DU Celebrates Polyculturalism As CU Cuts Budget

(left) Chancellor Coombe was touting DU's diversity & inclusiveness yesterday at the Diversity Summit

"We've got to start planning for the future rather than just go blindly forward and then say, 'Oh, gosh, look what's happening to us now,' "

CU President, Bruce Benson

Sources: Denver Post & DU Today Blog

Two events occurred yesterday that might be unrelated, but I think highlight a difference in management styles and philosophies at two of Colorado's most prestigious universities. University of Denver Chancellor Robert Coombe ranted about his pet issues "diversty & inclusiveness" at a DU Multicultural Pep Rally, while University of Colorado president Bruce Benson chopped $29 million from CU's budget.

While its true that Coombe had cut DU's budget earlier in the year, he still felt the need to increase tuition 4.9% for 2009-10. Obviously not willing to make hard cuts in DU's budget, Coombe passed the costs on to financially strapped DU students and parents.

Coombe told a large crowd of DU students, faculty, staff and community members yesterday that he was committed to building campus culture of inclusive excellence and the University of Denver community has reached a point where it can celebrate its successes. Of course a quick glance at the lack of diversity of the University of Denver student population tells a different story.

“Diversity and inclusivity are prerequisites for the excellence we want to provide for our students, faculty and community,” Coombe said. “While there is a long way to go, we’re reaching a point where we can celebrate who we are and what were are becoming.”

Meanwhile, the University of Colorado will slash 54 administrative positions and cut pay for top officials, the first steps in $29 million of budget cuts expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.

Benson said Friday that the cuts were painful but necessary, even though federal stimulus money makes up for funding slashed by the state legislature.

"We've got to start planning for the future rather than just go blindly forward and then say, 'Oh, gosh, look what's happening to us now,' " Benson said.

Back at DU, Mamta Motwani Accapadi, dean of student life at Oregon State University and an expert in identity development and privilege exploration, gave the keynote address.

Accapadi encouraged attendees to adopt the concept of polyculturalism, rather than multiculturalism.

“Multiculturalism implies that societies exist and develop in relation to one another, but not with one another,” Accapadi said. “Polycuturalism rejects the idea that cultures are fixed and exist simply side-by-side, to embrace the overlap between them.”