ads in predominantly African American papers trying to thwart the growing discontent among the faculty, staff, and community. The Amsterdam News recently ran a headline stating the students at MEC were "clueless" about what was transpiring at the campus. The facts, however, are that the student organizations have been threatened with funding cuts if they participate in, or evidence any concern about the new regime. A regime that has largely targeted them for extinction, while simultaneously looking to replace them with students outside the boundaries of the Brooklyn community from which a large majority of the student body originates.
Actually, the more telling problem is that they are actually looking to supplant the New York student body completely by giving priority to foreign students who are coming in from other countries, paying high prices to attend CUNY Schools while the neighborhood gets priced out of the market. As it is, prices have crept up for education at our city "owned" university over the past few decades, with students who would otherwise have the right to a free education, paying almost as much as they would to go to a private college or university. In spite of that factor, the CUNY system is constantly crying broke - wonder who is monitoring their budgets?
Medgar Evers was, for all intents and purposes, not supposed to succeed. In fact the first four presidents, prior to the hiring of Edison Jackson, were major disasters. It was as if the CUNY higher ups were deliberately picking miscreants, who were clueless about the mission and intent of the college, which was named after slain Civil Rights leader, Medgar Wiley Evers. The appointment of the current president, is reminiscient of the earlier selections, who had no understanding or concern for the community; had little respect for or alliegience to the faculty and staff, and were largely there as place holders while the school slowly declined.
Such a decline would open the door for the CUNY higher ups to step in conveniently and take over the school, reshaping it so that it no longer serves the purpose of providing a quality educational millieu for African/African American/Caribbean students who have found success in a school that has been the underpinning of their success over the past two decades. (Pollard is alleged to have made threats to curtail financial assistance for several Caribbean-American students, stating they were receiving the assistance illegally).
When compared to other HBCUs, Medgar Evers existence is a drop in the bucket, having only been here a mere 26 years. But their progress has been meteoric. That is until the 2009.
The upshot of the Caucus weekend, however, is that the efforts to make it appear as if all was well at MEC, may well have backfired. Several of the pols who attended the meeting with the coalition, most notably Senator Kevin Parker, and Assemblymember Inez Barron, have vowed not to provide any additional funds to CUNY in general and Medgar Evers in particular until the problems are rectified, the programs are reinstated, and person more in keeping with the mission of Medgar Evers is brought on board to lead the college. This time a full fledged search must be launched to make sure that the right one is appointed- no more hastily selected individuals of questionable backgrounds.
Assemblymember Jeffries, and other elected officials are planning to hold hearings into the circumstances under which the current president was selected, as well as to the recent discontinuations of programs that had been beneficial to the campus, and the blocking of grants that would have enhanced several programs that had been in existence for quite some time. (Still don't understand why Carver Bank's ATMs were taken out and replaced by CitiBank. It may not be in the purview of the elected officials, but inquiring minds want to know.)
The New York State Panhellenic Council (comprised of the major Black Fraternities and Sororities) have likewise agreed to look into what is happening with Medgar Evers' students, and the policies that appear to be aimed at undermining its status as the only Black college in New York. It should be remembered that prior to her untimely, tragic death, Dr. Betty Shabazz, Director of Institutional Advancement and Public Affairs, was a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Former President, Edison Jackson, was an active member of Phi Beta Sigma, hosting many student orient programs and scholarship award ceremonies at the campus. Irregardless of whether there are active faternities or sororities at Medgar Evers, the Pan Hellenic Council deem it important to take an active interest in the preservation of Medgar Evers as a predominantly Black college. This is refreshing, since Pollard has claimed that he was not brought to Medgar Evers to head a Black college.
Rev. Al Sharpton stated in his address to the Caucus church goers at the Wilborn Temple in Albany, we have far too many among us who have title without responsibility; who are in positions of power, but are not standing for those made it possible for them to be in that position. Who serve more as a blockage to progress, than a conduit.
It appears that Pollard has been brought into this situation for that purpose; in a which he is not suited- at least not by our standards of quality (though he may well be serving the purposes of the chancellor). And since he was not brought here to be the president of a Black college; it may well have been a case of mistaken identity. He does look a lot like us. But there the similarity ends sharply: MEDGAR EVERS IS A BLACK COLLEGE. It was from the inception, and will continue to be so, despite his or Johnson's or Goldstein's efforts to the contrary.
Academic excellence is not born of destroying programs; it comes from bringing in quality faculty; it comes from providing a millieu of growth, exploration, creativity, and progressive programs. It does not come via demoralization an0d intimidation, inuendos and reprisals. It comes through attracting the brightest and the best via those who are already a beacon for the school; not undermining that beacon, and engendering the ire of an entire community.
A series of television broadcasts via Manhattan Neighborhood Network, (MNN), will further discuss these and other concerns roiling around Medgar Evers College. Check your satellite and cable listings for dates and times. (Of course I will post it as part of my even alert as soon as I have additional information.)
But the main point is this -- to Brooklynites, and all residents of New York, whether or not you have or ever plan to attend Medgar Evers College - this is yet another attack on a Black institution. This is another incursion into our community, with the aim and goal of decimating us, demoralizing us, and depriving us of something that we have worked hard for and built with blood, sweat, tears, pride and respect. My question to you is this: NOW THAT YOU KNOW, WHAT WILL YOU DO ABOUT IT?
To lend your support contact the meccoalitation@gmail.com, contact your churches, elected officials, community based organizations, and make yourselves a committee of one to demand the cessation of the dismantling of Medgar Evers and the reinstatement of programs that have been unfairly curtailed; and the reinstatement of open enrollment for students in the Brooklyn community. You are the people with the power; this is your community; Medgar Evers came about as the result of your efforts. Stand up, be seen, be heard, be counted, be respected.
STAY BLESSED &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
2.14.2011
Medgar Evers College in Crisis: Sign the Petition and Take a Stand: If the People Will Lead the Leaders Will Follow
by Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Hello All:
This is an immediate notice to Brooklyn's Black Community and those who wish us well. There is a crisis brewing at Medgar Evers College, and it's been allowed to fester and degenerate into a maisma with a cloud of gloom and a crisis of confidence looming over the entire campus, as well as the community.
Those of you who know the history of Medgar Evers College know that this school did not come about because of the generosity of the City University System. There was no benevolent being there who suddenly woke up and said, "Wow! There's no historically Black college or university or school that speaks to the needs of the Black students in New York, let us establish a college for them." No, that did not happen.
What did happen is the people like Jitu Weusi, Albert Vann, Annette Robinson, and other stalwarts of the community, got to together with the Brooklyn community, put together a plan and demanded a college be established that was more in line with the unique needs of the Black students. And it took months, to bring this about. It took years to find a president whose leadership finally made Medgar Evers the stellar college it has become under the City University System. Under his 20 years of leadership, Medgar Evers has made great strides, with more yet to come.
Well that progress appears to be halted in its tracks under the mis-direction of the newly appointed president, William Pollard. It took 20 years for Medgar Evers to gain its credibility, and in less than one year Pollard has apparently caused them to either reverse or disappear. Not only has he stated that he was not hired to lead a Black College; applicants from the surrounding community, who used to be able to apply directly for admission, now have to go through CUNY Central for admission. This has decimated the number of Black students who would have had the opportunity to begin their higher education.
To make it even more bizarre, Pollard has severed the contract with Carver Federal Savings (a Black Bank), and instituted CitiBank instead. What's up with that?
Additionally, Pollard asserted that there were students who were receiving financial aid illegally - and has terminated several students' lifelines to obtaining a higher education.
Now this might be understandable if Pollard was of any other ethnicity. But Pollard is allegedly African American (I'm reserving what I could really call him. There is a name for an individual who stabs his own people in the back, and gets paid to do so -- and since we all know what that name is, I don't need to go there - use your own imagination and experience).
The problems facing Medgar Evers has been compounded by the actions on the part of Howard Johnson, the individual selected as provost, who has caused several essential programs to be evicted from the campus. The combination of the two individuals have turned twenty years of progress backwards. MEC, despite the new buildings, is facing a downward spiral as a result of these two who serve to the detriment of the students and the community.
The Medgar Evers College Coalition for Academic Excellence and Mission Integrity comprised of community members, professors, elected officials, and students, have been meeting consistently to try to stem the tide of this effort to undermine Medgar Evers' primacy as a Black school.
But here's my dilemma: With all this roiling right under the noses of Black people in Brooklyn, with the very future of their children's education in jeopardy, I want to know why is everyone else in Brooklyn sooooo quiet? Why is it that there aren't thousands of Brooklynites surrounding that campus demanding Pollard's exit? Why haven't our elected officials put their foot down and demanded his exit? Why all the posturing and the meetings. Why are we sitting here watching a car wreck as though we're driving down the I-95, waiting to see how many casualties before we act? What the Sam Hill is going on with us, with this wait and see attitude?
Don't we have enough assaults on our education with adding insult to injury?
I recently saw a movie on Ancient Mali, where they discovered thousand year old libraries that had to be protected from white maurauders who did not value our culture. They were able to devise ways to protect those treasures so that today the world marvels at the fact that our civilization predates the European system, and there is concrete evidence of that fact.
At the present moment, I am looking at a situation where the same genetic codes that caused us to protect our treasures then have to be re-inculcated now - before its too late. Our children, their education, our community, our accomplishment are individually and collectively treasures, and it is incumbent on us to protect it.
It doesn't matter if you never attended, or ever plan to attend Medgar Evers College; just as it does not matter if you or any of your children ever attended Paul Robeson (also under siege in Brooklyn); it's about the entire society of which you are a part. It is to be treasured because we developed it for us by us. It is not to be violated by interlopers who are paid to come in eviscerate progress made through devotion, dedication, diligence, blood, sweat and tears. It is as sacred as any church. It is just as much a treasure as gold, silver, or millions of dollars. Because it is an investment into our futures, our self-esteem, our self worth, our very empowerment.
So, why is the Black community so quiet? I am posting this in my blog, and I want each individual who receives it to send it to ten of their friends, relatives, associates - whether they live in Brooklyn or not - and tell them to get involved: Sign the petition below, write your congressman, write your city council representative, write your assembly members, write your state senators and tell them that you want Medgar Evers delivered from the hands of those that are looking to destroy it, and new leadership immediately established, if not sooner.
Not since the Civil Rights Era has there been more at stake. Many students who are now the grandchildren of those of that era, have chosen to take a stand against the denigration of Medgar Evers College, including the MEC NAACP. They have engaged other students who appear to be fearful of reprisals, in taking a principled stand to maintain Medgar Evers College is the only semblance of an Historically Black College/University in the North. Taking a cue from the examples of their parents and grandparents, these students understand the necessity of being involved in their future, and not sitting idly by while others destroy what has been so hard fought to bring into existence. It is heartening to see that our students are willing to take the baton and continue the mission.
Reaching back to the Mali documentary, I mentioned earlier, there was a theme song that has remained in my conscious-soulness, and I'm sharing the title with you here:
"IF THE PEOPLE WILL LEAD, THE LEADERS WILL FOLLOW"
Let that statement marinate in your mind for a moment. IF THE PEOPLE WILL LEAD, THE LEADERS WILL FOLLOW!!! We are the people. We are responsible for our leaders. If they do something we don't like, or if they don't represent us appropriately, we have the right and responsibility to put them on blast, and make them take corrective actions. We can either let them lead us by the noses, or we can take principled stands. In this instance, if we don't let the so-called leaders know of our displeasure, and of our desires, they will pretty much go along without having any inkling of our concerns. But once we stand up, stand together, and put our demands in their face, they either have to accede to our needs and demands, or get out.
It is time for the community of Brooklyn to take back their leadership, and send a signal to our representatives to get the job done now.
Below is a petition that you can copy, paste and sign in reference to the Medgar Evers College crisis. Please sign it and send it back to the email address highlighted below.
Also included is an update on the Coalition's activities to save Medgar Evers. Your help and support are needed immediately, if not sooner. So make it your business to be a part of the solution, not a part of the side line.
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
NOW THAT YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
_______________________________________________
PETITION (cut and paste to print petition Email to MECCoalition@gmail.com or call 718.710.4528):
The Medgar Evers College Coalition for Academic Excellence and Mission Integrity
January 5, 2011
Hon. Matthew Goldstein
Chancellor
City University of New York
535 E. 80th Street
New York, NY 10075
Re: A Call for the Resignation of Dr. Howard Johnson as Provost of Medgar Evers College
Dear Chancellor Goldstein:
I am very disturbed by the changes which have occurred since Dr. William Pollard became president of Medgar Evers College in August 2009. His policies have compromised the ability of the institution to serve its students and his policies have demoralized the College’s faculty. I am not adverse to change and recognize that it is necessary for the growth of any institution. However, this administration’s policies have hindered the ability of the institution to ensure the academic excellence and integrity of its mission as defined by the founders and stakeholders.
Many of the issues stem from the actions and unprofessional working style of the Provost, Dr. Howard Johnson, and from his lack of commitment to the mission of the College. Among other actions, this provost has violated CUNY Bylaws, union contracts and the Medgar Evers College Governance Plan in the non reappointment of faculty; removed chairs for spurious and unsubstantiated reasons; reduced support mechanisms and faculty resources for student success; oversaw the withdrawal of support for the Medgar College Preparatory School’s Dual Enrollment Program; and issued an eviction notice to the Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions despite its formal approval by the College’s governing body, the College Council.
In view of the actions cited above and more, I request that you direct President Pollard to ask for the resignation of Provost Howard Johnson immediately. I am sure that the resignation of Provost Johnson will initiate the steps to resolve these critical issues at Medgar Evers College.
Yours truly,
Full Name: *_________________________________________________
Email: _________________________________________________
Phone: _________________________________________________
Comments: _________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Email to MECCoalition@gmail.com or call 718.710.4528.
What’s Going on at Medgar Evers College? - THE FACTS
Presented by the Medgar Evers College Coalition for Academic Excellence and Mission Integrity (aka The MEC Coalition)
• Petition Letter to the Hon. Matthew Goldstein, Chancellor of the City University of New York
• Petition Letter to Dr. William L. Pollard, President, Medgar Evers College at the City University of New York
In view of the actions listed below, the faculty of Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York (MEC) affirmed a VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE in the current Administration, and specifically, in the Office of the President, Dr. William Pollard and in the Office of the Provost, Dr. Howard Johnson.
At a meeting held by the Committee of the Faculty of the Whole, 89% of the faculty issued a vote of no confidence.
Under the administration of President Pollard and Provost Johnson, the following have occurred:
1. The administration has violated CUNY Bylaws, union contracts and the Medgar Evers Governance Plan in the non-reappointment of faculty.
2. The administration has disseminated notices of non-reappointment to faculty and staff via campus police, email, and visits to classrooms (in front of students), and offices.
3. The administration has removed the Chair of Education for spurious and unsubstantiated reasons (Per PSC Contract, Chairs in CUNY are elected by faculty, not appointed by President and Provost). The Chair of Education had been elected by the faculty in her department
for a three year term.
“WHAT WOULD MEDGAR DO?” STAND FOR JUSTICE!
On Monday, January 17, 2011 at the 25th Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, (where Dr. William Pollard was invited to speak), we conducted a Silent Demonstration to protest the desecration of the mission of Medgar Evers College. The Mission of MEDGAR EVERS COLLEGE Is UNDER ATTACK!
4. The administration has reduced support mechanisms and faculty resources which include:
* Elimination of the Writing Center
* Elimination of the Center for Teaching and Learning
* Reduction of tutors in the Learning Center budget
* Reduction of staff in the College’s library
* Reduction of staff in the Student Computer Lab
* Reduction of resources and research opportunities for the Psych Lab
* Blocking of funding supporting faculty/student research and the mission of the College
5. The administration has issued an eviction notice to the Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions despite its adherence to the formal application process and subsequent approval by Medgar Evers College’s governing body, the College Council, in accordance with the Policy Guidelines for Centers, Institutes, Consortia and Special Initiatives at The City University of New York (approved by the Board of Trustees, 27 February 1995) and the Medgar Evers College Governance Plan.
6. The administration has not hired faculty positions in academic departments, yet has hired numerous high level administrators and consultants.
7. The administration has withdrawn support for the Medgar Evers College Preparatory School’s Dual Enrollment Program which provides high school students with opportunities to take college level courses while enrolled in high school.
8. The administration has not announced a Master Plan or direction for MEC, after an entire year of governance.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF Medgar Evers College
* MEC was founded four decades ago during a period of institution building by communities of color across this country and in Central Brooklyn, specifically, to address the need for access to higher education, to be coupled with community engagement and development
* MEC has a proud history of leadership and involvement in advocacy that advances and promotes the political, cultural, social, economic and academic power of people of color in Central Brooklyn
* MEC is rooted in the progressive history of Central Brooklyn through its academic, professional, advocacy and civic programs
* MEC has created a culture of academic excellence for students and faculty
* The actions of the administration, as represented by the Offices of the President and Provost, demonstrate a lack of commitment to the “community–oriented” mission of Medgar Evers College and the community stakeholders of Central Brooklyn who helped to birth Medgar Evers College
Medgar Evers College also:
* Transforms the lives of individuals within their communities and the global world
* Provides students with access to high quality professional degree programs
* Offers 17 baccalaureate and 8 associate level degree programs in the liberal arts, science, health, business, and education
* Provides students who move from associate level to baccalaureate level degree programs with high academic standards
* Maintains a national and international presence through its Centers
* Offers conferences, seminars and workshops that support academic programs and student success
The Students
* Capture first place prizes in prestigious competitions like the Wharton Undergraduate Marketing Conference case competition
* Present their original research and scholarship at conferences across the globe
* Participate and are leaders in national student business associations of NABA (National Assoc. of Black Accountants, AMA (American Management Assoc.), CISTA (Computer Information Systems Technology Association, MECPA (Society of Public Administration), and MIA (Minority Investment Assoc.) which have won numerous awards.
* Are members of honor societies (Delta Mu Delta and Kappa Beta Delta) and participate in national and regional conferences that promote personal and career goals
* Matriculate as the first in their family to pursue higher education
About The Faculty
* Include distinguished scholars, researchers, and former members of the city, state and federal legislatures of the United States
* Are Involved in a range of research and grant activities in their disciplines
* Received numerous awards within their disciplines
* Include Fulbright scholars and a Guggenheim Fellow
* Collaborate with entities such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to conduct space science research, which included the launching of a satellite for government payloads
* Are Awarded research grants by the U.S. Air Force’s Office of Scientific Research, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Education, among others
* Include faculty and directors, who host national and international conferences, including:
o National Black Writers Conference
o Environmental Science Conference
o Social Work Conference
o Diopian Inquiry and Research on Education as Culture Transmission Conference
About The Centers
* Strengthen, enrich and support the College’s academic degree programs
* Serve as vehicles for research, training, advocacy and career development in public service and public policy fields
* Fulfill the College’s mission of communicating the knowledge of tradition, the teaching of scholars and the beauty and profundity of students’ cultural heritage
* Develop non degree and co-curricular cultural programs which serve students and a broad range of community residents
* Fulfill the College’s mission through interaction with community representatives, cultural and public institutions
The Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions (CNUS) has operated at Medgar Evers College for the past six years. CNUS provides critical policy research and advocacy training on criminal and juvenile justice system reform issues; develops initiatives, policy recommendations and programs aimed at increasing access, retention, and graduation rates for formerly incarcerated students; and promotes leadership and career development in the fields of public policy and advocacy related to criminal justice and civil rights.
The DuBois Bunche Center for Public Policy (DBC) is a think tank dedicated to forging solutions to the challenges confronting people of color living within urban communities in the United States and throughout the African Diaspora. DBC produces research, formulates policies, sponsors conferences, and produces public affairs media programming that advances economic and social justice.
The Center for Black Literature expands, broadens, and enriches the public’s knowledge and aesthetic appreciation of the value of black literature; continues the tradition and legacy of the National Black Writers Conference and serves as a voice and resource for black writers. It is the only Center devoted to this in the country.
The Center for Law and Social Justice (CLSJ) is a community-based legal organization that specializes in addressing racial justice issues. CLSJ provides quality legal advocacy, trainings, and research services in a personal manner to people of African ancestry and the disenfranchised.
About the Medgar Evers College Preparatory School (MECPS)
* The MECPS was created as a partnership with Medgar Evers College
* The MECPS was cited by Department of Education, College Board and President Obama as an exemplary model of high school and college collaboration
* The MECPS was only one of three in the nation to win a College Board Inspiration Award Winner for helping underserved students achieve equitable access to higher education
* The MECPS ranked as one of the top best public high schools in Brooklyn
* The MECPS offers one of the largest Chinese language programs for students not from a Chinese background in the United States
For more information, visit www.Facebook.com/MEfortheCommunity. You do not have to be a member of Facebook to view this Facebook Page.
Send an email to MECCoalition@gmail.com or call 718.710.4528.
NOW THAT YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
Hello All:
This is an immediate notice to Brooklyn's Black Community and those who wish us well. There is a crisis brewing at Medgar Evers College, and it's been allowed to fester and degenerate into a maisma with a cloud of gloom and a crisis of confidence looming over the entire campus, as well as the community.
Those of you who know the history of Medgar Evers College know that this school did not come about because of the generosity of the City University System. There was no benevolent being there who suddenly woke up and said, "Wow! There's no historically Black college or university or school that speaks to the needs of the Black students in New York, let us establish a college for them." No, that did not happen.
What did happen is the people like Jitu Weusi, Albert Vann, Annette Robinson, and other stalwarts of the community, got to together with the Brooklyn community, put together a plan and demanded a college be established that was more in line with the unique needs of the Black students. And it took months, to bring this about. It took years to find a president whose leadership finally made Medgar Evers the stellar college it has become under the City University System. Under his 20 years of leadership, Medgar Evers has made great strides, with more yet to come.
Well that progress appears to be halted in its tracks under the mis-direction of the newly appointed president, William Pollard. It took 20 years for Medgar Evers to gain its credibility, and in less than one year Pollard has apparently caused them to either reverse or disappear. Not only has he stated that he was not hired to lead a Black College; applicants from the surrounding community, who used to be able to apply directly for admission, now have to go through CUNY Central for admission. This has decimated the number of Black students who would have had the opportunity to begin their higher education.
To make it even more bizarre, Pollard has severed the contract with Carver Federal Savings (a Black Bank), and instituted CitiBank instead. What's up with that?
Additionally, Pollard asserted that there were students who were receiving financial aid illegally - and has terminated several students' lifelines to obtaining a higher education.
Now this might be understandable if Pollard was of any other ethnicity. But Pollard is allegedly African American (I'm reserving what I could really call him. There is a name for an individual who stabs his own people in the back, and gets paid to do so -- and since we all know what that name is, I don't need to go there - use your own imagination and experience).
The problems facing Medgar Evers has been compounded by the actions on the part of Howard Johnson, the individual selected as provost, who has caused several essential programs to be evicted from the campus. The combination of the two individuals have turned twenty years of progress backwards. MEC, despite the new buildings, is facing a downward spiral as a result of these two who serve to the detriment of the students and the community.
The Medgar Evers College Coalition for Academic Excellence and Mission Integrity comprised of community members, professors, elected officials, and students, have been meeting consistently to try to stem the tide of this effort to undermine Medgar Evers' primacy as a Black school.
But here's my dilemma: With all this roiling right under the noses of Black people in Brooklyn, with the very future of their children's education in jeopardy, I want to know why is everyone else in Brooklyn sooooo quiet? Why is it that there aren't thousands of Brooklynites surrounding that campus demanding Pollard's exit? Why haven't our elected officials put their foot down and demanded his exit? Why all the posturing and the meetings. Why are we sitting here watching a car wreck as though we're driving down the I-95, waiting to see how many casualties before we act? What the Sam Hill is going on with us, with this wait and see attitude?
Don't we have enough assaults on our education with adding insult to injury?
I recently saw a movie on Ancient Mali, where they discovered thousand year old libraries that had to be protected from white maurauders who did not value our culture. They were able to devise ways to protect those treasures so that today the world marvels at the fact that our civilization predates the European system, and there is concrete evidence of that fact.
At the present moment, I am looking at a situation where the same genetic codes that caused us to protect our treasures then have to be re-inculcated now - before its too late. Our children, their education, our community, our accomplishment are individually and collectively treasures, and it is incumbent on us to protect it.
It doesn't matter if you never attended, or ever plan to attend Medgar Evers College; just as it does not matter if you or any of your children ever attended Paul Robeson (also under siege in Brooklyn); it's about the entire society of which you are a part. It is to be treasured because we developed it for us by us. It is not to be violated by interlopers who are paid to come in eviscerate progress made through devotion, dedication, diligence, blood, sweat and tears. It is as sacred as any church. It is just as much a treasure as gold, silver, or millions of dollars. Because it is an investment into our futures, our self-esteem, our self worth, our very empowerment.
So, why is the Black community so quiet? I am posting this in my blog, and I want each individual who receives it to send it to ten of their friends, relatives, associates - whether they live in Brooklyn or not - and tell them to get involved: Sign the petition below, write your congressman, write your city council representative, write your assembly members, write your state senators and tell them that you want Medgar Evers delivered from the hands of those that are looking to destroy it, and new leadership immediately established, if not sooner.
Not since the Civil Rights Era has there been more at stake. Many students who are now the grandchildren of those of that era, have chosen to take a stand against the denigration of Medgar Evers College, including the MEC NAACP. They have engaged other students who appear to be fearful of reprisals, in taking a principled stand to maintain Medgar Evers College is the only semblance of an Historically Black College/University in the North. Taking a cue from the examples of their parents and grandparents, these students understand the necessity of being involved in their future, and not sitting idly by while others destroy what has been so hard fought to bring into existence. It is heartening to see that our students are willing to take the baton and continue the mission.
Reaching back to the Mali documentary, I mentioned earlier, there was a theme song that has remained in my conscious-soulness, and I'm sharing the title with you here:
"IF THE PEOPLE WILL LEAD, THE LEADERS WILL FOLLOW"
Let that statement marinate in your mind for a moment. IF THE PEOPLE WILL LEAD, THE LEADERS WILL FOLLOW!!! We are the people. We are responsible for our leaders. If they do something we don't like, or if they don't represent us appropriately, we have the right and responsibility to put them on blast, and make them take corrective actions. We can either let them lead us by the noses, or we can take principled stands. In this instance, if we don't let the so-called leaders know of our displeasure, and of our desires, they will pretty much go along without having any inkling of our concerns. But once we stand up, stand together, and put our demands in their face, they either have to accede to our needs and demands, or get out.
It is time for the community of Brooklyn to take back their leadership, and send a signal to our representatives to get the job done now.
Below is a petition that you can copy, paste and sign in reference to the Medgar Evers College crisis. Please sign it and send it back to the email address highlighted below.
Also included is an update on the Coalition's activities to save Medgar Evers. Your help and support are needed immediately, if not sooner. So make it your business to be a part of the solution, not a part of the side line.
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
NOW THAT YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
_______________________________________________
PETITION (cut and paste to print petition Email to MECCoalition@gmail.com or call 718.710.4528):
The Medgar Evers College Coalition for Academic Excellence and Mission Integrity
January 5, 2011
Hon. Matthew Goldstein
Chancellor
City University of New York
535 E. 80th Street
New York, NY 10075
Re: A Call for the Resignation of Dr. Howard Johnson as Provost of Medgar Evers College
Dear Chancellor Goldstein:
I am very disturbed by the changes which have occurred since Dr. William Pollard became president of Medgar Evers College in August 2009. His policies have compromised the ability of the institution to serve its students and his policies have demoralized the College’s faculty. I am not adverse to change and recognize that it is necessary for the growth of any institution. However, this administration’s policies have hindered the ability of the institution to ensure the academic excellence and integrity of its mission as defined by the founders and stakeholders.
Many of the issues stem from the actions and unprofessional working style of the Provost, Dr. Howard Johnson, and from his lack of commitment to the mission of the College. Among other actions, this provost has violated CUNY Bylaws, union contracts and the Medgar Evers College Governance Plan in the non reappointment of faculty; removed chairs for spurious and unsubstantiated reasons; reduced support mechanisms and faculty resources for student success; oversaw the withdrawal of support for the Medgar College Preparatory School’s Dual Enrollment Program; and issued an eviction notice to the Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions despite its formal approval by the College’s governing body, the College Council.
In view of the actions cited above and more, I request that you direct President Pollard to ask for the resignation of Provost Howard Johnson immediately. I am sure that the resignation of Provost Johnson will initiate the steps to resolve these critical issues at Medgar Evers College.
Yours truly,
Full Name: *_________________________________________________
Email: _________________________________________________
Phone: _________________________________________________
Comments: _________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Email to MECCoalition@gmail.com or call 718.710.4528.
What’s Going on at Medgar Evers College? - THE FACTS
Presented by the Medgar Evers College Coalition for Academic Excellence and Mission Integrity (aka The MEC Coalition)
• Petition Letter to the Hon. Matthew Goldstein, Chancellor of the City University of New York
• Petition Letter to Dr. William L. Pollard, President, Medgar Evers College at the City University of New York
In view of the actions listed below, the faculty of Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York (MEC) affirmed a VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE in the current Administration, and specifically, in the Office of the President, Dr. William Pollard and in the Office of the Provost, Dr. Howard Johnson.
At a meeting held by the Committee of the Faculty of the Whole, 89% of the faculty issued a vote of no confidence.
Under the administration of President Pollard and Provost Johnson, the following have occurred:
1. The administration has violated CUNY Bylaws, union contracts and the Medgar Evers Governance Plan in the non-reappointment of faculty.
2. The administration has disseminated notices of non-reappointment to faculty and staff via campus police, email, and visits to classrooms (in front of students), and offices.
3. The administration has removed the Chair of Education for spurious and unsubstantiated reasons (Per PSC Contract, Chairs in CUNY are elected by faculty, not appointed by President and Provost). The Chair of Education had been elected by the faculty in her department
for a three year term.
“WHAT WOULD MEDGAR DO?” STAND FOR JUSTICE!
On Monday, January 17, 2011 at the 25th Annual Brooklyn Tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, (where Dr. William Pollard was invited to speak), we conducted a Silent Demonstration to protest the desecration of the mission of Medgar Evers College. The Mission of MEDGAR EVERS COLLEGE Is UNDER ATTACK!
4. The administration has reduced support mechanisms and faculty resources which include:
* Elimination of the Writing Center
* Elimination of the Center for Teaching and Learning
* Reduction of tutors in the Learning Center budget
* Reduction of staff in the College’s library
* Reduction of staff in the Student Computer Lab
* Reduction of resources and research opportunities for the Psych Lab
* Blocking of funding supporting faculty/student research and the mission of the College
5. The administration has issued an eviction notice to the Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions despite its adherence to the formal application process and subsequent approval by Medgar Evers College’s governing body, the College Council, in accordance with the Policy Guidelines for Centers, Institutes, Consortia and Special Initiatives at The City University of New York (approved by the Board of Trustees, 27 February 1995) and the Medgar Evers College Governance Plan.
6. The administration has not hired faculty positions in academic departments, yet has hired numerous high level administrators and consultants.
7. The administration has withdrawn support for the Medgar Evers College Preparatory School’s Dual Enrollment Program which provides high school students with opportunities to take college level courses while enrolled in high school.
8. The administration has not announced a Master Plan or direction for MEC, after an entire year of governance.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF Medgar Evers College
* MEC was founded four decades ago during a period of institution building by communities of color across this country and in Central Brooklyn, specifically, to address the need for access to higher education, to be coupled with community engagement and development
* MEC has a proud history of leadership and involvement in advocacy that advances and promotes the political, cultural, social, economic and academic power of people of color in Central Brooklyn
* MEC is rooted in the progressive history of Central Brooklyn through its academic, professional, advocacy and civic programs
* MEC has created a culture of academic excellence for students and faculty
* The actions of the administration, as represented by the Offices of the President and Provost, demonstrate a lack of commitment to the “community–oriented” mission of Medgar Evers College and the community stakeholders of Central Brooklyn who helped to birth Medgar Evers College
Medgar Evers College also:
* Transforms the lives of individuals within their communities and the global world
* Provides students with access to high quality professional degree programs
* Offers 17 baccalaureate and 8 associate level degree programs in the liberal arts, science, health, business, and education
* Provides students who move from associate level to baccalaureate level degree programs with high academic standards
* Maintains a national and international presence through its Centers
* Offers conferences, seminars and workshops that support academic programs and student success
The Students
* Capture first place prizes in prestigious competitions like the Wharton Undergraduate Marketing Conference case competition
* Present their original research and scholarship at conferences across the globe
* Participate and are leaders in national student business associations of NABA (National Assoc. of Black Accountants, AMA (American Management Assoc.), CISTA (Computer Information Systems Technology Association, MECPA (Society of Public Administration), and MIA (Minority Investment Assoc.) which have won numerous awards.
* Are members of honor societies (Delta Mu Delta and Kappa Beta Delta) and participate in national and regional conferences that promote personal and career goals
* Matriculate as the first in their family to pursue higher education
About The Faculty
* Include distinguished scholars, researchers, and former members of the city, state and federal legislatures of the United States
* Are Involved in a range of research and grant activities in their disciplines
* Received numerous awards within their disciplines
* Include Fulbright scholars and a Guggenheim Fellow
* Collaborate with entities such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to conduct space science research, which included the launching of a satellite for government payloads
* Are Awarded research grants by the U.S. Air Force’s Office of Scientific Research, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Education, among others
* Include faculty and directors, who host national and international conferences, including:
o National Black Writers Conference
o Environmental Science Conference
o Social Work Conference
o Diopian Inquiry and Research on Education as Culture Transmission Conference
About The Centers
* Strengthen, enrich and support the College’s academic degree programs
* Serve as vehicles for research, training, advocacy and career development in public service and public policy fields
* Fulfill the College’s mission of communicating the knowledge of tradition, the teaching of scholars and the beauty and profundity of students’ cultural heritage
* Develop non degree and co-curricular cultural programs which serve students and a broad range of community residents
* Fulfill the College’s mission through interaction with community representatives, cultural and public institutions
The Center for NuLeadership on Urban Solutions (CNUS) has operated at Medgar Evers College for the past six years. CNUS provides critical policy research and advocacy training on criminal and juvenile justice system reform issues; develops initiatives, policy recommendations and programs aimed at increasing access, retention, and graduation rates for formerly incarcerated students; and promotes leadership and career development in the fields of public policy and advocacy related to criminal justice and civil rights.
The DuBois Bunche Center for Public Policy (DBC) is a think tank dedicated to forging solutions to the challenges confronting people of color living within urban communities in the United States and throughout the African Diaspora. DBC produces research, formulates policies, sponsors conferences, and produces public affairs media programming that advances economic and social justice.
The Center for Black Literature expands, broadens, and enriches the public’s knowledge and aesthetic appreciation of the value of black literature; continues the tradition and legacy of the National Black Writers Conference and serves as a voice and resource for black writers. It is the only Center devoted to this in the country.
The Center for Law and Social Justice (CLSJ) is a community-based legal organization that specializes in addressing racial justice issues. CLSJ provides quality legal advocacy, trainings, and research services in a personal manner to people of African ancestry and the disenfranchised.
About the Medgar Evers College Preparatory School (MECPS)
* The MECPS was created as a partnership with Medgar Evers College
* The MECPS was cited by Department of Education, College Board and President Obama as an exemplary model of high school and college collaboration
* The MECPS was only one of three in the nation to win a College Board Inspiration Award Winner for helping underserved students achieve equitable access to higher education
* The MECPS ranked as one of the top best public high schools in Brooklyn
* The MECPS offers one of the largest Chinese language programs for students not from a Chinese background in the United States
For more information, visit www.Facebook.com/MEfortheCommunity. You do not have to be a member of Facebook to view this Facebook Page.
Send an email to MECCoalition@gmail.com or call 718.710.4528.
NOW THAT YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
12.10.2010
Medgar Evers College Faculty Issues Vote of NO CONFIDENCE for President and Provost
by Gloria Dulan-Wilson
A controversy and confrontation that has been brewing under the surface is about to come to a head. It has been roiling since President Edison O. Jackson stepped down from Medgar Evers, and his mantle was passed on to William Pollard, who now serves as its current president.
In assuming the position of president, it is natural for the new executive to make some changes in order to brand the college under his leadership. It is natural, also for them to bring in new programs that would enhance what the college has to offer.
What is not natural is for a Black college president to come into an environment where the students and faculty are predominantly Black, and lay waste to programs that have been of benefit to the Black student body and surrounding community. However, over the past year, this appears to have been Pollard's scorched campus policy. He has evicted Dr. Divine Pryor, founder of Center for Nu Leadership on Urban Solutions, an outreach program that helped ex-offenders get back on their feet. And has sent letters of eviction to what can only be called Brooklyn's African American Think Tank.
Thus far the following people have been either sent termination or eviction notices:
Hon. Roger L. Green, Founder and Executive Director of the DuBois-Bunche Center, was appointed a Distinguished Lecturer at Medgar Evers College within the City University of New York in 2006. From 1981-2005 served in the New York State Assembly, and was an expert on educational reform; children and family policies. chaired the Committee on Science and Technology, and the Committee on Children and Families. A longstanding advocate of civil and human rights, Green was MEC’s professor of Public Administration, bringing to the students his vast array of knowledge and experience. The DuBois-Bunche Center for Public Policy is in jeopardy of being excised from the campus, as are the founding members who are integral to the organization.
John Flateau, Ph.D.: Professor of Public Administration, received his Ph.D in American Politics and Public Policy from the City University of New York Graduate Center. He served as Chief of Staff to Mayor David Dinkins; Senior Vice President of the NYS Urban Development Corporation; Dean of the School of Business, and Dean of Institutional Advancement at Medgar Evers College. He also served as a Commissioner, of the NYC Districting Commission; Advisor to the NYS Legislative Advisory Task Force on Demographics and Reapportionment; Chairperson of the US Census Advisory Committee on the African-American Population; and Executive Director of the NYS Black and Hispanic Legislative Caucus. He is a generalist and strategic thinker, with expertise in urban policy, economic development, voting rights, legislative redistricting, census demographics, campaigns and elections, diversity management, and governmental processes (whether or not Dr. Flateau is on the hit list remains to be seen, however, MEC's Black Think Tank is definitely under siege).
(NOTE: to their credit both Green and Flateau worked to resolve the problems in Albany under Governor David Paterson, as well as providing advice on an ongoing basis on State, City and National issues.)
Hon. Major Owens served as a member of Congress representing Central Brooklyn from 1983 to 2005, and brings a wealth of expertise. Former New York City Commissioner, and a NY State Senator. Congressman Owens is widely respected for his lifelong commitment to reduce poverty in the United States and throughout the developing world. He is also respected for his legislative leadership which fought to eliminate barriers to educational opportunity. His position appears to be safe for now. But with the lack of insight on the part of the current Administrator, I wouldn't turn my back or relax if I were him.
Zulema Blair, Ph.D.:was Chair of MEC's Public Administration Departmentin 2007. Dr. Blair’s focus is organizational theory and it’s applications to public administration. She has produced research which studies low income populations and their participation in the political process. Dr .Blair directs the American Democracy Project at Medgar Evers College. Dr. Blair was not returned as chair of her department.
Hon.Ambassador Eugene Pursoo became a Distinguished Lecturer at Medgar Evers College. after serving with distinction as the United Nations Ambassador and Permanent Representative with plenipotentiary powers for Grenada, from 1991 to 1995. During his tenure at the United Nations he was elected Vice President of the General Assembly in 1993, Chairman of the United Nations Decolonization Committee, and Chairman of the Organization of Small Island States in 1994. He earned his Bachelor's and Master’s degrees from Fordham University. Ambassador Pursoo is the Director of the International Affairs Center. He as been commited to the mentoring of students and scholars who seek to advance diplomatic approaches for the expansion of peace and justice throughout the World Community. His contract was not renewed. Why????
Divine Pryor, Ph.D. has established a national and international reputation as an expert in the field of criminal justice reform .Before receiving his undergraduate degrees and a Ph. D. in forensic psychology Dr. Pryor was incarcerated for several years. In the tradition of Malcolm X (El Hajj Malik El Shabazz), Dr. Pryor rediscovered his love for learning and a passion for justice during his incarceration and developed a commitment to reverse the disproportionate number of African Americans in prison. Dr. Pryor has served on the National Re-entry Policy Council for the Council of State Governors board of directors of the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, and the Community Justice Center. Nu Leadership is the only organization in the nation that was founded and is currently directed and staffed by formerly incarcerated individuals who possess advanced degrees (masters, doctorates) in the areas of criminal justice reform. Pryor's eviction from MEC was covered on WRKS-FM, where he revealed that Pollard had begun to dismantle many of the programs that had been successfully serving the community for nearly 20 years.
During the selection of MEC's next president, a search committee had narrowed the candidates down to three women. They were all extremely competent, heavy hitters. Any one of them would have been a wonderful choice for the campus. Dr. Pollard was not initially on that short list, and was only added at the last minute. Each of the candidates had to participate in a public hearing, where the community had an opportunity to ask key questions to ascertain which of the candidates appeared to have MEC's wellbeing and expansion at heart. Dr. Pollard's answer was the least satisfactory. In fact, if memory serves, Dr. Pollard did not appropriately or adequately answer the question.
After the final interview session, the consensus was that any one of the three female candidates would have been an excellent selection, and would lead MEC into the 21st century. Imagine the shock when it was announced that Pollard was given the position. At the time it was conjectured that perhaps individuals had used undue influence (and threats) to bring get him the position. There were several of us who were not happy with the selection.
Those of you who remember your Roman mythology still remember the Trojan Horse. In the story, a beautiful horse was led into a community. The people accepted it as a gift. They took it inside their gates, and begin to "rejoice" over such a wonderful present. However, while they slept through the night, soldiers, killers, evil intentions climbed down out of the horse and invaded the community, catching the citizens unawares and destroying all that they had developed.
We are now facing a modern version of the Trojan Horse, and we need to wake up before it's too late. The faculty and staff of Medgar Evers are beginning to take steps, as well as elected officials and national figures. The evisceration of Medgar Evers will not be tolerated. The policies could reverse all that has been accomplished and put MEC back to pre-Edison Jackson days. Medgar Evers belongs to the Black community of Brooklyn, and it's up to the community to make their voices heard.
The divide and conquer methods that were the basis for our being sold into slavery and brought here over 400 years ago, is still in effect in this situation. If the Brooklyn community continues to sleep on this, they may well find they no longer have a Black college in Brooklyn.
Below is a resolution from the Faculty and Staff of Medgar Evers College. Please print, post and pass it on. Make sure your neighbors and your children know what's going on, and that you lend a voice to speaking out against Pollard's and Johnson's policies.
Medgar Evers is considered to be a predominantly Black college, and the only one of its kind in New York. Lincoln University, in Pennsylvania is the only Historically Black College/University in the North. Both were formed because of a need to provide the Black community with quality education. Of all the colleges in the City University system, MEC is the only college whose policies were determined by the Brooklyn Community.
Brooklyn has stood out unique in the world as being the only community that actively participates in the direction of Medgar Evers. A privilege and a right that may well be under threat at this point.
This is the beginning for the battle of the soul of Brooklyn and the well and expansion of Medgar Evers. While it is hoped that things can be resolved amicably, it must be made clear that the Black community will not allow MEC to be destroyed.
STAY BLESSED &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
MEC FACULTY RESOLUTION FOLLOWS:
Resolution on President’s and Provost’s Leadership & Management of College
December 7, 2010
Whereas, the faculty of Medgar Evers College has attempted unsuccessfully to
engage the administration (Office of the President and Provost) into collegial
dialogue regarding the affairs of the College, and
Whereas, the faculty of Medgar Evers College has observed and obtained evidence
of the egregious acts by the Office of the President and Provost listed below, to wit
1. Administration, as represented by the Offices of the President and Provost
demonstrate poor or questionable leadership decisions with regard to effective
governance as ratified by the faculty and PSC, ex.
President’s failure to Chair Personnel and Budget Committee as required by
College’s governance plan (this committee is chaired by President as defined by
Governance Plan and oversees reappointments, appointments, promotions and
tenure)
Irregularities in protocols for College Wide Personnel & Budget Committee
Provost’s confrontational and dictatorial style with faculty, students and staff
Dissemination of notices of non reappointment to faculty, staff and CLTs via
security guard, email, and visits to classrooms and offices.
Questionable non reappointments of faculty and College Lab Technicians. (CLTs
perform highly skilled tasks such as lab work, computer work and provide support
for administrative and academic units. CLTs follow a tenure track).
Irregularities in the process by which faculty and staff reviews were voted on in
personnel committees.
No announced Master plan or direction for MEC, after an entire year. The
college-wide assessment report and recommendations were never shared
Removal of Chair of Education for spurious and unsubstantiated reasons. (Per
PSC Contract, Chairs in CUNY elected by faculty not appointed by President and
Provost). Chair of Education had been elected by faculty in department for 3 year
term.
Citing of “budget” as rationale for reduction of services but hiring of additional
administrators and consultants.
Lack of transparency and lack of communication with respect to the search for the
Provost.
Provost’s statement that a reduction in adjunct costs will provide OTPS for
faculty.
President and Provost more concerned with initiatives such as getting an athletic
field than with providing support for resources to support student instruction,
tutoring, and scholarships and faculty hires and professional development.
2. Administration, as represented by the Offices of the President and Provost
demonstrate a discrepancy between their declared student-centered philosophy and
activities that undermine and mitigate against student success by removing support
mechanisms and faculty resources integral to student success. Data reveal that MEC
student satisfaction with academic support services is substantially lower than
CUNY average. Removal of support mechanisms and faculty resources include,
Elimination of Writing Center.
Elimination of Center for Teaching and Learning
Reduction of tutors in Learning Center budget
Reduction of staff in College’s library
Reduction of staff in Student Computer Lab
Reduction of resources and research opportunities for Psych Lab.
Blocking of funding supporting faculty/student research and the mission of the
College.
Refusal to fill faculty positions in academic departments (yet hired high level
administrators).
Ending the position of NCATE Coordinator while Department is involved in
Accreditation activities.
Elimination of the position of Pre-Med Advisor in January 2010. Numerous MEC
students have been accepted to Medical schools over the years, some to MD/PhD
program, because of the work of the pre professional advisor. When students
confronted Provost re: this, he stated that “to his knowledge there was never
anyone who had the title of pre-med advisor at MEC, and that students could not
have a letter from a pre-med committee nor a pre- med advisor since the school
never had neither one. This is a direct misrepresentation of the facts; the College
has had a pre professional advisor since 1975.
Withdrawing of reassigned time for Coordination of Writing. The composition
classes in the English Department are service courses that serve close to 2,000
students (70+ sections) per semester. The Coordinator is responsible for
developing common midterm and final exams; norming sessions; cross grading
sessions; faculty development workshops; orientation for new faculty; securing
grants and serving as liaison to other CUNY colleges. Coordinators in all CUNY
campuses have reassigned time.
3. Poor Leadership and Management Skills of the President, contributing to poor
morale, questionable legal activities, and institutional demoralization, as evidenced
by
Rigid viewpoint and inability to entertain or appreciate alternative perspectives
Poor relationships with elected officials ( demonstrates a dismissive attitude, and
has portrayed elected officials as “interfering,” and having “too much influence
in the College”)
Questionable appointments of additional administrators in midst of a severe fiscal
crisis:
Lack of Diversity in President’s Administrative Senior Leadership Team (all Vice
Presidents are males.)
Failure to meet with senior faculty and student leaders – only responded after
CUNY Central and elected officials’ intervention
Inability & failure to hold College Council meetings (cancelled two meetings in
Fall and failed to get quorum in Spring at three meetings in 2009-2010 AY. Has
only held one meeting in current year and subsequent meeting cancelled because
of failure to document membership of council and thus did not have a quorum.)
Holding of Town Hall meeting for faculty during last week in May –few faculty
present
Holding governance plan meeting in summer when faculty and students are on
leave.
Holding of Retreat in summer without key administrators, e.g, Deans.
Lack of Understanding of Funding and Grant Initiatives
Leadership team’s lack of understanding of the nature and process for obtaining
multiple streams of funding from public and private sources;
Leadership’s team blocking of funding opportunities and funding obtained- Nu
Leadership, NIH grant and STEP grant, SPCD Programs
4. Poor Leadership and Insensitivity of the Provost
Irrational and explosive behavior that is unbecoming of an academic leader.
Questionable non reappointments of faculty and College Lab Technicians (CLTs)
(reasons for non-reappointment were not provided to Chairs)
Blocking of funding supporting faculty/student research and the mission of the
College
Lack of respect for the academic knowledge and expertise of faculty (disparaging
and reductive attitude towards faculty scholarship, leadership and counsel in
matters of academic affairs)
Removal of support mechanisms and faculty resources integral to student success,
e.g., the Writing Center and Center for Teaching and Learning.
Accusations that faculty are responsible for low retention rates and performance
of students when most recent data indicate that student satisfaction with faculty is
higher than CUNY average with respect to quality of course performance, ability
of faculty to communicate clearly and frequency of faculty feedback on course
performance.
5. Administration, as represented by the Offices of the President and Provost,
demonstrates a lack of commitment to the “community–oriented” mission of
Medgar Evers College and to Central Brooklyn and its residents, as evidenced by
Lack of institutional memory.
Continual statements referencing the need to change the mission without
demonstrating an understanding of the special niche of Medgar Evers and the
integral nature of Medgar Evers College to all community entities.
Disregard for relationship and value of the Centers to the mission of MEC
Eviction of Center for NuLeadership
Disregard for role of Center for NuLeadership in serving as advocate and resource
for formerly incarcerated individuals in college and community.
Refusal to recognize Center for NuLeadership as Center in College although the
Center is highly regarded in CUNY and nationally, has been functioning as a
critical Center for the last six years and was formerly approved by the College’s
governing body.
Ignoring of Harry Belafonte’s offer to work with President in resolving Nu
Leadership issues.
Removal of Carver ATM machines & substitution of Citibank ATMs. Issue of
Carver Bank’s removal from campus still not resolved.
Lack of an understanding of the value of a comprehensive college for students.
Pays “lip service” to support of Medgar Evers College’s Preparatory School.
Despite awards and accolades from College Board, Department of Education and
President Obama, the Administration has withdrawn support for the Medgar
College Preparatory School’s Dual Enrollment Program.
Use of questionable and erroneous data as a justification for changing the mission
Attempt to change the venue of commencement and cancel Jazzy Jazz series
without consultation and understanding of the importance of these programs to
students and the community. (Reinstitution of these programs only after student
and community protest).
Lack of awareness of the importance of Medgar Evers’s role in helping to sustain
Black institutions that support and serve the students and residents of Central
Brooklyn.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Faculty of Medgar Evers College do
affirm a VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE in the current Administration, and
specifically, in the Office of the President, Dr. William A. Pollard, and in the Office of the Provost, Dr. Howard Johnson.
A vote of no confidence by the faculty signals to the college leadership and CUNY Board that there is a major lack of confidence in the leadership of the college and that actions must be taken.
The time to act is now before it's too late.
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
A controversy and confrontation that has been brewing under the surface is about to come to a head. It has been roiling since President Edison O. Jackson stepped down from Medgar Evers, and his mantle was passed on to William Pollard, who now serves as its current president.
In assuming the position of president, it is natural for the new executive to make some changes in order to brand the college under his leadership. It is natural, also for them to bring in new programs that would enhance what the college has to offer.
What is not natural is for a Black college president to come into an environment where the students and faculty are predominantly Black, and lay waste to programs that have been of benefit to the Black student body and surrounding community. However, over the past year, this appears to have been Pollard's scorched campus policy. He has evicted Dr. Divine Pryor, founder of Center for Nu Leadership on Urban Solutions, an outreach program that helped ex-offenders get back on their feet. And has sent letters of eviction to what can only be called Brooklyn's African American Think Tank.
Thus far the following people have been either sent termination or eviction notices:
Hon. Roger L. Green, Founder and Executive Director of the DuBois-Bunche Center, was appointed a Distinguished Lecturer at Medgar Evers College within the City University of New York in 2006. From 1981-2005 served in the New York State Assembly, and was an expert on educational reform; children and family policies. chaired the Committee on Science and Technology, and the Committee on Children and Families. A longstanding advocate of civil and human rights, Green was MEC’s professor of Public Administration, bringing to the students his vast array of knowledge and experience. The DuBois-Bunche Center for Public Policy is in jeopardy of being excised from the campus, as are the founding members who are integral to the organization.
John Flateau, Ph.D.: Professor of Public Administration, received his Ph.D in American Politics and Public Policy from the City University of New York Graduate Center. He served as Chief of Staff to Mayor David Dinkins; Senior Vice President of the NYS Urban Development Corporation; Dean of the School of Business, and Dean of Institutional Advancement at Medgar Evers College. He also served as a Commissioner, of the NYC Districting Commission; Advisor to the NYS Legislative Advisory Task Force on Demographics and Reapportionment; Chairperson of the US Census Advisory Committee on the African-American Population; and Executive Director of the NYS Black and Hispanic Legislative Caucus. He is a generalist and strategic thinker, with expertise in urban policy, economic development, voting rights, legislative redistricting, census demographics, campaigns and elections, diversity management, and governmental processes (whether or not Dr. Flateau is on the hit list remains to be seen, however, MEC's Black Think Tank is definitely under siege).
(NOTE: to their credit both Green and Flateau worked to resolve the problems in Albany under Governor David Paterson, as well as providing advice on an ongoing basis on State, City and National issues.)
Hon. Major Owens served as a member of Congress representing Central Brooklyn from 1983 to 2005, and brings a wealth of expertise. Former New York City Commissioner, and a NY State Senator. Congressman Owens is widely respected for his lifelong commitment to reduce poverty in the United States and throughout the developing world. He is also respected for his legislative leadership which fought to eliminate barriers to educational opportunity. His position appears to be safe for now. But with the lack of insight on the part of the current Administrator, I wouldn't turn my back or relax if I were him.
Zulema Blair, Ph.D.:was Chair of MEC's Public Administration Departmentin 2007. Dr. Blair’s focus is organizational theory and it’s applications to public administration. She has produced research which studies low income populations and their participation in the political process. Dr .Blair directs the American Democracy Project at Medgar Evers College. Dr. Blair was not returned as chair of her department.
Hon.Ambassador Eugene Pursoo became a Distinguished Lecturer at Medgar Evers College. after serving with distinction as the United Nations Ambassador and Permanent Representative with plenipotentiary powers for Grenada, from 1991 to 1995. During his tenure at the United Nations he was elected Vice President of the General Assembly in 1993, Chairman of the United Nations Decolonization Committee, and Chairman of the Organization of Small Island States in 1994. He earned his Bachelor's and Master’s degrees from Fordham University. Ambassador Pursoo is the Director of the International Affairs Center. He as been commited to the mentoring of students and scholars who seek to advance diplomatic approaches for the expansion of peace and justice throughout the World Community. His contract was not renewed. Why????
Divine Pryor, Ph.D. has established a national and international reputation as an expert in the field of criminal justice reform .Before receiving his undergraduate degrees and a Ph. D. in forensic psychology Dr. Pryor was incarcerated for several years. In the tradition of Malcolm X (El Hajj Malik El Shabazz), Dr. Pryor rediscovered his love for learning and a passion for justice during his incarceration and developed a commitment to reverse the disproportionate number of African Americans in prison. Dr. Pryor has served on the National Re-entry Policy Council for the Council of State Governors board of directors of the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, and the Community Justice Center. Nu Leadership is the only organization in the nation that was founded and is currently directed and staffed by formerly incarcerated individuals who possess advanced degrees (masters, doctorates) in the areas of criminal justice reform. Pryor's eviction from MEC was covered on WRKS-FM, where he revealed that Pollard had begun to dismantle many of the programs that had been successfully serving the community for nearly 20 years.
During the selection of MEC's next president, a search committee had narrowed the candidates down to three women. They were all extremely competent, heavy hitters. Any one of them would have been a wonderful choice for the campus. Dr. Pollard was not initially on that short list, and was only added at the last minute. Each of the candidates had to participate in a public hearing, where the community had an opportunity to ask key questions to ascertain which of the candidates appeared to have MEC's wellbeing and expansion at heart. Dr. Pollard's answer was the least satisfactory. In fact, if memory serves, Dr. Pollard did not appropriately or adequately answer the question.
After the final interview session, the consensus was that any one of the three female candidates would have been an excellent selection, and would lead MEC into the 21st century. Imagine the shock when it was announced that Pollard was given the position. At the time it was conjectured that perhaps individuals had used undue influence (and threats) to bring get him the position. There were several of us who were not happy with the selection.
Those of you who remember your Roman mythology still remember the Trojan Horse. In the story, a beautiful horse was led into a community. The people accepted it as a gift. They took it inside their gates, and begin to "rejoice" over such a wonderful present. However, while they slept through the night, soldiers, killers, evil intentions climbed down out of the horse and invaded the community, catching the citizens unawares and destroying all that they had developed.
We are now facing a modern version of the Trojan Horse, and we need to wake up before it's too late. The faculty and staff of Medgar Evers are beginning to take steps, as well as elected officials and national figures. The evisceration of Medgar Evers will not be tolerated. The policies could reverse all that has been accomplished and put MEC back to pre-Edison Jackson days. Medgar Evers belongs to the Black community of Brooklyn, and it's up to the community to make their voices heard.
The divide and conquer methods that were the basis for our being sold into slavery and brought here over 400 years ago, is still in effect in this situation. If the Brooklyn community continues to sleep on this, they may well find they no longer have a Black college in Brooklyn.
Below is a resolution from the Faculty and Staff of Medgar Evers College. Please print, post and pass it on. Make sure your neighbors and your children know what's going on, and that you lend a voice to speaking out against Pollard's and Johnson's policies.
Medgar Evers is considered to be a predominantly Black college, and the only one of its kind in New York. Lincoln University, in Pennsylvania is the only Historically Black College/University in the North. Both were formed because of a need to provide the Black community with quality education. Of all the colleges in the City University system, MEC is the only college whose policies were determined by the Brooklyn Community.
Brooklyn has stood out unique in the world as being the only community that actively participates in the direction of Medgar Evers. A privilege and a right that may well be under threat at this point.
This is the beginning for the battle of the soul of Brooklyn and the well and expansion of Medgar Evers. While it is hoped that things can be resolved amicably, it must be made clear that the Black community will not allow MEC to be destroyed.
STAY BLESSED &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
MEC FACULTY RESOLUTION FOLLOWS:
Resolution on President’s and Provost’s Leadership & Management of College
December 7, 2010
Whereas, the faculty of Medgar Evers College has attempted unsuccessfully to
engage the administration (Office of the President and Provost) into collegial
dialogue regarding the affairs of the College, and
Whereas, the faculty of Medgar Evers College has observed and obtained evidence
of the egregious acts by the Office of the President and Provost listed below, to wit
1. Administration, as represented by the Offices of the President and Provost
demonstrate poor or questionable leadership decisions with regard to effective
governance as ratified by the faculty and PSC, ex.
President’s failure to Chair Personnel and Budget Committee as required by
College’s governance plan (this committee is chaired by President as defined by
Governance Plan and oversees reappointments, appointments, promotions and
tenure)
Irregularities in protocols for College Wide Personnel & Budget Committee
Provost’s confrontational and dictatorial style with faculty, students and staff
Dissemination of notices of non reappointment to faculty, staff and CLTs via
security guard, email, and visits to classrooms and offices.
Questionable non reappointments of faculty and College Lab Technicians. (CLTs
perform highly skilled tasks such as lab work, computer work and provide support
for administrative and academic units. CLTs follow a tenure track).
Irregularities in the process by which faculty and staff reviews were voted on in
personnel committees.
No announced Master plan or direction for MEC, after an entire year. The
college-wide assessment report and recommendations were never shared
Removal of Chair of Education for spurious and unsubstantiated reasons. (Per
PSC Contract, Chairs in CUNY elected by faculty not appointed by President and
Provost). Chair of Education had been elected by faculty in department for 3 year
term.
Citing of “budget” as rationale for reduction of services but hiring of additional
administrators and consultants.
Lack of transparency and lack of communication with respect to the search for the
Provost.
Provost’s statement that a reduction in adjunct costs will provide OTPS for
faculty.
President and Provost more concerned with initiatives such as getting an athletic
field than with providing support for resources to support student instruction,
tutoring, and scholarships and faculty hires and professional development.
2. Administration, as represented by the Offices of the President and Provost
demonstrate a discrepancy between their declared student-centered philosophy and
activities that undermine and mitigate against student success by removing support
mechanisms and faculty resources integral to student success. Data reveal that MEC
student satisfaction with academic support services is substantially lower than
CUNY average. Removal of support mechanisms and faculty resources include,
Elimination of Writing Center.
Elimination of Center for Teaching and Learning
Reduction of tutors in Learning Center budget
Reduction of staff in College’s library
Reduction of staff in Student Computer Lab
Reduction of resources and research opportunities for Psych Lab.
Blocking of funding supporting faculty/student research and the mission of the
College.
Refusal to fill faculty positions in academic departments (yet hired high level
administrators).
Ending the position of NCATE Coordinator while Department is involved in
Accreditation activities.
Elimination of the position of Pre-Med Advisor in January 2010. Numerous MEC
students have been accepted to Medical schools over the years, some to MD/PhD
program, because of the work of the pre professional advisor. When students
confronted Provost re: this, he stated that “to his knowledge there was never
anyone who had the title of pre-med advisor at MEC, and that students could not
have a letter from a pre-med committee nor a pre- med advisor since the school
never had neither one. This is a direct misrepresentation of the facts; the College
has had a pre professional advisor since 1975.
Withdrawing of reassigned time for Coordination of Writing. The composition
classes in the English Department are service courses that serve close to 2,000
students (70+ sections) per semester. The Coordinator is responsible for
developing common midterm and final exams; norming sessions; cross grading
sessions; faculty development workshops; orientation for new faculty; securing
grants and serving as liaison to other CUNY colleges. Coordinators in all CUNY
campuses have reassigned time.
3. Poor Leadership and Management Skills of the President, contributing to poor
morale, questionable legal activities, and institutional demoralization, as evidenced
by
Rigid viewpoint and inability to entertain or appreciate alternative perspectives
Poor relationships with elected officials ( demonstrates a dismissive attitude, and
has portrayed elected officials as “interfering,” and having “too much influence
in the College”)
Questionable appointments of additional administrators in midst of a severe fiscal
crisis:
Lack of Diversity in President’s Administrative Senior Leadership Team (all Vice
Presidents are males.)
Failure to meet with senior faculty and student leaders – only responded after
CUNY Central and elected officials’ intervention
Inability & failure to hold College Council meetings (cancelled two meetings in
Fall and failed to get quorum in Spring at three meetings in 2009-2010 AY. Has
only held one meeting in current year and subsequent meeting cancelled because
of failure to document membership of council and thus did not have a quorum.)
Holding of Town Hall meeting for faculty during last week in May –few faculty
present
Holding governance plan meeting in summer when faculty and students are on
leave.
Holding of Retreat in summer without key administrators, e.g, Deans.
Lack of Understanding of Funding and Grant Initiatives
Leadership team’s lack of understanding of the nature and process for obtaining
multiple streams of funding from public and private sources;
Leadership’s team blocking of funding opportunities and funding obtained- Nu
Leadership, NIH grant and STEP grant, SPCD Programs
4. Poor Leadership and Insensitivity of the Provost
Irrational and explosive behavior that is unbecoming of an academic leader.
Questionable non reappointments of faculty and College Lab Technicians (CLTs)
(reasons for non-reappointment were not provided to Chairs)
Blocking of funding supporting faculty/student research and the mission of the
College
Lack of respect for the academic knowledge and expertise of faculty (disparaging
and reductive attitude towards faculty scholarship, leadership and counsel in
matters of academic affairs)
Removal of support mechanisms and faculty resources integral to student success,
e.g., the Writing Center and Center for Teaching and Learning.
Accusations that faculty are responsible for low retention rates and performance
of students when most recent data indicate that student satisfaction with faculty is
higher than CUNY average with respect to quality of course performance, ability
of faculty to communicate clearly and frequency of faculty feedback on course
performance.
5. Administration, as represented by the Offices of the President and Provost,
demonstrates a lack of commitment to the “community–oriented” mission of
Medgar Evers College and to Central Brooklyn and its residents, as evidenced by
Lack of institutional memory.
Continual statements referencing the need to change the mission without
demonstrating an understanding of the special niche of Medgar Evers and the
integral nature of Medgar Evers College to all community entities.
Disregard for relationship and value of the Centers to the mission of MEC
Eviction of Center for NuLeadership
Disregard for role of Center for NuLeadership in serving as advocate and resource
for formerly incarcerated individuals in college and community.
Refusal to recognize Center for NuLeadership as Center in College although the
Center is highly regarded in CUNY and nationally, has been functioning as a
critical Center for the last six years and was formerly approved by the College’s
governing body.
Ignoring of Harry Belafonte’s offer to work with President in resolving Nu
Leadership issues.
Removal of Carver ATM machines & substitution of Citibank ATMs. Issue of
Carver Bank’s removal from campus still not resolved.
Lack of an understanding of the value of a comprehensive college for students.
Pays “lip service” to support of Medgar Evers College’s Preparatory School.
Despite awards and accolades from College Board, Department of Education and
President Obama, the Administration has withdrawn support for the Medgar
College Preparatory School’s Dual Enrollment Program.
Use of questionable and erroneous data as a justification for changing the mission
Attempt to change the venue of commencement and cancel Jazzy Jazz series
without consultation and understanding of the importance of these programs to
students and the community. (Reinstitution of these programs only after student
and community protest).
Lack of awareness of the importance of Medgar Evers’s role in helping to sustain
Black institutions that support and serve the students and residents of Central
Brooklyn.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Faculty of Medgar Evers College do
affirm a VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE in the current Administration, and
specifically, in the Office of the President, Dr. William A. Pollard, and in the Office of the Provost, Dr. Howard Johnson.
A vote of no confidence by the faculty signals to the college leadership and CUNY Board that there is a major lack of confidence in the leadership of the college and that actions must be taken.
The time to act is now before it's too late.
Stay Blessed &
ECLECTICALLY BLACK
Gloria Dulan-Wilson
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