After a semester that included leadership changes, financial cuts and several racist incidents on campus and in Norman, some international student leaders remain uncertain of their future at OU.
With OU President James Gallogly announcing his plans to retire after only a year in office, international students may face additional uncertainties moving forward.
Whether it was the demotion of the former dean of the College of International Studies or the significant cuts made to the college, the students affected — including more than 2,000 international students from 120 different countries — say diversity and international student interests have taken a hit under Gallogly’s administration.
“I think the leadership change that happened was very significant,” said Eduardo Campbell, an international area studies junior from Panama. “I think many international students who were not here before President Gallogly, they can not see the change very well, but for many of us that came here at the time when (David) Boren was president, I think we can see a change.”
Campbell said the administration’s change in priorities regarding international education and diversity has been most apparent this semester, compared to when he first considered attending OU in 2015, at which point all he knew about OU was of the 2015 Sigma Alpha Epsilon racist incident.
The 2015 incident involving members of the fraternity performing a racist chant, Campbell said, was such big news it was reported on in Norway, where he was finishing his senior year of high school.
Campbell said despite the incident, it was comforting to know the administration took a strong stance against those involved, and to see the strong rhetoric of inclusivity and support Boren used.
“When you see a message like that, I think it means something to us — it means people genuinely care,” Campbell said. “But I don’t see the same commitment now. I think the priority of this administration is just (to) get us out of (financial) crisis.”
Weak administrative rhetoric leads to repeated issues
Campbell said the university not calling the first blackface incident racist in their initial response likely led to repeat occurrences, as people did not fear any serious consequences.
“If you don’t name things the way they should be named, people are going to think that offensive things are just a joke, just a flaw that they had,” Campbell said. “My issue was the fact that I didn’t feel any commitment in those responses. I didn’t feel like things were taken seriously.”
Youssef Kamel, a junior majoring in international studies and religious studies, also felt the weak rhetoric used in the university’s responses led to a snowball effect, and that three incidents of racism within one month of each other was unacceptable.
“That’s not how it should be and that is something that needs to be recognized,” Kamel said. “It is telling on its own that the first incident happened, the university responded, another incident happened, and the university responded, and then the third video showed up on Instagram. It tells you a lot.”
Kamel said while Norman has historically been a bubble of inclusivity and support compared to other parts of Oklahoma, the administration’s lack of a strong initial response has made it easier for international students and minority groups on campus to feel isolated and targeted.
In wake of racist issues, students face possibility of deportation
While these repeated racial issues plagued the community, some international students were also faced with the possibility of deportation in February due to a stricter enforcing of the outstanding bursar balance policy.
Lauren Brookey, OU vice president of marketing and communications, said only one student brought up the concern of deportation to financial or advisement personnel of the 18 international students with outstanding bursar balances.
Kamel said the latest emails sent on the issue said the university was unaware of any more students on campus facing deportation due to bursar holds, but said this does not mean they were all able to secure the funds to stay enrolled at OU, and may have either resolved their bursar holds or returned home.
“That’s one of the more interesting things, because the number changed over time, and of course it could have changed because these people managed to secure enough funds,” Kamel said. “But because the students are anonymous, we don’t know what happened to them. It could have gone either way.”
Michael Lowry, the vice president of external affairs for The United World, said the semester’s events caused him to doubt if future international students at OU would enjoy the positive experience he has had.
“It was a blow at something I truly loved about this university,” Lowry said. “It sort of made me wonder, will the future generation of international students be able to speak as highly of OU as I just did to you?”
Lowry said while these changes may not be visible immediately, his fear is that come the next academic year and later, the international community may see any negative effects in full.
Kamel said moving forward, a return to handling bursar holds on a case-by-case basis would not only help international students, but all students who face difficult circumstances.
The demotion of Suzette Grillot from her position as dean of the College of International Studies was the event that caused the most uncertainty about the new administration’s priorities, Campbell said.
“When you get the strongest advocate for international students removed from her position, it’s telling us something,” Campbell said. “Since the day I stepped on campus, Dean Grillot was someone who was always there for us.”
At the Jan. 22 Rally to End Racism, Grillot voiced her displeasure with the administration’s handling of the racist incidents, saying that racism had become systemic at OU and calling for Gallogly’s resignation. Grillot is currently suing the university over possible wage discrimination and First Amendment violations.
Grillot said she was contacted by several international students about their bursar holds throughout the semester.
“Because I was no longer dean of CIS at that time, I could not help them directly through university channels,” Grillot said. “I just listened to their concerns as their friend and supporter, and I attempted to help in other ways by sharing their information, raising awareness and raising funds.”
Grillot said some students contacted her to express their concerns about the university’s lack of communication on the bursar policy situation, adding they did not feel they were being given proper attention and support.
Administration promises change
Campbell said above all, international students are asking for transparency from the administration, particularly during the search for a new university president.
“Using the words he said to us — ‘Come to me, my office is always open’ — that’s not the case in practice,” Campbell said. “In practice we wanted to talk to him, we went several times to his office, we talked to the secretary and they said that he was busy, even though we saw him there. My friend was crying there because she had a week and a half or two weeks for her legal status not to change.”
Jill Irvine, the interim dean of the College of International Studies, said moving forward the college would be looking at ways to help international students facing similar situations in the future.
“We at the College of International Studies will be doing some strategic planning in the next month or so,” Irvine said when asked about the steps the college would take in the future.
Irvine did not say specifically what the college’s goal or plan for next year would be.
Several international student organizations gathered and provided a list of proposed changes they would like to see the administration make moving forward at an event titled “Time to Talk,” held Jan. 26 following the first blackface incident, Lowry said.
The list contained points ranging from a change in curriculum to avoid overlooking historical racism to more awareness from the president’s office when addressing these incidents. Campbell said one of the points, more diversity in the university administration, has been handled well so far.
“I think that’s what is happening this semester,” Campbell said. “We got somebody like Dr. (Jane) Irungu, who has been very committed to the minority groups on campus and she has been one of the best resources we have had so far, and we have also had Dr. David Surratt and he has been very helpful, and that’s what we need at this point.”
Surratt was hired in the wake of the initial racist incidents as the vice president of student affairs and dean of students, while Irungu was appointed the associate vice president of university community last August.
Kamel said the creation of the SGA’s Multicultural Advancement Committee — an organization of eight focus groups of OU students, faculty and staff formed to open dialogue on diversity issues across campus — was another important step from the university.
Optimism amid challenges
Campbell said despite his criticisms of the university, he feels they are doing what they can to bring about change.
“I don’t think (Gallogly) is coming from a bad place at all,” Campbell said. “I don’t think at that point he was very aware of how to handle these things. I think he is now a little bit better, he has a team and he’s willing to learn.”
Campbell said it is because of this, and the strong international community, that he would not discourage international students from attending OU despite a tumultuous semester.
“I don’t think I would tell people not to come here because the leadership doesn’t represent the campus as a whole,” Campbell said. “I think these incidents that happened also made me realize that there are a lot of people who actually care. I feel like even though I criticize the university on their responses, many of us still have many resources to be successful on this campus.”
Lowry, who has two siblings considering colleges in the US, said it is because of the climate at OU that he would encourage international students to enroll, so they could fight for their future at OU.
“I would still encourage them to join because the only way these things are going to be reversed is if there’s a strong international presence on this campus,” Lowry said. “I would make them aware of these potential changes, and say ‘Are you prepared to deal with that?’ ... because I think it’s fair for them to know that some of the stories they may be hearing from older generations may not be true anymore.”
Moving forward, Lowry said, it is important that people do not forget the racial issues and struggles faced by international students this semester, because continual dialogue is important to bring change.
“I would encourage people to keep those things in mind, and keep talking about them, and keep bringing it up because those things shouldn’t be swept under the rug, which is what happens a lot of the time,” Lowry said. “and whether that’s because of the administration or people just move on with their studies, it shouldn’t be happening.
