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Posted by stiguy, on Apr. 14, 2009 10:40PM President Shepard continues to provide surface level lip service with no depth to his statements besides deceiving diversity numbers. While there are numerous opportunities for diverse backgrounds to interact, very few are as powerful as sports (intercollegiate or otherwise). When Shepard made the premature decision to eliminate football, he also made the decision to eliminate the most utlilized opportunity for the student population to work with and understand different ethnicities while working toward a common goal. While university P.R. attempts to work the numbers on their diversity statistics, the fact of the matter is that the African American poplulation just took a significant hit at WWU. In making this decision, President Shepard did not consult his Special Assistant to the President for Diversity Issues until after the decision had been made. He also did not consult with the Dean of Students until after the decision was made. Both of these university administrators also happen to be African American. Amdist the budget crisis for higher education in the state of Washington, this issue has been swept under the rug. I would encourage everyone to ask more questions, and to challenge the decisions that our inexperienced President is making in a time that most (including him) have not seen before. My example of athletics is just one of many opportunities for the diversity of WWU to thrive. However, the point remains the same. Lip service from our new president is one thing, walking that walk is much different.