New plan

MAILBAG

By Charles Kupchella

Kupchella:

New plan

takes board

decision

as a given

GRAND FORKS -- As sometimes happens, the headline and the account published in the Grand Forks Herald on Friday concerning the meeting of the University Senate and my remarks there contained some inaccuracies and some distortions that need to be set straight ("Kupchella sets a new name plan," Page 1A).

The headline said that I "set a new name plan in place." Far from it. I indicated that UND needs a plan to move on, taking as a given the Board of Higher Education's recent decision. I further indicated that we must use the moment as an opportunity to enhance statewide cultural understanding between Native American and non-Native American people, with UND as the lead institution.

I suggested that in order to give shape to a plan, I would need the support of the faculty and staff, as well as the State Board of Higher Education, alumni, the Athletic Department, the tribal councils, the Greater Grand Forks community and other stakeholders. I have received numerous expressions of support from the people of Grand Forks, coaches, faculty, staff, students and even Native American leaders for finding ways to build greater cultural understanding and to eliminate negative impacts of the university's use of the nickname, either here or on other campuses.

I made available at the meeting three pages of suggestions for enhancing program ideas for enhancing cultural understanding, for giving support to Native American students on our campus and for public service programs that would support Native American people on Indian reservations.

At the December meeting, at which the State Board of Higher Education decided to keep the nickname and the logo, I was asked to lead UND and even to take a statewide leadership role in addressing all these matters. That's precisely what I intend to do.

I spent several minutes at the beginning of the University Senate meeting indicating that the state Board of Higher Education had every right, and certainly the authority, to make the decision it made. To its credit, the board took the burden of making and announcing a decision away from me, allowing me to get on with the more substantive, positive aspects of the business of running the university.

The board is made up of good people who made a decision they clearly considered to be in the best interests of UND and the entire system of higher education in the state. We must proceed now in an atmosphere where the issue isn't one of whether we keep the nickname, but rather how to better promote cultural understanding.

All the supporters of the continued use of the nickname with whom I have spoken recognize that we all have an obligation and an even greater opportunity to do better in the way of supporting and promoting cultural understanding.

I have invited the tribal council from Spirit Lake to the campus. During that visit, we will illustrate for them the many programs we have in place on campus. We will discuss our ideas of how we might enhance some of these programs, and we will ask them for their ideas regarding program needs and for ways of dealing with either the appearance of racism or actual racist behavior here and in other places throughout North Dakota.

In summary, my main purpose in talking with the University Senate on Thursday was to begin to engage this campus in moving forward, asking the University Senate members to give me their full support to give shape to a plan and then to get on with implementing it.

My request was based on two premises: (1) that the board has decided that we will keep the name for the foreseeable future, and (2) we need to conduct ourselves in ways that are respectful of Native American people.

Kupchella is president of UND.