ALES 50 YEARS: ALES 49th Board Proposal, December 2016 Version

The following are excerpts from the December 2016 version of the ALES proposal, created by the 49th Board of the Afro-Latino Exonian Society:

*NOTE: This is an edited version of the proposal without details under each bullet point*

Regarding underrepresented minorities, nearly 20 percent of the student body identifies as Black and/or Latinx… 

…While our student body is purported to be one of the most diverse in the nation, the Academy has taken insufficient steps to create an inclusive environment and provide the support and resources needed to promote the academic success and well-being of all Exonians…

…In 2012, the Academy hired a third party to solicit their professional advice in assessing the school’s progress regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion, titled the Equity and Diversity Climate Assessment Report for Phillips Exeter Academy. In this report, the research group found that the racial climate at Exeter was positive, although citing several notable differences between the responses received from white students and students of color:

“Students of color are statistically significantly less likely than white students at Exeter to:

●  Feel that faculty advisors respond effectively to racial conflicts in the dormitories

●  Believe that teachers respond effectively to racial tensions in the classroom

●  Feel safe at Exeter

●  Feel that the curriculum reflects the voices and experiences of people from their racial group

●  Feel comfortable being themselves at Exeter

[And] statistically significantly more likely than white students to:

●  Feel that they have been the targets of online forms of harassment

●  Have been bullied at Exeter

●  Believe that racism is a problem at Exeter

●  Feel pressure to change the way they speak, dress, or act in order to fit in at Exeter

●  Have heard or been the target of racist jokes or remarks at Exeter

●  Have felt threatened by other students at Exeter

●  Feel stereotyped based on race at Exeter

…Due to the concerns raised by the students’ responses, the Academy received several recommendations to improve the racial climate of the school, including providing “additional opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to engage in civil dialogue,” “[diversifying] the curriculum by insisting upon multicultural curricula in all classes,” and “[continuing] and [strengthening] attempts to hire teachers, staff, and administrators of color.”

…Furthermore, in 2015, the Council of Equity and Social Justice crafted and delivered a similar proposal to the administration of Principal Hassan and the incoming administration of Principal MacFarlane…

…The group of students were promised that the propositions would be prioritized in the following year. After five years and two proposals, the experiences of Black and/or Latinx students remain largely unchanged…

The Proposal:

Make diversity, equity, and inclusion an institutional priority by naming it and addressing it in the strategic plan.

Prioritize the hiring and retention of Black and/or Latinx faculty.

Required, ongoing, cultural competency training for all Academy employees.

Curricular enhancements.

Provide more support and funding for the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs.

Provide additional support and resources to students who come from underserved educational backgrounds.

Create a space that celebrates multiculturalism.