MILWAUKEE(MPA)- Today, one hundred twenty-five days (125) since the signing by Chancellor Michael Lovell in Beijing, China with the China Education and Research Network/CERNET for an academic relationship to recruit students from China to the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee; the office of Mary Glass, Chair/CEO sought the ear of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China for appropriate dialog with a decision maker of CERNET for rectifying the EXCLUSION/discrimination/disrespect of African American and other People of Color - the majority population of the iconic city of Milwaukee.
Conflict of Interest36.23 Conflict of interest. No regent or officer or other person appointed or employed in any position in the system may at any time act as agent for any person or organization where such act would create a conflict of interest with the terms of the person's service in the system. The board shall define conflicts of interest and promulgate rules related thereto.
Since Milwaukeeans, especially African American and People of Color, have not been wholly satisfied but DISCRIMINATED against in the Mission and state statute as well as informed after-the-fact by Chancellor Lovell and the WI Board of Regents of a CERNET AGREEMENT, it appears that the focus is not in line with the legislation and the protection of African American and other People of Color. In other words, a violation.
Divisive
It would appear that much of what is being proposed for the advent of the NEW Chinese students (we have Chinese students - American born and National enrolled) have been sought by Milwaukee Professionals Association over the last year and a half regarding Enduring Concentrated Poverty in Milwaukee with NO response from the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents and Chancellor Michael Lovell or ex-Chancellor Carlos Santiago. So, why the specificity for the NEW CERNET agreement on December 9, 2011 - which means that dialog started before that date?
Why are International students presently enrolled feeling discriminated against?
Why are International students feeling that the $9,000 plus is being assessed but quality of service is lacking - supportive services and customer services.
Why is it so difficult to get the "deans", "professors", "staff" and "alumni" to understand that their job is making it happen for graduation - i.e., providing avenues of tutoring, wraparound services, in-the-neighborhood CASE LEARNING, fellowships and internships - often seen for Caucasians but not People of Color.
Why do African American, Latinos and American Indians find it difficult to get financial packaging, tutoring, employment, support from student services, support from advisers, deans and provosts that is necessary for an URBAN university that demands mega funding - and get it for the most part.
Many of the things mentioned in the CERNET-UWM agreement should be part of and known by those presently enrolled - African American and other People of Color (American Indian, Latino and Asian-China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand or Vietnam).
There is also state statute 36.34 that speaks to Ben R. Lawton minority undergraduate grant program - Is a person who is admitted to the United States after December 31, 1975, and who either is a former citizen of Laos, Vietnam or Cambodia or whose ancestor was or is a citizen of Laos, Vietnam or Cambodia. Do the Laotian, Vietnamese and Cambodian students feel like they are getting the treatment that is mentioned for the CERNET-UWM proposal?
Pre-mature and Disrespectful
On December 6, 2011, Chancellor Michael Lovell - University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, signed in Beijing, China, 6506 miles from Milwaukee, an agreement to recruit Chinese students to the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee over the next few years. What he and the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents failed to do, was inform and get the BUY-IN and PARTNERSHIP of the CITIZENRY, taxpayers, stakeholders of Milwaukee – African American, other People of Color and the Work Challenged. By failing to do so, they embraced conflict of interest, violation of Chapter 36 of Wisconsin State Statute; and caused protocol embarrassment.
This was UNWISE, DISRESPECTFUL and DIVISIVE – especially since Chancellor Lovell and the UW Board of Regents have been under fire for over a year for wide spread practices of DISCRIMINATION of African American and other People of Color.
Glass said, "We see the benefits of working with the BRIC/Brazil-Russia-India-China, African and other countries around the world. But, we do not see disrespect of the stakeholders-stockholder-citizenry as part of the competitive and world-class options. We know that the Chinese people are a race of people that seek harmony and respect. We feel that they will see the merit in 'inclusion' for International relationship, customer care, joint-ventures, accountability and maximizing benefits of students while in America - Milwaukee. Most of all, we feel that their culture seeks ethics in behavior/Code of Conduct that stresses 'wise behavior' that calls for RESPECT of Milwaukeeans in the CERNET AGREEMENT."==================
For CERNET-UWM agreement, CLICK
We will be back with updates.
