[Editor's note: In response to Jayne Beilke's 'Your Turn' column on Tuesday, the Daily News received a number of letters in support of Ball State University provost candidate William Swart. These are a random selection of the letters received.]
Dear Editor,
I am the current head of the African Studies Committee at East Carolina University. ... I would like to draw your attention to verifiable facts about William Swart's outstanding leadership and monumental contributions to diversity at this university between 2002 and 2003.
He demonstrated a remarkable leadership quality unsurpassed in the 16 years that I have been at East Carolina. ... Here are some of his accomplishments within 12 months of his arrival at East Carolina:
1. Initiation of a genuine and unsurpassed diversity commitment program. At least 50 faculty members representing underrepresented groups were hired in one year. The number of black faculty doubled in one year. East Carolina had fewer than 50 black faculty - out of about 1,400 faculty - when Swart was hired.
2. Initiation of the establishment of new colleges and schools. This initiative received overwhelming faculty approval.
3. Initiation of fast-track three-year degree programs for highly motivated students.
4. Initiation of task forces to address various developmental and academic issues at the university.
5. Initiation of town hall meetings to improve faculty participation in university administration.
6. Initiation of the Provost Lecture Series to enrich academic discourse and expose East Carolina faculty to leading scholars in different disciplines.
7. Initiation of an annual International Potluck Festival to facilitate contacts among various cultures of the world, including American, Asian, African, European, Hispanic and Middle Eastern cultures. (There was ethnic food and costume exhibition, and Swart donated the use of his house in Florida as a vacation home to one of the winners).
8. Initiation of intervention programs for students with their first police tickets.
9. Initiation of programs to increase enrollment.
10. Increase in minority student enrollment.
11. Attraction of "star" or leading professors.
12. Development of new graduate programs in communication and other areas.
13. Promotion of media visibility for university programs and activities.
14. Promotion of community outreach. He was the first East Carolina top administrator to visit the poorest county in North Carolina. The county is predominantly black, and he introduced programs to improve life in the county.
15. Invitation of minority scholars to deliver lectures to campus and community audiences.
16. Initiation of campus-wide minority luncheon and open discussion forum.
17. Swart is a mentor to many black professors - not only at East Carolina University but also at other universities.
These are verifiable facts, with dates, times and venues, as well as people who participated.
These significant accomplishments in one year are the hallmarks of a dedicated leader who actively promoted the advancement of the whole community, leaving no race behind. There are many more accomplishments that I may have missed.
It is ironic that the NAACP is being misled to persecute an innocent man who promotes diversity. Has anyone in the NAACP looked at his vita? Professor Swart was promoting diversity and providing leadership before he was hired at East Carolina. He did an outstanding job here for minorities and the entire university. He continues to help the helpless and provide leadership and vision for academe. ...
He is an administrator you will be proud of if he is given the opportunity at your university. He deeply cares for the faculty and students as well as the development of academic programs. He will prove that the campaign of calumny against him is misplaced and misdirected. He is a truly great man.
I will stand up any day to speak to any group if invited to present the real Swart, a man of integrity and stellar leadership qualities.
Festus Eribo
Communications professor
East Carolina University
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