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UNIVERSITY STATEMENTS
President
Hodge..................................................October
30, 2007
Institutional Response
Team.................................November 1, 2007
Jim Lentini, Dean School of Fine Arts
Professor dele jedege,
Chair, Department of Art.....November 2, 2007
Sally Lloyd and Mary Jane
Berman........................November 2, 2007
Memo from President Hodge.................................April 11, 2008
President Hodge, October 30, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Dear Members of the Miami University
Community,
Tuesday afternoon, October 30, a Miami
undergraduate, in what he reports to have been a group art project,
hung several nooses and a tire swing from a tree on Patterson Avenue
on the Oxford campus. Several students observed and were alarmed by
the display and called the university police. In response to the students
who confronted him, the student explained that he did not intend this
to be racially motivated and apologized profusely for his actions.
The police questioned the student and immediately removed the display.
I am deeply troubled by this incident
and the insensitivity that it reflects. I am angered and dismayed that
any person on this campus, particularly in light of the recent incidents
in Jena, Mississippi, would even unintentionally create such a display.
Dean Susan Mosley-Howard and others have met with many of the students
who witnessed the display, assuring them in every way possible that
the insensitive actions of this individual is the antithesis of the
values we hold dear at Miami. I am most troubled that African American
students, who have put their trust in Miami, had to confront the historic
symbols of injustice and hatred in this country.
I strongly condemn this display and deplore
that in this campus community any person would believe this display
is in any way acceptable. We must redouble our efforts as a community
to educate every student here on the historic patterns of racism in
this society.
I have directed my staff to take the
following actions:
I have asked for a complete report of
this incident, the reasons for the display, and who else had prior
knowledge of this action
My colleagues and I will be in the Center
for Black Culture and Learning tomorrow morning to talk with any students,
staff, and faculty who would like to meet to discuss what has happened.
Student Affairs and other staff will be available throughout the day
to talk with students.
I ask all persons in this community to
engage in discussions about the meaning of the incident and the steps
we must take to make this a community free of prejudice and welcoming
to all.
Miami University has an unwavering commitment
to justice and inclusion for all persons in this society, and most
particularly, for all students on this campus. I ask all of you to
work with me to learn from this experience. We must act forcefully,
and we must act now.
Sincerely,
David Hodge
President
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Institutional Response Team,
November 1, 2007
Miami's Institutional Response team wishes
to update the community on details and actions
taken as a result of the Oct. 30 incident
of an art display on campus that included
nooses. We are grateful for the concern shown
by so many members of the community.
Investigation
- The three students who installed the
display met with the president and the
dean of students to discuss the implications
of their actions; during the discussions
they expressed their remorse. While Miami
police have investigated, at this time
the incident has not been designated a
criminal act.
- The School of Fine Arts has reviewed
the situation and debriefed the
instructor of the course; It
has determined that
- a thorough review of protocol must
be conducted
- best practices will be put in place
- sensitivity training
will
be available
for all faculty
Communication
- The president, dean of students and other
Student Affairs staff met with students,
faculty and staff at the Center for Black
Culture and Learning throughout the day
to discuss what happened.
- Dr. Hodge spoke with Jan Miller, president
of the Oxford chapter of the
NAACP, and briefed her on the incident
and actions being taken.
Outcomes/Next Steps
- Materials are being prepared
by The Center for American and
World Cultures, office of diversity affairs
and the interim associate vice president
for institutional diversity for faculty
and others to use to engage the university
community in thoughtful conversations about
the meaning of this incident, the issues
associated with it and steps we must take
to make this a community that respects
and values all individuals.
- The officers
of Associated Student Government
will hold an emergency meeting
at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 1, to take
up a resolution concerning the actions
and calling for university-wide dialogue
on issues of inclusion in this campus community.
- Select members of the President's Executive
Council (PEC) will meet with
concerned students on November 7 to discuss
their concerns and strategies and outline
action steps to make this community one
of inclusion, and to prevent this from
happening in the future.
--The Institutional Response Team
Faculty resource note: This evening, Nov.
1, CNN will air "The Noose: An American
Nightmare" at 8 pm EDT. More resources
for educational and discussion purposes will
be emailed soon.
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Dean's
Statement on Artistic Freedom and Education
in Response to Events Surrounding the Student
Class Project Entitled "Growing
Up"
In response to the recent art display incident
on campus that has caused much concern, I
would like to outline important underlying
issues that will continue to challenge all
creators, performers, and artists at Miami
and on all campuses of higher education.
First and foremost, we are an educational
institution, with a commitment to providing
a safe and inclusive learning environment
for students and faculty of all backgrounds. Within
the context of our educational mission, we
are also committed to upholding the tenets
of academic and artistic freedom that allow
for differences of opinion to be valued and
debated. Our multiple commitments can
at times appear to compete with each other,
offering complex challenges for us to ponder
and decipher. As the Dean of the School
of Fine Arts, I would simply like to state
our commitment to providing an inclusive
learning environment, while maintaining the
invaluable principles of artistic freedom.
With respect to artistic freedom and education,
I would like to state that it is not our
intention to limit or censor the symbols
that students wish to utilize in their artwork. We
understand, of course, that one of the great
virtues of art is to challenge and confront
our assumptions, allowing us to look at our
world through different lenses. In
the educational setting, however, we must
have the opportunity to educate and to discuss
the meaning of symbols and images in the
classroom and during the creative process,
so that developing artists gain a clear perspective
of their works in progress. The students
who installed the work entitled "Growing
Up," which included a tire swing and seven
large nooses hanging from a tree, explain
that the intention of the piece was to express
the "death of childhood." The work was actually
installed not as an exhibit, but as a part
of a class critique, and was only to have
remained installed for a few hours. The students
have profusely apologized for the misunderstanding
of the work, claiming that any reference
to the noose as a symbol of racism or lynching
was unforeseen and unintended.
The remorse of the students involved tells
me that if they had possessed prior knowledge
of how a noose would likely be interpreted
(especially in this instance where life-size
nooses were hanging from a tree) they may
not have chosen to use such a symbol. On
the other hand, if they were to be fully
aware of the socially charged implication
of a noose, and would chose to use it anyway,
the approval process already in place in
the Art Department for the display of outdoor
projects would normally detect where potentially
controversial subjects are at play, so that
the campus community could be alerted. In
this hypothetical scenario, it is likely
that debate would still ensue, with the artists
taking full responsibility for the images
and symbols involved. Nonetheless,
the campus community would understand that
an art project is on display, and could debate
the project in the appropriate context.
In the real case here at Miami, the normally
successful process for approving the installation
of outdoor artworks and for alerting campus
seems to not have functioned as desired,
allowing a group of African-American students
to stumble upon the display of nooses hanging
from a tree with no clear idea that it was
a part of an art project--so they called
the police. The Art Department and
I are now at work studying the oversight
and approval process in light of best practices,
while maintaining our commitment to upholding
artistic freedom and expression.
In the end, it behooves us all to understand
the event that has taken place as an educational
opportunity on many levels. At the
very least, it brings to light the need to
discuss the meaning and interpretation of
social symbols and to articulate the attributes
and responsibilities of artistic freedom.
I look forward to working with all members
of the campus community to examine and discuss
the important issues that face us and our
students both inside and outside of the classroom
in creating, teaching, performing, and learning
at Miami University.
Sincerely,
Jim Lentini
Dean and Professor of Music
School of Fine Arts
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Professor dele jedege, Chair, Department of Art, November
2, 2007
November 2, 2007
President David Hodge
Roudebush Hall
Miami University
Oxford.
Dear President Hodge,
The events of the last few days have clearly shown the challenging
nature of the teaching and learning
process. These events have also demonstrated
the essence of effective and decisive
leadership. We, the faculty of the
Department of Art, applaud the promptness
with which you have handled this
potentially explosive issue and the
clear, unambiguous leadership that
you have given. As faculty in the Department of Art in which a group
of students in our introductory class created an outdoor art project
that included nooses and a tire swing from a tree on Patterson Avenue,
we are saddened by the consequences - the anguish, the consternation,
and the turmoil - that the misunderstanding of this project has brought
to our community. We regret that this single incident has probably
projected an image that appears to undermine the mission of creating
a learning environment that is free of hate, bigotry, and ignorance.
Yet, we hasten to add that available information at our disposal
does not suggest that there was any intention to create a racially-motivated
art project. Indeed, what the whole episode revealed is the danger
inherent in the employment of a symbol whose power and potentials
are neither fully understood nor appreciated. The group of students
intended to make a work that speaks of a loss of innocence during
childhood and the complications of adulthood. The project showed that
there was a disconnect between the intent of the group and the outcome
of the project. While the unintentionality of the makers of this art
does not by any means mitigate the insensitivity that the final outcome
revealed, we believe that as faculty and teachers, it is our responsibility
to recognize that in a cultural laboratory, experiments do occasionally
go awry. In the course of contributing to the way that knowledge is
constructed, students may make mistakes and accidents of major proportions,
such as we have witnessed in the last few days, can occur. Controversy
is always a potential even if unintended outcome, given the nature
of art.
We will re-dedicate ourselves to the process of educating our students
and strengthening them to understand the context in which art is produced
and consumed, and the need to respect the rights of others even as
we assert ours. It is a delicate balance. But it is a balance that
we are committed to maintaining. As faculty, we have begun the process
that will ensure that the display of artworks, especially in public
spaces, is better mediated. We have dedicated students who are shocked
at the social malaise that this project has produced. We have intervened
in our classrooms and taken this difficult discussion directly to
our students. We will continue to strengthen them as they explore
new creative vistas and push new boundaries. But we will also insist
that in doing this, they have to pay attention to understanding context;
one cannot exist without the other.
Sincerely,
Department of Art Faculty
c: Dean James Lentini
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Sally Lloyd and Mary Jane Berman, November 2, 2007
Dear Colleagues:
Since Tuesday, many discussions have
occurred among students and administrators,
faculty and staff about the art project that
was displayed on Patterson Avenue. One of
the things that has come through loudly and
clearly from our students is their desire
to have reflective conversations with faculty
about this incident, and more importantly,
about racism in our society.
In light of this, we are forwarding to
you several teaching resources that may be
helpful in catalyzing such a conversation:
In addition, we want to let you know the
types of questions that students have asked:
- What is the power of the noose
as a symbol? How do we learn
more about the history and meaning of "the noose" and
other symbols of hatred?
- How do our life experiences and histories
cause us to each view a symbol
such as "a noose hanging in a tree" in
different ways? What are our responsibilities
for understanding the meaning that such
symbols have for others (in this case,
particularly for African Americans and
others who suffer oppression)?
- How do we balance artistic freedom with
unintentional viewing of controversial
subject matter? What is the responsibility
of the artist in balancing private and
public space in presenting such symbols
and images?
If you are aware of other teaching resources,
please let us know -- we will compile them
and post them on the Center for American
and World Cultures website http://www.cawc.muohio.edu/.
You can find teaching resources there starting
Monday under the menu "Responding to the
Patterson Avenue Incident."
Sincerely,
Sally Lloyd, Interim VP for Institutional
Diversity
Mary Jane Berman, Director, Center for
American and World Cultures
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Memo from President Hodge: Review of October noose incident
April 11, 2008
On October 30, 2007, three Miami undergraduate students, as part of an Art 171 assignment to create an exterior art project, hung several nooses (termed scaffolding knots by the art students) and a tire swing from a tree on Patterson Avenue on the Oxford Campus. The unattended and unmarked display was discovered by African-American students and staff who, being familiar with recent national incidents involving the use of a noose as a symbol of racial intimidation, became alarmed and alerted the University Police. This disturbing incident raised difficult questions about the behavior of the individuals involved and the boundaries of artistic expression in the educational context.
In keeping with University protocol, I asked Mr. Matt Boaz, Director of the Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity, to prepare a complete report of the incident. His report concluded that the incident was not an intentional act of racial hostility, and no further actions were recommended. However, the report did find that the art students failed to follow all of the existing rules in place for an exterior art display, and the lack of forthrightness by the group leader concerning his knowledge of the noose as a racial symbol complicated the situation. The students have accepted responsibility for the impact of their actions on our community, and they apologized for the emotional stress they caused.
Finally, the report noted that information gathered after the incident indicated “that there was an overall lack of understanding of the historical context of nooses in our society.” In the United States, the noose has long been a symbol of racial hatred and violence, and recent incidents such as what occurred in Jena, Louisiana, have heighted contemporary sensitivities to this despicable tradition, especially in the African-American community. Unfortunately, many others in our community appear not to be aware of or understand the intimidating symbolic power of the noose. Thus, the incident sparked a robust exchange among faculty, staff, and students about the power of the noose as a symbol, the rights of free speech and expression, and also the responsibilities of artists to understand the contexts and controversies that surround the symbols they use in their art.
The Art Department also launched its own review of its procedures for the supervision, installation, and presentation of classroom projects. The general intent of the existing rules, and in the newly refined protocols, is to prescribe the manner in which students may exercise full artistic freedom without compromising the well-being of others in the community. The refined procedures are designed to ensure that public exhibits are placed in appropriate areas, and with proper identification, so that the broader community is not unwillingly confronted by displays that undermine their sense of personal security. It is critical to note that my condemnation of the incident was not about the art itself, but about the careless way in which such emotionally-charged symbols of hatred were left unattended and unidentified in a public space. While it is certainly true that the noose has other symbolic meanings (which the students focused on), its history in this country is overwhelmingly related to its extension of hatred and intimidation. It is reasonable and appropriate to expect that to be broadly understood.
Racial understanding and sensitivity are not achieved in a single step, but by a long-term comprehensive commitment. The University must, and will, continue to take aggressive steps to improve the climate on this campus. We have already taken steps to improve the climate and many more are in various stages of development, some of which include:
- The Center for American and World Cultures has created a teaching resource webpage on the history of the noose in America, designed to educate and respond to the incident itself.
- The Art Department has adopted a guideline for Outdoor Installation Procedures specifically designed for student projects to ensure that both the artists' rights and the viewers' rights are protected.
- A new Campus Climate Survey will be undertaken in April. This periodic random sample survey of faculty, staff, and students is designed to measure the climate of diversity on the Oxford and regional campuses. It will identify both where we have made progress and areas where we must redouble our efforts to ensure that our community is welcoming and inclusive.
- The Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity (OEEO) is completing the acquisition of a customized on-line sexual harassment and discrimination education program. Beginning July 1, 2008, this education will be mandatory for all new employees. The program will also be used by OEEO to educate current employees.
- In the Office of Student Affairs, opportunities for student dialogues (called "Let's Talk Dialogues" ) exist through the Office of Diversity Affairs, and discussions about issues of inclusion exist via social justice initiatives in Residence Life communities (e.g. Tunnel of Oppression).
- The Liberal Education Committee continues to examine ways in which we can infuse student learning outcomes for diversity across the Miami Plan. The University’s Multi-Cultural Council, ably led this past year by Dr. Sally Lloyd, Interim Associate Vice President for Institutional Diversity, has been identifying strategic initiatives to improve the climate for diversity.
- I have appointed Dr. Christine Taylor, our first-ever Associate Vice President for Institutional Diversity, to coordinate and lead campus diversity initiatives.
Both the content and context of a Miami education are shaped by the students, faculty, and staff who come to Miami University to study and live in the community we create as a result of our interactions. Intellectual engagement is maximized by embracing diverse and multifaceted points of view and life experiences in an environment that must be open and welcoming to all.
There will be moments when our sense of community will be challenged, as in the case of this incident. We must not allow these incidents to divide us further, but rather, we must resolve to experience these events as critical learning opportunities. These are moments when we can, and must, discover more about who we are, our history, contemporary issues, and what we can do to create not only a better university, but a more just, a more inclusive, a more supportive world.
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