Bankole Thompson: Will MSU's interim president lead on racial equity?
Teresa K. Woodruff, interim president of Michigan State University, sought to assure me last week during an interview that the internal governance crisis at one of the state’s leading public universities won’t deter it from its academic work and mission.
Woodruff, previously provost and executive vice president of academic affairs before being thrust into her current position last November, listed what she described as accomplishments the university has attained while tug of war continues among its leadership. She’s confident the school’s board of trustees would be united behind a common goal to enhance the university.
“While we are working really at the upper level and coming together between the president’s office and the board of trustees, what I see is I look out across the campus is real strength," Woodruff said. "That which is and has always been good about MSU for its 168-year history, that has to do with teaching and learning, research and discovery, entrepreneurship and innovation, ethics and honor, all of that continues.”
The university is at an inflection point. It must decide not only what kind of leadership it wants in the president’s office, but also how to respond to the current climate on racial equity.
Leaders of educational institutions are being challenged to step up to the plate and boldly commit to do things differently to impact communities that have the most need.
I reminded Woodruff that public universities in the state and around the country don’t have a good record of significant Black enrollment. Some talk a good game and orchestrate well-coordinated public relations campaigns to mitigate the impact of their inaction when it becomes public.
Black underrepresentation in higher education has been a constant struggle and sometimes educational leadership has to be publicly scorned before they implement effective strategies to boost the racial makeup of the school.
This is all the more significant in light of the current affirmative-action battle before the U.S. Supreme Court involving Harvard University and the University of North Carolina.
MSU’s Black student enrollment declined from fall of 2020 to fall of 2021 to 7.5% — a figure that should challenge leadership to map out a plan to increase those figures before the next diversity report is due.
Woodruff indicated that she has been on an aggressive recruiting mission to Detroit, including at Cass Technical High School.
But other enclaves of Black Michigan such as Benton Harbor, Flint, Pontiac and other areas in the state offer institutions like MSU an opportunity to redefine the goal of inclusion on campus.
It is not enough for any public university in the modern era to simply rely on diversity and inclusion departments without an authentic and grassroots strategy to attract students from the urban core.
Woodruff should make MSU a model institution that would be organically and actively involved in the life of our urban communities and a key driver in pushing for equity, while achieving the standards of academic excellence. She can choose to stand out by ensuring that the university becomes a force to address the economic inequalities that exist in the places where it is looking to recruit students.
Leadership is about doing what others have not done or have been afraid to do. It is not about being popular or seeking positive reviews. With that in mind, Woodruff must steer the ship safely to the shore of racial equity.
Twitter: @BankoleDetNews
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