Duke Looks at Its Latino Work Force

A dozen administrators, employees and Latino community members gathered in the Allen Building this week to begin a campuswide dialogue on Duke's relationship with its growing Latino work force. "What I want to do today is listen," Myrna Adams, special assistant to the executive vice president, told members of the newly formed Latino issues working group she will lead. "It's clear we're at the beginning of a growth cycle. I want to talk about ways to make Duke an attractive place for all of our Latino employees." The origins of the group, which includes Vice President for Institutional Equity Sally Dickson, Intercultural Affairs Director Julian Sanchez, Food Services Director Thomas Quinn, Community Affairs Director Michael Palmer and members of the Latino Community Credit Union and El Centro Hispano, extend back to the September 1999 review of the Office for Institutional Equity, said Adams, who stepped down as the university's vice president for institutional equity this summer after a five-year term. That report included several recommendations from El Concilio Latino/Hispano/Americano, a group of about 60 faculty, student and staff members, including the hiring of a full-time Latino Affairs representative, providing Spanish translations of orientation materials, helping employees learn English and expanding multicultural sensitivity training. The university now employs about 250 Latinos, including 36 faculty members, according to payroll records. But that number is only approximate, based on those who identified themselves as Hispanic/Latino, Adams said. Adams told the working group, "You don't need to provide all the answers here. This group just needs to surface the issues." The working group, which is scheduled to meet one more time this semester, would like to gather input from the campus community, Adams said after the meeting. Those interested should contact Adams at 684-0801 or myrna.adams@duke.edu. Issues that the group can expect to focus on in coming months include potential impediments for Latinos interested in joining the Duke work force and whether those Latino employees already on the university payroll have adequate access to higher-paying positions, Adams said. "We want to create an environment in which people are here because of their value to the organization, are recognized for that value and are retained and promoted." Outreach to the university's Latino employees and Durham's fast-growing Hispanic community is a primary concern for El Concilio, said Sanchez, who helped organize the group in 1997. "I think this is a critical moment, and you are in a critical role to help us get to the place where we need to be," Sanchez told Adams. Discussion during the group's first meeting, which lasted about 90 minutes, touched on a number of topics. Perhaps one of the most pressing needs is for translators, several working group members said at the meeting. Trying to handle questions from employees and customers who are not fluent in English poses a regular challenge in many offices, especially when a Spanish-speaking employee is not immediately available. While resources are available - from students, staff and departments - the lack of a central clearinghouse for translating help often forces people to fend for themselves. Duke is already working with a number of Latino organizations off campus, Palmer said. Those efforts including providing office space for La Casa Multicultural, supporting Latino outreach work through Walltown Neighborhood Ministries and providing financial support to the Self-Help Credit Union.