Students are not the only ones who have to adjust to a new life on a college campus. Faculty and staff have to adjust as well, and a new group on campus is hoping to make those adjustments a little smoother.

The Black Staff and Faculty Council is in the process of becoming an official constituency group on campus. In addition to helping black staff and faculty, it wants to help recruit more black people to the university, said group president Carolin Harvey.

Harvey said she believes they will be more successful as an organization by becoming a constituency group on campus.

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“By becoming a constituency group we will get official representation through the Board of Trustees, committees that make decisions concerning the university and we are also funded,” Harvey said.

The Black Faculty and Staff Council is assisting black professors with tenure, sponsoring workshops, mentorship programs and recruiting.

“The group came together to deal with issues of employment and the reduction of staff and faculty, tenure and also the treatment of blacks once they got here,” said Alfred Jackson, treasurer of the Black Staff and Faculty Council.

The council will help people who work or go to school at SIU be properly informed about the racial climate of Southern Illinois, Jackson said.

Many students, faculty and staff who come to SIU hit cultural barriers that can make life more difficult, said Zenetta Coleman, a member of the group and associate director of the University Honors Program.

Coleman said problems might be caused by differences in teaching styles, moving from a community of mostly black students and faculty to a community of mostly white students and faculty, or moving from a large area to a small area.

She said the more black students, faculty and staff members who are present on campus, the less cultural tension or stress caused by change. Black students, faculty and staff feel more at home.

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“Contrary to popular belief, faculty and staff members have an impact on student life,” Jackson said. “When black students walk into an office and see no black faces or you don’t see someone you can relate to, then you may not envision yourself being as successful there.”

Jackson said he believes having a better retention of black faculty and staff will help black students, faculty and staff members be more comfortable and allow them to have a better quality of life.

Coleman said the council is also a good resource for black faculty, staff and students. It is helping to inform black faculty about job promotion and tenure and informing students about various organizations on campus, such as the honors society.