The Ithacan

About a dozen Ithaca College students attended a follow-up open forum Dec. 12 in the Peggy Ryan Williams Center to discuss a racial incident.

Approximately 200 students, faculty and staff members of the Ithaca College community came together at an open forum to discuss a racist video that surfaced on social media early last week.

The Ithaca College Office of Public Safety is heading into the implementation phase of some key initiatives promised last year, spurred by student protests regarding the racial climate on campus.

During the Fall 2015 semester, colleges and universities across the country were rocked by student protests addressing racial tensions on campuses. Ithaca College was also affected by these issues, and it is among many other institutions that are now trying to heal their communities while also facing losses in enrollment and retention.

In a recent announcement, the college laid out parts of the diversity action plan that are on track — such as developing a Fall 2016 campus-climate survey — and parts of the plan that are falling behind — such as developing a community review board for the Office of Public Safety and Emergency Management.

Faculty Council members discussed a potential new administrative position and having a workshop to educate the council on diversity and inclusion.

The Faculty Council created a diversity and inclusion task force to organize information and formulate a plan to combat problems of racial tensions on campus.

“Micro-aggressions” are often subtle, derogatory remarks — both intentional and unintentional — that target minority or underrepresented groups.