It has been nearly four months since the C.H.A.N.G.E. coalition met with President Taylor Reveley IV in the N.H. Scott Multicultural Center for an hours-long conversation about their open letter and list of demands. Since that meeting, there has been an interaction with key members of the Board of Visitors, a protest at the most recent meeting of the Board, and more conversations at the SGA about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. All of this has spurred conversations between students and administration officials on the ‘Longwood Experience’ for students and faculty/staff members of color. Two of these officials, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Larissa Smith and Vice President of Student Affairs Cam Patterson (‘10, ‘17), have been in the room for it all and spoke to The Rotunda on what the next steps are going forward.
“I am someone who goes to all the meetings,” Dr. Smith said to describe her role as Provost. Dr. Smith was in attendance at the initial meeting between C.H.A.N.G.E. and President Reveley, remarking that she was “profoundly struck by the passion of the students and felt that it was [her] position to listen to what they had to say.” She has served in the role since 2018, having been at Longwood in some faculty capacity since Fall of 2000, and invoked that experience when discussing the kind of reforms C.H.AN.G.E. demanded. She stressed her viewpoint that making change isn’t “flashy work” and that it “doesn’t always happen overnight.”
Dr. Smith also spoke on the C.H.A.N.G.E. coalition and the students advocating for reforms on campus. “The other thing that really struck me was that they are focused on their own experience and what they can do,” she said. “I realized that students are only here for four years and I have a very long perspective of what has changed here, and how we have made positive improvements in diversity, equity, and inclusion over the last two decades.” Dr. Smith did say that she would have appreciated the opportunity to have a “conversation first about some of these issues where we could have talked about what work has been going on” and ensuring the demands applied to the “Longwood context” (in regards to position titles, current policies, etc).
In regards to what the Office of Academic Affairs has already put into motion, Dr. Smith spoke on currently offered and planned DEI training for faculty and staff. Currently, DEI training is not required for faculty and staff in Academic Affairs. She did say, however, that anti-bias training is frequently available through the Center for Faculty Enrichment (CAFE). Academic Affairs also conducted a series of anti-bias and implicit bias trainings during the 2020-2021 school year in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and subsequent protests.
Dr. Smith also addressed C.H.A.N.G.E.’s fourth demand, “Recruitment and hiring of people of color and underrepresented groups in faculty, staff, and administration.” The Provost pointed to a number of processes in the hiring process, including “an ask for all faculty candidates to submit a statement about how they teach diverse populations and perspectives in the classroom” on their application. Academic Affairs has also redesigned a position to “focus completely on African-American history,” introduced a U.S. Race and Ethnic Studies minor, and organized a Provost’s Advisory Committee on diverse hiring and faculty retention.
Dr. Smith ended on this point: “I think it is just about opening the lines of communication and understanding that I’m happy to talk at any point in time about student concerns. Also, understanding that, while change might not be immediate, the administration is committed to doing this important work.”
Newly-appointed Vice President of Student Affairs (VPSA) Cameron Patterson, who received his role following several months as Interim VPSA in December, oversees aspects of student life such as Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Student Engagement, Campus Police, Title IX, Title VI and the Office of Multicultural Affairs, Residential and Commuter Life (RCL), alongside a number of other departments and offices across campus. Mr. Patterson is also the Executive Director of the Moton Museum, which highlights the 1951 Student Strike against segregation and poor conditions for black students in Prince Edward. Patterson is also a Longwood alum, having served as President of the Student Government Association during his time as a student.
CAPS has been the focal point of many of the questions surrounding the Student Affairs office. When demanding the previously mentioned diverse recruitment and hiring, C.H.A.N.G.E. explicitly stated that they wanted an emphasis in CAPS as Longwood hired diverse faculty and staff. The VPSA office is currently in the process of hiring a provider, which Patterson hopes will be an “opportunity for us to work to bring on a provider that can support our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) students in some of the needs and concerns that they experience within the therapeutic setting.” When asked particularly about diverse hiring in CAPS, Patterson said “it is a priority of mine and our CAPS team to ensure that we generate a diverse pool of applicants.” Members of C.H.A.N.G.E. and other organizations have advocated for racial sensitivity training for all workers in CAPS, including graduate students. When asked about whether this kind of training was required for faculty and staff in the Student Affairs office, Patterson said “We have had some diversity training within the division that we have offered through settings such as our monthly meetings, and we're definitely committed to that being an ongoing provided opportunity. So offered but not required.” Patterson then said, “I'm hesitant to use the word required.”
Patterson went on to speak about his position as VPSA and how his office could be readily available to students, “It's incumbent upon myself as leader of Student Affairs, and our departments within the division, that we commit to showing up and commit to being visible and available, so that students know that we are a resource to them.” He also referred to this as part of retention, as the university seeks to retain students of marginalized groups. Patterson said “We have a retention committee, that I have the pleasure of being a part of that was formulated this semester, and we're looking at a lot of things regarding the student experience” and then went on to make clear that “ retention is a shared responsibility.”
When asked what he’d like to share with the students directly, Patterson added “I am always mindful of the fact that you know students are focused on what the present day experience looks like. But as a public historian, I can't help but to think about, in the time that I've been here, where we've been, where we are now, to where we want to be in the future.” He also said, speaking as a Longwood alum, “Longwood is a better and stronger institution today than it was 15 years ago when I got here. I hope it will be an even stronger institution 15 years from now.”
The main parallel between the statements of both Dr. Smith and Mr. Patterson is that they see change on campus as something that will be a long effort that will extend years after the initial protest, demands, and meeting. As Dr. Smith said, “It's not always initially successful, and so you have to kind of keep working at it. It's a daily practice that I’m committed to.”
Dr. Larissa Smith at the Moton Museum
Cam Patterson: VP of Student Affairs
