Inclusive Community

Press Release

For Immediate Release

Contact: Carol Coles
City Of Norman
366-5404
Carol.Coles@normanok.gov

Inclusive Community Discussion

Is Norman an inclusive community?

Do all of our citizens feel respected and represented in the business, education and social sectors?

Are we as a community taking advantage of the economic and social opportunities represented by diversity?

Students, faculty, staff and residents of Norman are invited to respond to these questions and address other related issues at a public meeting sponsored by the University of Oklahoma, the City of Norman, and the Norman Chamber of Commerce scheduled for Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009, at 6:30 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union. The meeting will be open to the public and all interested community members are invited and encouraged to attend. Local representatives of the National Issues Forum and members of the City of Norman Human Rights Commission will assist with the meeting.

“What we hope to provide again at this second Inclusive Community Discussion is a safe and respectful place for people to discuss whether we are a community that is genuinely open to the participation and opinions of all of our residents,” said Mayor Cindy Rosenthal, who is also a member of the OU faculty. Some of the issues to be discussed are public safety, transportation, housing, employment, and economic opportunity. “A central goal is to identify those areas where we can make Norman a more welcoming community.”

“There is perhaps no better way to recruit and retain the world’s best students, faculty and staff than committing ourselves to building and sustaining an inclusive community. I am honored OU can host this critical dialogue,” said Dr. Chris Howard, Vice President for Strategic & Leadership Initiatives at OU.

Parking will be available at no charge in the Union Parking Garage. Participants will also be allowed to park in the reserved lot just east of McCasland Field House and the commuter lot located between Jenkins and Monnett. Both of these lots can be accessed from Jenkins. The commuter and multipurpose lots at Jenkins and Brooks will also be available, and the metered spaces along Asp and on Felgar Street in front of Oklahoma Memorial Union do not need to be paid after 5:00 p.m.

For more information or to indicate that you plan to attend, call 405-366-5404.

Norman’s second Inclusive Community Discussion (ICD) was held in the Oklahoma Memorial Union on the University of Oklahoma campus on Tuesday, February 3^rd. The discussion was sponsored by the University of Oklahoma, the Norman Chamber of Commerce and the City of Norman Human Rights Commission. Approximately 80 people representing OU faculty, staff and students and other Norman residents participated. They were asked to review the results of the first ICD, held in November 2007, and respond to similar questions: is Norman an inclusive community? Do all of our citizens feel respected and represented? Are we as a community taking advantage of the opportunities represented by diversity?

Reports from each small discussion group were compiled and reviewed by members of the Human Rights Commission with additional assistance and input from Vincent Winston, an intern with the City of Norman and OU senior in political science and public administration, and Anna Chappell, OU graduate student in Adult and Higher Education. Our thanks go to these two students for their comments and observations, as well as to National Issues Forum moderators and OU faculty and staff members who helped guide the discussion and reflect on the comments shared in the small groups.

Participants in this second ICD spoke candidly about those areas where they felt improvements were necessary in order for Norman to continue to be a strong community and one that is inclusive and welcoming to all its citizens, but the many positive observations and comments should not be overlooked. Specific references were made to the widespread confidence in current Norman Public Schools administration with regard to its awareness of and attention to diversity issues; perceptions of Norman taking public and positive steps toward becoming more welcoming and respectful of individuals who represent diversity, and the very real challenges associated with providing services to a community as large geographically as Norman is. Many participants expressed appreciation for the meeting being held on the OU campus in order to include more students, faculty and staff, and encouraged the Commission to continue to host dialogues throughout the City of Norman in order to be more inclusive of the many “voices” of Norman.

It was clear from review of the notes that the issues of diversity and respect for all of our citizens are concerns that impact, and are impacted by, every area discussed: transportation, public safety, economic opportunity, housing, human services, and education. Several key concerns, however, consistently emerged and those are the issues upon which this report focuses.

Concern was frequently expressed about how the attitude of police, as well as other police department employees, has changed over the past two or three decades. Complaints about possible “profiling” came from minorities and young people, and the perceived lack of interest in serving and protecting non-English speaking populations and those with cultural differences from the majority of Norman residents. It was acknowledged that the way the public responds to law enforcement has also changed, and that programs bringing police back into contact with citizens as educators, “beat cops,” and initiatives that promote mutual respect and cooperation, should be strongly supported. Many of these same impressions are addressed in the proposed Community Oriented Policing program, which is an encouraging and welcome development.

2. Economic and social opportunities for new and recent OU graduates, especially minority students.

Although the University actively recruits and enrolls relatively large numbers of students from underrepresented minority populations, the employment and economic opportunities upon degree completion are perceived as limited. High housing costs, lack of minority professional groups and job opportunities, and limited social offerings other than college and campus activities, discourage graduates from staying in Norman to live and work.

The challenge of attracting a diverse instructional staff continues to be an area of concern among the citizens of Norman, and participants expressed interest in knowing what progress is being made in this area and how individuals outside the school systems might be able to assist. Another concern expressed was the lack of a fully inclusive written policy that includes the needs of Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual and Transgender (GLBT) students and staff.

Many of the participants recognized that City Council and staff understand the need for improved transportation systems in Norman but were vocal about their concerns with how the lack of adequate public transportation affects everything from economic development to access to social services to participation in social and cultural events and activities.

Increasing the availability of adequate shelter and services for homeless and transitional populations and citizens living in or near poverty continues to be of significant concern. The difficulties faced by many citizens, and especially students, in finding affordable housing in Norman was also discussed in several groups.

Communication was mentioned in a variety of contexts, and that better communication might facilitate stronger working relationships between citizens and the City of Norman. City leaders were urged to consider substantial changes to the City of Norman website; develop simpler and more direct methods of reporting problems and concerns (and getting replies); making contact information for citizen inquiries readily available; and taking a more centralized approach to citizen problem-solving. Interest was also expressed in a more sophisticated citywide calendar and/or electronic bulletin board to encourage participation and community engagement.

Based on the results of the 2009 Inclusive Community Discussion, the Norman Human Rights Commission has identified the following action items to be addressed over the next twelve months:

1. Members of the NHRC will actively cooperate with the Norman Police Department to successfully implement the Community Oriented Policing Program approved by City Council on April 28, 2009; and will also continue to meet with NPD representatives regarding issues related to diversity, especially in the areas of training, continued professional development, and recruitment of new officers.

2. The NHRC will invite the leadership of the Norman Public Schools, Little Axe School District, and Robin Hill School District to meet and discuss issues of mutual interest including diversity among instructional faculty and staff, programs; policies related to GLBT students and staff; and concerns related to poverty and social services as they impact students and families in Norman.

3. The NHRC will continue to collaborate with various organizations and agencies in Norman to address poverty, hunger, protection from violence and abuse, and homelessness as human rights issues.

4. Representatives of the NHRC will meet with City of Norman staff for the purpose of identifying additional ways for citizens to access information and assistance from the City of Norman.

5. The NHRC will continue to host at least one Inclusive Community Discussion each year in locations deliberately intended to encourage the participation of underrepresented populations.

On November 8, 2007, the Norman Human Rights Commission sponsored a public meeting focusing on diversity in our community. Some of the questions asked were: Is Norman an inclusive community? Do all of our citizens feel respected and represented in the business, education and social sectors? Are we as a community taking advantage of the economic and social opportunities represented by diversity?

The goal of the Commission was to provide a safe and respectful place for Norman’s citizens to discuss whether we are a community that is genuinely open to the participation and opinions of all of our residents. Approximately 50 to 60 citizens attended and the issues discussed were public safety, education, human services, housing, employment, and economic opportunity.

The participants in the discussion had many positive impressions of Norman – quality social service agencies, good schools, adequate public transportation, and a great environment to raise children. The discussion also produced some common areas that were identified by the participants as perceived community challenges that our citizens experience. Listed below are examples of some of the perceptions that the participants in the inclusive dialogue discussed.

There were several groups of people who attended the Inclusive Community meeting who felt that they were less included than others. This lack of inclusion can lead to lack of equal access to opportunities. Included in these groups were people in wheelchairs, people without cars, those with felonies or substance abuse histories, and those from minority groups specifically Hispanic and gay/lesbian adults.

The Norman Human Rights Commission is grateful to the National Issues Forum (NIF) for facilitating and providing initial summary findings that were used as a basis for this report. The NIF has agreed to facilitate the second Inclusive Community Dialogue meeting to be held on the University of Oklahoma campus in the fall.

The Norman Human Rights Commission would like to thank everyone who participated in the Inclusive Community meeting. We appreciate the honest and thoughtful responses that were received. The Human Rights Commission presents this compilation of the perceptions expressed by the Inclusive Community participants to City Council. While we acknowledge that community perception is always subject to empirical verification, the hope of the Commission is that by working together and better understanding our strengths and weaknesses, we can become a truly Inclusive Community.

The Norman Human Rights Commission will begin a program to reach out to the community and meet with citizen groups, social service agencies, businesses and others to examine the specific challenges that were discussed in the Inclusive Community Forum.

The Commission will continue the Inclusive Community Dialogue process with a meeting in fall 2008 on the University of Oklahoma campus with an emphasis on soliciting input from University students, faculty and staff and including the National Issues Forum representatives in the planning and execution of ICD meetings.

The Commission will communicate and emphasize Section 7-102 of the duties of the Norman Human Rights Commission, including but not limited to:

The Commission will initiate collaborative relationships with Norman agencies and initiatives with missions related to human rights issues. As the Human Rights Commission moves through this process, they will keep Norman City Council informed with timely reports.