Excerpt from the Dayton Daily News
Black students reported many negative experiences while completing their education at Ohio universities or colleges, according to a new report from the Ohio Student Association.
Those negative experiences included interactions with campus police, worries about being able to pay for college, noting places to avoid on campus because the students felt unwelcome, and more.
“Some had very negative experiences, or uncomfortable experiences or didn’t feel comfortable going to the different areas on campus,” said Everrett Smith, an associate professor at the University of Cincinnati who conducted research for the report.
The report comes after a proposed law at the statehouse that would have restricted diversity and inclusion efforts failed over the summer, and the U.S. Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that ended affirmative action on college campuses.
Gary Neal Jr., a Wright State University student who plans to graduate in the spring with a degree in mechanical engineering, participated in the survey as he was then-president of Wright State’s Black Student Association.
Neal said as WSU’s BSA president, he interacted frequently with Wright State administrators, including Wright State’s president, Sue Edwards. He said when issues came up at Wright State, administrators and faculty were usually supportive of the students.
