Letter: Criticism of CCSN on diversity issue unfair

Friday, Dec. 22, 2006 | 7:10 a.m.

Regarding the Las Vegas Sun's story on discrimination/diversity problems at the Community College of Southern Nevada ("CCSN hit with complaints, " Dec. 15), I would like to say that during my 15-year tenure at the college - and notwithstanding the complaints set forth by Debra Lopez, the former diversity officer at CCSN - the issue of diversity has been managed as ethically and as energetically as can be expected. If anything, the college has made an exemplary outreach not only to African-Americans, but also to Hispanics and Asian students as well.

Both white and African-American administrators and faculty have come and gone, in some cases denied tenure. Among notable African-Americans who served the college well was Paul Meacham, one of the more popular CCSN presidents. To suggest, as professor Lonnie Wright does, that racism is common and getting worse is untrue and irresponsible. Ethnic composition statistics provided by the Sun's story further support the evenhandedness of college policies.

Diversity, as in any pluralistic society, is rightly designed to promote democracy and to encourage creativity, but if it is used unethically, as a hammer to advance one's own personal agenda, or as a cover for incompetence, it can damage the fabric of the institution it serves.

John H. Esperian, Las Vegas