Duke Task Force to Examine Racial Issues

But some students are skeptical that the administration's recent actions will result in any real change on campus.

The task force, which will start meeting this fall, will be composed of the school's provost, executive vice president, chancellor for health affairs and other university administrators. No students were appointed to the task force.

Duke Provost Peter Lange said the task force formed as a result of the campus' reaction to an advertisement paid for by David Horowitz, a conservative activist.

The ad, titled "Ten Reasons Why Reparations for Slavery is a Bad Idea -- and Racist Too," ignited sit-ins and protests at Duke and other universities nationwide.

During the sit-in, black student leaders presented Duke administrators with several issues that they would like to see improved, including more minority professors and an expanded minority-based curriculum.

Last week, Keohane and other top administrators wrote a letter to the student body emphasizing the school's commitment to improving campus race relations.

"While some progress has been made, efforts must be refocused and enhanced, with a better accounting to the community at large for what has and has not been achieved," the letter stated.

The letter also responded to students' demands by stating that Duke administrators would work to hire more minority faculty and strive to expand the African and African-American studies programs, with the goal of having both in the top 5 percent nationwide.

"Now we need to redouble our efforts to make our community, the Duke community whole -- not by denying the divisions that separate us, but by confronting them and working together," the letter states.

Since 1993, Duke has increased the number of regular ranking black faculty from 44 members to 79 and black tenured faculty from 36 to 50, according to a Duke report.

But student leaders are not satisfied with the measures that Duke officials have taken to help improve race relations.

"The administration has consistently responded to our demands in writing," said Troy Clair, president of the Duke Black Student Alliance. "A lot of things are in the works, but no results have been seen."

Clair said he decided to attend Duke partly because students were willing to discuss diversity.

But he said that there are still inequalities on campus that do not reflect the diversity of the school, citing the treatment of campus cultural groups as an example.

"Diversity is important, and culturalists are trying to improve (the conditions)," Clair said. "(The alliance) can't create a welcoming climate (under the current circumstances)."

But Lange said the protest was a healthy experience for students of all races.

"(The advertisement and controversy) brought to the forefront some latent issues to the campus," he said. "It's going to improve campus climate in the future."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.