The University’s Black Student Alliance presented a "Tips & Tricks" event Tuesday as part of an ongoing effort to increase black representation in the University Honor Committee, UJC and the University Guide Service.
Historically, black students have not been very involved in these student self-governance groups, said BSA Leadership Development Co-Chair Devin Rossin, a second-year College student.
"Organizations come out actively to participate with black first-years and second-years who are hoping to get involved and help bridge the gap, whether perceived or actual, between the black community and the rest of U.Va.," Rossin said.
A lack of information about these organizations is not just an issue for black students, said BSA President Aryn Frazier, a third-year College student.
“If you want to position yourself to be more influential in the organization, you have to know what the Honor Committee’s function is,” Frazier said. “There’s an information gap not only for Black students, but for all students."
Student awareness of the opportunities for student self-governance are especially important because members of Honor, UJC and University Guides are seen as representatives of the University itself, Frazier said.
“If these are organizations that are supposed to represent the students’ interest or convince prospective students to attend, it’s imperative to us that they be actually representative of the demographics on-Grounds,” Frazier said. “Most of them are not at this point.”
The disconnect partially stems from the small proportion of black members currently in these organizations, Frazier and Rossin said.
“If you don’t see people who look like you in these organizations, regardless of whether anyone’s saying anything explicitly, the inference that can be made is that there is a reason why they’re not involved,” Frazier said.
Participating in the Tips & Tricks event was one of recent steps Honor has taken as part of the organization’s effort to increase diversity.
VJ Jenkins, vice chair for community relations on the honor committee and a third-year College student, said he thought Tuesday’s event was a success.
"The existence of the event tonight demonstrated a real dedication to the appreciation and want of diversity in Honor, Guides and UJC,” Jenkins said in an email statement.
Honor has past efforts to engage with a number of minority student organizations on Grounds. The organization supports these minority student organizations through co-sponsorships and its diversity initiative award. Honor also reaches out to international students.
“We are actively and aggressively engaged in efforts to change both the historically homogenous body of students involved and the perception of the system at large in regards to minority students," Jenkins said.
University Guides also recognized the lack of black and minority representation in the organization and has been working to rectify it, said Guides Outreach Chair Kiera Givens, a third-year College student.
“We've found that Guides — as a special status, predominantly white organization — is sometimes perceived as intimidating and exclusive,” Givens said in an email statement. “This can be especially deterring for minority students interested in trying out.”
Along with the constitutional separation of their recruitment and outreach initiatives last year, the Tips & Tricks event was another way for University Guides to continue outreach efforts, Givens said.
“It provided a small forum for us to address younger black students, one where we could answer questions and help make both U-Guides and our tryout process more accessible,” Givens said.
Moving forward, BSA also plans to promote black student representation in Housing and Residence Life.
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