How inclusive was Wash. U’s search for its 15th chancellor?

The Washington University Board of Trustees’ announcement of Andrew D. Martin as my alma mater’s next chancellor was a failure of leadership to lead when presented with a transformative opportunity to do just that.

I have no grievance with Martin personally and only know him from what I have read online.  But I do have serious concerns with the Board of Trustees and the institutional processes and policies that continue to perpetuate a discomforting experience for students of color and a status quo that does not reflect the strength of the university’s true diversity.

While an undergraduate Ervin Scholar and student athlete, I experienced a dearth of professors of color and witnessed the unfortunate handling of campus climate issues that centered on race and gender from multiple lenses. Fifteen years later, I fully expected that my alma mater would have seized this opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity from its highest and most influential perch. They did not.

Our academic leaders turned a blind eye to history, the history of our institution and history as it has played out in the world surrounding the campus over the last four years. From the tragic shooting of Michael Brown by a Ferguson Police officer, to the subsequent national outrage and protests, to the recent racial profiling by the Clayton Police Department of 10 black Washington University students, to the election of a man who uses his presidential bully pulpit to sow divisions between people who have more in common than they have differences, the teachable moments have been painful but plentiful.

Perhaps it’s also worth taking a closer look at the composition of the Board of Trustees in order to better understand the dynamics of the university and possibly why another white male chancellor was selected. While the university website does not include photos or bios of the trustees, a count of the names yields 60 members. Of those 60 names, approximately 10 appear to be women. So, only 16.6 percent of the trustee membership is female, yet women make up 52.5 percent of the student body.  A quick glance at the photos displayed for the Chancellor Search Committee shows that it too was not exactly representative of the current student population. In fact, the membership of the Commission on Diversity and Inclusion actually looked most representative, but it was not empowered to govern the search process.  

The 2017 recommendations made by the Commission on Diversity and Inclusion, an initiative launched at the request of Chancellor Mark Wrighton and Provost Holden Thorp, appear to be a document created to collect dust rather than inform the process by which the university would make what is certainly the most critical decision it has in decades.

Beyond knowing that the bodies that made the chancellor decision were not diverse, we know little else about the pool of candidates who were under consideration and what recruiting efforts the Chancellor Search Committee employed to ensure that the search was diverse, inclusive, and equitable.  

Washington University has made strides in retaining professors of color and accepting more Pell Grant-eligible students, but could benefit from deep self-reflection and an independent analysis of the makeup of the Board of Trustees.

As do many former Ervin Scholars, I carried the adage “to whom much is given, much is expected” in the forefront of my mind back when I was a student and even today. Alumni give a tremendous amount in terms of professional accomplishments, dollars, and volunteer time back to the university with the expectation that in return, the university will evolve into a better institution – for the faculty and staff, for its neighbors in St. Louis, Clayton, and University City, for strangers around the world and for future generations. Let’s hope that Washington University rises to the occasion the next time an opportunity presents itself.

Adria Crutchfield is a 2003 graduate of the College of Architecture at Washington University who has worked in housing affordability and community development and resides in New York City.