CCSN’s black faculty feels left out

Jennifer Knight

Wednesday, May 8, 2002 | 11:02 a.m.

Black faculty at the Community College of Southern Nevada reported being treated less fairly and with less respect than their white counterparts, according to a new study.

CCSN employees and students were surveyed on their attitudes about diversity and how they feel they are treated in the college system. The study, conducted by a black-owned independent research firm in Atlanta, found that black employees felt disfranchised more than any other group. Those attitudes did not spill over to minority students, however.

A total of 163 employees and 233 students at CCSN responded to the survey, which measured the participants' attitudes in three main categories: interpersonal treatment, organizational fairness and organizational solidarity.

In virtually all areas, black CCSN employees ranked their experiences lower than Asians, whites and Hispanics. Other groups -- such as women, older employees and students with disabilities -- also reported feeling disfranchised.

When it came to feelings of inclusion and blending into the mainstream, black employees scored the lowest among the groups.

"Are there people who feel cut off from the administration? Yes," Ron Remington, CCSN president, said. "My strong hunch is that we are not providing the kind of services to the underrepresented groups that we should."

The study was prompted by Regent Linda Howard and Remington, who were concerned about campus diversity and attitudes toward it.

About 12 percent of CCSN's faculty is black, although blacks make up only 9.1 percent of the county's population, according to Census 2000 figures.

Despite their sense of being cut off, blacks did report a strong sense of commitment to their organization.

"In other words, if employees of color are resigned to the fact that their situations will not change, they are making a decision to stay committed to the organization regardless of the perceived inequalities," the study said.

Hispanics make up 22 percent of the county's population, but represented only 14 percent of the faculty at CCSN. Despite the underrepresentation, attitudes of employees among that group were often better or the same as whites.

Those with visible disabilities reported a perceived unfairness when it came to application and grading. Students of color also felt they had to work harder to prove themselves compared to white students.

The author of the study, 3D Performance, declined to comment on the findings, citing client confidentiality.

Thomas Brown, the school's interim vice president of student services, said when it comes to minority employee views, there is concern about upward mobility.

"I think what you see taking place is that there are people that feel they are bumping up against the glass ceiling," Brown said. "We have done a very good job of promoting people to a certain level. We have to do a better job to try to get them up to the next level."

Glynda White, chairwoman of the African American Task Force on Higher Education and professor of law at CCSN, called for more diversity.

"Just look at the number of African Americans in the current administration of CCSN," White said. "There has been a lack of diversity and a lack of opportunity to participate in the administration current and past."

There are currently two black high-level administrators at CCSN, along with one Hispanic and one Native American, Brown said.

Remington said his administration has strategies for addressing the concerns raised by the study. Ideas being considered are seeking input from employees, appointing a coalition to examine the situation and starting diversity training.

Ann Johnson, department chair of counseling, who is black, says she feels the college is moving in the right direction on diversity issues.

"With this administration, I feel valued. I feel heard," Johnson said. "With past administrations I felt no matter how much I yelled, I wasn't heard."