|
CU-ICAR puts diversity into action |
|
|
|
Thursday, 28 August 2008 |
Jerry Knighton, assistant to the Office of Access and Equity at Clemson University, describes the Collaboration Plaza, located on the CU-ICAR campus, to Wayne Wright of the Upstate Citizen-Advocate. (Photo/CU-ICAR)
By Lydia Dishman
Contributing Writer
S.T. Peden is telling a familiar fable commonly used in diversity training. It is the one about the giraffe and the elephant in which the giraffe invites the elephant to his custom-made dwelling to work on a project together, then, is surprised and dismayed when the elephant can’t get around. The giraffe’s solution is to change the elephant.
This story illustrates the tension between insiders (giraffes) and outsiders (elephants) but that tension need not be disaster. It can be part of the process to a creative solution.
Peden, the president and CEO of the Minority Economic Development Institute, is a believer in creative solutions to tension. In 2005, together with Calder Ehrmann, a senior associate for The Riley Institute, and a host of volunteer members of a minority advisory committee formed for this purpose, designed a strategic plan to put diversity into action at the newly developing CU-ICAR campus.
“I refer to us as street preachers,” Peden said with a hearty chuckle as he pointed to Ehrmann sitting opposite at a sidewalk café table. But it took more than talk from a pulpit to bring about change.
“Initially, we had individuals calling upon CU-ICAR, looking for opportunities,” Peden explained, referring to minority business owners who wanted to be a part of the construction of the Timken and Campbell Graduate Engineering Center buildings.
However, when a local paper ran a story criticizing CU-ICAR about the lack of contracts for any of those businesses, Peden said there was a need to address it, “Not only because it is in vogue, but because it is the right thing to do.” He said the group was committed to moving forward in a way that would ensure the lack of minority participation would not ever happen again.
Despite their best intentions, Peden admits that it took two years “before we got that well-defined impetus.” He does credit Clemson’s president James Barker for what Peden describes as the courage and commitment to take a diversity plan to the board of trustees. “It is an example when leadership comes from the top,” Peden asserted, acknowledging with Barker’s endorsement, the program had potential to spread to other places.
“Out of that came the adoption of a diversity initiative for all of Clemson University, not only CU-ICAR, as it related to the student body, faculty and suppliers,” Peden said.
Thanks to Barker’s enthusiasm, this would not be a token effort. Ehrmann is quick to point out their aggressive goal for CU-ICAR, which would be to strive for double-digit minority and women-owned business participation, much like the diversity goals for student enrollment.
Jerry Knighton, Clemson University’s assistant director to the Office of Access and Equity, points out another leader who set the tone to assure a strong commitment was made to reach those goals. Knighton credits CU-ICAR executive director, Bob Geolas for acting immediately to “develop a plan with some teeth.”
For his part Geolas said, “I did step back and say, ‘Are we doing enough?’” He then described a series of conversations that took place that made him quickly realize CU-ICAR and Clemson were in a position to set a new standard.
During those conversations, Geolas admits that he had to debunk a lot of misconception about CU-ICAR and its responsibilities. “I had people coming to me asking about the Hubbell Lighting campus and city road contracts, which had nothing to do with us,” he said.
As Geolas opened up a dialogue with minority communities, he noted their main concern was that CU-ICAR would stay committed to getting the word out about contracts. “Being in the majority,” Geolas noted of his white male status, “was about listening and talking. No one had unreasonable expectations. They just see there was an effort to involve community. I believe CU-ICAR will not be successful unless everyone is engaged and gets a little piece of it.”
Not long afterward, the “Diversity Vendor and Procurement Initiative” got a test drive with construction of the Collaboration Plaza in CU-ICAR’s Technology Neighborhood 1. This was particularly fitting as Geolas described it. “This area will serve many different purposes. It will be the place where the public will first encounter CU-ICAR.”
Peden pointed out the success of this foray that had 51.13% minority-owned business participation. He also noted, “No concessions were made. We were serious about having this project provide minority business with an opportunity to come to the table and present in a competitive process. CU-ICAR took a positive step and showed the community this is something we can do.”
“We consider ourselves to be a model project, through architecture, sustainability and with the ability to reach out and engage at all levels in the community,” Geolas concurred. He already had conversations with executives from The Furman Company and South Financial/Carolina First and has shared the successes on a national level with his participation on the National Research Park Development Organization’s board. “We hope others will see benefits and opportunity and join us.”
They are. Ehrmann cited the City of Greenville and the Greenville Hospital System initiatives, as well as the 400 graduates of The Riley Institute’s Diversity Leadership Academy who he said, “are vocal and network, and it has proven to be powerful.”
According to Jim Burns, senior vice-president in the real estate division of Carolina First, the new South Financial campus, a construction project that will exceed $100 million, has minority participation as well.
“We are encouraging as much as possible,” Burns said, explaining how they are also helping to mentor smaller companies.
“It is all about attracting new business and allowing people to grow. Seventy percent of new jobs come from those businesses,” Burns said.
Clemson is further focusing its efforts by hiring a Chief Diversity Officer who will have responsibility for all initiatives, according to Knighton, who said that accountability was just as important as setting goals. Geolas agreed. “We must maintain a level of transparency and openness. At end of the process, if we are not successful we can see why.”
Peden looks off into the distance, but he’s thinking of diversity initiatives well beyond Main Street in downtown Greenville. “On the state level, we’ve got to get to leaders of organizations, get them exposed and oriented. This is beyond a good thing, it is a business imperative.”
|
|
|
