This incident does not paint a pretty image as it feeds into a few negative ideas brought on by the election as it is unknown if the attack was random or motivated racially. Talk of building walls and handing out mandatory IDs from Donald Trump has further exasperated a worrisome situation for foreign students nationwide however; RIT paints an alternate image, one of that is not muddled by hate and fear mongering.
Rhetoric in the recent election campaign has increased instances of hate crimes against people of color and especially international students. According to Southern Poverty Law Center’s hate map, a 42% increase in anti-Muslim groups nationwide has been reported with a potential increase of hate towards foreign students however here at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), that kind of rhetoric is not moving far.
RIT instead sends a different message one reliant on its history as echoed by Dr. Keith Jenkins, Vice President and Associate Provost of Diversity. “RIT has a long history of inclusive excellence, and that is making sure that every student who enters this university family feels included, accepted, and not marginalized in any way; many of our initiatives, to better educate our faculty, our staff, and our students on conscious as well as unconscious bias, will continue”.
RIT has many avenues for discussion and aid but one its most prolific initiatives is the Inclusive Excellence Framework. Part of the “Greatness through Difference” initiative that RIT is using to usher in its next era, the Inclusive Excellence Framework plays a substantial role in bringing change while insuring that international students have a role in the future at RIT. RIT boasts a diverse student body with over 2700 international students and seeks to expand that through the framework. One of its goals is the continued diversification of the student body through increased admissions of international students and under represented minorities.
The Inclusive Excellence Framework merely represents one aspect of a much larger process. Other programs such as Gray Matter and the Multicultural Center for Academic Success (MCAS) keep discussions open between students and provides safe discussions where negative chatter brought on by the tumultuous election cycle are quelled. Regardless of the rhetoric being spewed, RIT has managed to create an inclusive and safe campus that is not negatively impacted by anti-immigrant chatter.
Director of International Student Services Jeffrey Cox echoed that sentiment: “I don’t know that they were able to bring someone up on racism charges however; in general, I would say that within the community that 99.9% of people wanted to express some kind of support”. Cox’s comment highlights the work, RIT has done to maintain a positive atmosphere. While that positive atmosphere does exist on campus, that doesn’t necessarily mean it extends to city of Rochester where people err on the side of caution and suspicion.
Vivek Anand Elango, an international graduate student who’s lived in the United States since 2014 said: “You go to a place and its obvious that people look at you differently so you might be able to sense it but it wouldn’t be that obvious but once you become a regular and people become familiar with you, the tension is usually lessened”.
Elango and other students mentioned that others seemed to generally act cautious at first when interacting with foreign students before growing comfortable once interactions became regular.
RIT has created a space where its students foreign or domestic feel safe through the sheer power of its ideals and goals. Its mission has possibly even affected the surrounding area and while this a good thing in Rochester, it doesn’t mean that things are alright across campus. RIT has a strong commitment to diversity and being an inclusive campus, as such if any student has experienced discrimination they can reach out to the following places:
• Ombuds Office: https://www.rit.edu/ombuds/
• MCAS: https://www.rit.edu/~w-mcas/
• Tigers Care: https://www.rit.edu/studentaffairs/tigerscare/
• Public Safety: https://www.rit.edu/fa/publicsafety/
• Student Behavior Consultation Team: https://www.rit.edu/studentaffairs/student-life/student-behavior-consultation-team-sbct
Sources
1. http://www.chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/saudi-student-at-u-of-wisconsin-dies-after-assault/115347
2. https://www.splcenter.org/hate-map
3. http://www.redstate.com/jaycaruso/2016/06/04/trumps-interview-with-jake-tapper-is-rambling-disaster/
4. Inclusive Excellence Framework: http://www.rit.edu/~w-aaup/documents/rit_strategic_plan_2025_draft.pdf – page 13
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