Affirmative Action: Cautious enthusiasm

Affirmative Action Officer Ngina Lythcott reported this year "with cautious enthusiasm that we have achieved some success in meeting the Trustee appointment goals for women and minorities." She said that during 1984- 85,the College "met many more of the goals than we have in a long time."

"Last year, the report was all doom and gloom," she said. "I figured if things weren't better this year I'd have to bleed on the report. But people took it seriously and worked hard." However, she cautioned, "I don't want to convey that we've done it, now we can relax."

Affirmative Action involves goals set by the Trustees for hiring women and minorities. Lythcott noted some highlights this year, including 12 women (44%) and three minorities (11%) on the arts and sciences faculty and eight minorities (12%) in the upper administrative levels. She said President McLaughlin "was extraordinary in working with the vice presidents and senior officers in developing effective strategies for recruitment."

Lythcott also pointed to some areas where a good effort was made, though technically the goal wasn't met. The Medical School faculty, which for the first time last year met its goal for women but didn't hire a single minority, this year didn't quite meet its quota for women but almost made its minority quota. Lythcott also cited the effort in hiring women at upper administrative levels - at 46% the highest since 1980-81 though not quite at the "ambitious" 50% goal. In addition, she noted several areas where "highly qualified" minority or women candidates were heavily recruited, but did not accept positions.

And even though retention of minorities remains a considerable concern, there was good news there this year. Last year, 12 minorities left the College and "we lost a significant percentage of our minority community," noted Lythcott. "But this year we gained 26 and had a net increase of 14."

"Dartmouth has been very clear about diversity being a critical part of the institution. But what we have not come to terms with yet except in happenstance is how we ensure that this diversity stays here. The weakness in our thinking," she said, "is we assume that once people are here in the academic setting, interaction will occur naturally. But the institution needs to facilitate dialogue among people of different cultures and ideas."

Referring to the campus forums on diversity which caught national attention at the end of January (see page 26), Lythcott noted that "the things the students have exploded about are things that gay and black and Hispanic and women faculty and administrators also feel-they