University Releases Two-Part Report Investigating Racism and Campus Culture

Tarah Llewellyn

In April, President Ron Liebowitz, Provost Lisa Lynch and Board of Trustees chair Meyer Koplow ’72 commissioned an independent investigation into charges of racist behavior in the athletics department, as well as the state of diversity, equity and inclusion within the campus culture. Investigators were charged with examining the policies and practices followed after complaints were made against the former men’s basketball head coach, policies and procedures more generally, and the wider climate at the university.

Former assistant United States attorney for the District of Massachusetts Walter B. Prince, partner in the Boston law firm Prince Lobel, led the investigation. He was joined by the Hon. R. Malcolm Graham, a retired associate justice on the Massachusetts Appeals Court and a neutral at JAMS, the largest private alternative dispute resolution provider in the world.

The investigation’s results were released to the community in two installments, the first in September and the second in November (see the Campus Climate website at www.brandeis. edu/campus-climate). The first report addressed complaints made against the former basketball coach. The investigators interviewed more than 150 players, coaches, students, administrators, faculty and alumni, and reviewed more than 30,000 pages of documents during their confi dential inquiry.

The investigators wrote, “[W]e saw how administrators and staff in an institution founded in response to systemic discrimination could nonetheless fail to recognize, appreciate or adequately address perceived bias within their own ranks until the problem had already become widely known.” They described “holes in the administrative safety net [that failed] to fully protect students and, ultimately, the broader Brandeis community.”

In response to the first report, Liebowitz made immediate personnel and leadership changes within athletics and human resources, and committed to implementing nine recommendations to reform policies and procedures in athletics.

The investigators’ second report focused on campus climate. In their interviews with students, faculty and staff, investigators say they heard clear expressions of a “wide and deep affection for Brandeis.” Yet interviewees also pointed to issues that have prevented the university from being as effective in its pursuit of diversity, equity and inclusion as it might be.

Here are some of those identified challenges, followed by ways the university has addressed or is addressing them:

The university’s efforts to sustain an inclusive and equitable atmosphere have been more reactive than proactive, leaving our commitment to these ideals open to question, particularly among students of color. University officials say the January 2017 creation of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; goals within the new Framework for Our Future effort; and a forceful Board of Trustees resolution, passed in November, affirming its commitment to achieving a more diverse, equitable and inclusive community, underscore Brandeis’ dedication to addressing implicit and structural bias. The university is currently working to staff a new Office of Equal Opportunity, which will report to ODEI and will centralize many complaint reporting functions that previously existed in multiple locations at the university. Training in equity and inclusion has been expanded for faculty, staff and students, and the new general education curriculum includes a focus on civil discourse as well as the meaning and importance of social justice and inclusion.

• Mixed levels of engagement with equity and inclusion initiatives are apparent, particularly among faculty and the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees intends to redouble its efforts to recruit more members of color. The university has made significant gains in the hiring of underrepresented faculty over the past three years, and open faculty searches in departments across the university will enable further progress. ODEI has conducted equity and inclusion training for all incoming faculty and all departmental chairs, and has advised numerous search committees during their search and selection processes.

• The ranks of Brandeis’ administrative leadership lack diversity. All administrators who report directly to President Liebowitz are undergoing diversity, equity and inclusion training. All search firms involved in the university’s recruitment processes are being asked to produce a diverse pool of qualified candidates for senior positions.

• The investigators noted reports of bullying, particularly as felt by junior faculty, graduate students and staff. They also identified a fear of retaliation that inhibited individuals from reporting bad behavior. Human Resources can help individuals with employee-conduct complaints not covered by the Office of Equal Opportunity. A faculty initiative called the Dignity at Work Task Force is working on a draft policy on workplace bullying and other forms of disrespect and aggression, as well as procedures for adjudicating grievances on behalf of faculty.

• Although Brandeis’ relationship-based culture is positive in many ways, it can also generate reluctance to confront and handle problems directly. The university has consolidated its reporting methods for complaints of discrimination or sexual/physical violence onto its Reporting at Brandeis website, making it clearer where to take complaints. A host of support services for undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and staff members are also accessible through the Support at Brandeis website.

“There’s no question we have much work to do in making Brandeis the most equitable and inclusive university it can be,” Liebowitz wrote in an email following the release of the second report. “That work will never be finished, but we will set goals, pursue them with diligence, evaluate our progress and reach higher as we achieve. Our community deserves nothing less.”