Negotiating racial conflict: the leadership role of the dean of students

UnrestrictedThere is a dearth of research in student affairs about how a dean of students can most effectively negotiate incidents of racial conflict on campus. Since the civil rights movement of the 1960's, race and multiculturalism occupy a central position in American higher education. Despite the gains of ethnic minority students in access to higher education, equity in educational outcomes is far from reality. Students of color report that campus racial climate continues to be challenging.; Through interviews with the dean, administrators, faculty and students, this study identified the procedures, priorities, and challenges associated with managing racial conflict. Understanding the role of student development and racial identity development were also studied. The issue of institutional change as a result of racial conflict was explored, including barriers to change.; This study found that deans of students and other administrators on campus utilized traditional methods for receiving reports from students, briefing leaders and meeting with victims and perpetrators. What was notable is the perception by nearly all those interviewed that the campus racial climate was positive and that little racial conflict occurred despite numerous examples offered, many of which took the form of microaggressions.; Structures that were most clearly defined and communicated to students were effective in managing issues that were reported. The student body on each of the campuses studied was diverse, with over 50% of the students coming from historically underrepresented groups, constituting a new majority at each of the universities. Despite this, there continues to be little critical dialogue around issues of race, perpetuating the belief that racism and discrimination are no longer problems for the university or society as a whole. The silence around racism may also be attributed to a general reluctance to discuss such controversial issues.; Recommendations for practice include developing a clearly defined structure for reporting incidents of racial conflict that is accessible to students, insuring effective communication to all stakeholders involved in supporting students, fostering a culture that is willing to engage in the difficult dialogues, and recognizing the cumulative and damaging effects of microaggressions in order to seek ways to reduce them or mitigate their influence