University of Missouri president leaves over race complaints

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By SUMMER BALLENTINE and ALAN SCHER ZAGIER

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — The president of the University of Missouri system resigned Monday amid criticism of his handling of student complaints about race and discrimination.

President Tim Wolfe said Monday that his resignation is effective immediately. The announcement came at a special meeting of the university system's governing body, the Board of Curators.

The complaints came to a head over the weekend when at least 30 black football players announced they would not participate in team activities until Wolfe was removed or stepped down.

For months, black student groups have complained of racial slurs and other slights on the overwhelmingly white flagship campus of the state's four-college system. Frustrations flared during a homecoming parade Oct. 10 when black protesters blocked Wolfe's car, and he did not get out and talk to them. They were removed by police.

FULL story at link.


University of Missouri system President Tim Wolfe speaks on the phone in a room in University Hall on campus near late Sunday night, Nov. 8, 2015, in Columbia, Mo. Earlier in the afternoon, Wolfe released a statement pertaining to a future "systemwide diversity and inclusion strategy" for the UM System. The statement was the latest response to growing unrest at on the campus, ranging from graduate student rights to a lack of response over matters of race and discrimination. (Bea Costa-Lima/Missourian via AP)

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/e39861e9b88045bba25e28888dfa551c/university-missouri-protests-grow-after-athletes-jump

[randys1]

1. Good

[geek tragedy]

2. holy shit! accountability! nt

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. Yeah..I am taking a page snap of this, cause it is so rare nowdays. n/t

[n2doc]

3. Power to the People! n/t

[Paulie]

4. The power of football

[R. P. McMurphy]

7. ^^THE CORRECT ANSWER^^ (eom)

[Paladin]

8. One college bureaucrat's job vs. football revenues? No contest. (nt)

[bvf]

19. Sad but true.

Still, glad to see it used as a lever to do some good.

[C Moon]

23. I was surprised to hear yesterday, that a USC football ticket costs about $100

So I think there's also a lot of money at stake.
Glad to see this happened!

[Enthusiast]

36. +1!

[Ed Suspicious]

27. Yup. Follow the money.

[Enthusiast]

37. +1!

[840high]

31. So true.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

5. Let's hope his successor has more success

at curbing the racism on that campus.

I have my doubts, but at least everyone's elated at the moment.

[Igel]

10. That's the problem.

Something needs to be done.

This was something that could be done.

What needs to be done to solve the problem? Change thinking.

This doesn't do that. What might would be requiring everybody to go through courses that teach them to think in the way that their rulers prescribe. That, of course, is Democracy (tm), as in "The USSR is deepening Democracy (tm)" or "The German Democratic (tm) Republic."


Well, at least we know that there is no racism at the school now, whatever may be done in the privacy of bathrooms. Who has the power?

[kwassa]

12. Change thinking towards what? How?

I find most of your post very unclear. I think you are being facetious, but even so, what is your point?

[alcibiades_mystery]

25. Trust me, you don't want the plain English translation from that one

The post is so contorted because he knows saying it plain would get him shitcanned.

[kwassa]

32. Then he is saying what I thought he was saying.

Maybe he should be ....

[Skittles]

40. he needs to put down the pipe and get some sleep

that is my assessment; yes INDEED

[heaven05]

38. what is this BS??????????

geez nothing clearer to me about this response as the fact that it's BS.

[Baitball Blogger]

6. Sometimes, this is the best solution.

Allowing them to remain in positions of power just sends the wrong message.

[SoLeftIAmRight]

11. I do not know everything about this - but - I like it

as said above - power to the people

[wendylaroux]

13. This is wonderful!!!!!!

so proud of all of the protesters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See,it does work!!

[underpants]

14. Damn that was fast

Good for the students. Good job.

[ccjlld]

15. I work at MU

We were actually surprised when this happened. We didn't think he would go, but I think there were greater pressures that were brought to bear.

It wasn't just the football team. The History Department, The Missouri Students Association, and the walkout of a whole lot of professors this morning contributed to the situation. There was a Curators meeting this morning and I'm guessing that with all the people coming out against him, they pretty much laid it on the line for him.

The problem is, that even if they are able to improve the racial atmosphere on campus, there is still the rest of town to deal with. Columbia is a very interesting place to live. With 3 colleges here, there is a lot of diversity within the college community, but there is also a big base of old fashioned redneck attitudes.

I hope they can improve the outright racism that happens, unfortunately, what also needs to change is the implied racism that is always there and that a lot of people don't think exists.

I've been reading through lots of social media comments, I see a lot of "they should lose their scholarships!", "they want something for nothing!" "they are acting like children, throwing temper tantrums!". There are also tons of people who are claiming that they will no longer attend MU sporting events and will get rid of all of their Mizzou gear.

Proud of the students who sought to change things for the better!

[leftyladyfrommo]

17. If racial incidents don't bother them then they need to stay away.

This is the 21 st century and those attitudes need to become unacceptable. Everywhere. But especially in an institution of higher learning.

[Gore1FL]

35. I'm at a sister campus

I have to admit, I had no idea this was going on at Columbia. Racism was clearly present, if not abundant when I was a student at UMR (it will always be UMR) 30 years ago.

[leftyladyfrommo]

16. They just need to let students know

That if they are involved in any racial incident they will expelled. I would say zero tolerance but there needs to be proof. Not just someone's word for it.

I wish they would do that for sexuall harassment cases as well.

[ccjlld]

20. They actually did remove a student

They found the drunk kid who was yelling racial slurs at a group of kids practicing their skit for homecoming. The kids reported it to the University Police. They removed him from school. Although I don't know if he was permanently expelled or just kicked out for the rest of the year.

[romanic]

18. Good I guess.

But I fail to see how his resignation is going to stop racial incidents on the campus or any other campus for that matter. Even if Wolfe was more proactive in response to all of this, would the students and faculty be satisfied or would they have asked for his resignation anyway? And what guarantee is there that a new president will address these issues?

I dunno but I feel this type of protest, like all positive movements, will be abused by students who feel slighted when they don't get exactly what they want. That's just my opinion.

[bvf]

21. There's no guarantee that a new president

can fix this, but the team obviously thought not enough was being done.

If Wolfe had a decent record on this score (I don't say he does or doesn't), he could defend it.

[KingCharlemagne]

22. Mixed feelings about this. Athletes are the typical working class of the athletic

Department I'm always in favor of workers organizing. However, the fact that the university's governance system was hijacked by a coup d'etat by athletes gives me pause.

[Skittles]

39. ???

they linked arms - literally, and let the powers that be know they were not backing down

how its that a coup d'etat?

[KingCharlemagne]

41. well, another way of framing this is that a group of jocks

Compelled a duly appointed university leader to resign. Now maybe where you come from that's not a coup.

A better question to ask is why colleges and universities continue to exploit unpaid labor in what is, for all intents and purposes, a semipro league. While I am at it, just what the Fuck is sports doing cluttering up institutions of higher learning anyway?

[Skittles]

43. the "leader" was ineffective

as far as the ridiculous adulation for sports everywhere, I agree

[bluestateguy]

24. It was the football walkout

Having to cancel the upcoming game with BYU would have cost Mizzou over a million dollars. They are better off just paying the president some go-away money than losing the cash cow that comes from football.

[Admiral Loinpresser]

26. People 1, Establishment 0. n/t

[Vattel]

28. Like most university decisions, it came down to money and university reputation.

Who was it that said that if you cross a jellyfish and a parrot, you get a university administrator?

On the other hand, I hope the racism is addressed. Missouri is the most racist state I have ever been in, or at least it seemed that way to me. (I know this is only anecdotal evidence at best). I don't think it was an accident that it went McCain in 2008 when much more republican states like North Carolina went Obama.

[secondwind]

29. good riddance K&R

[herding cats]

30. This moved even faster than I anticipated.

Way to go students! Enjoy your victory today.

[Dont call me Shirley]

33. YAY!

[Gore1FL]

34. UM (Columbia) Chancellor just resigned too. n/t

[n8dogg83]

42. I sincerely hope that there is a move to seriously address the racist culture at Mizzou after this..

as a Mizzou alumnus (class of '05) and AA, I remember the racism I came across on a regular basis. I never really understood how a college town can also be so intolerant. I am glad that young folks are taking a stand and calling out these kinds of things. It's sad that it took the revenue-generating football team to finally bring about some results. Oh well.