(Photos by Xinyi Song and Ariel Cobbert)
The Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on History and Context is now accepting input from students, faculty and community members on the potential renaming of buildings, streets or monuments on campus.
According to Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter, the committee has already identified three points of interest on campus: Vardaman Hall, Lamar Hall and Johnson Commons.
During the meeting, the 14-member committee received its “charge” and mission from Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter.
Vitter said in last weeks meeting that the committee’s first task will be to compile a comprehensive list of sites on campus that need consideration.
“Once the recommendations have been reviewed by my office and the list of sites is finalized, the committee will proceed with designing content and format to contextualize the designated sites,” Vitter said in the meeting.
Potential sites for contextualization include monuments, street names and the buildings, according to Vitter.
“I was very pleased to see dynamic and honest interactions from the CACHC members during the first meeting,” Vitter said. “I am excited how quickly the committee has moved forward with efforts to engage the community via the online suggestion form. Our contextualization efforts for the Oxford campus are in good hands with this exceptional group.”
A comprehensive report of all recommended contextualization sites should be completed by next March, Vitter said.
The committee is currently accepting feedback for potential areas on campus for contextualization through its online forum that is open until Sept. 9.
Donald Cole, committee co-chair and assistant provost, said that until people begin to submit information, there is no accurate way to predict which sites will require review.
Cole said the committee will consider all suggestions carefully, hold open forums and town hall meetings, and will make transcriptions of the meetings public.
“Many members of the committee expressed a desire to have a multifaceted engagement process to include live forums and meetings as well as ongoing electronic updates,” Cole said. “We will be meeting again soon and will be sharing plans for live meetings as they develop.”
Vitter will host a town hall meeting from 3 to 5 p.m. on Aug. 29 at the Ole Miss Inn where students, faculty and staff can discuss the current events on campus.
Cole said many sites already have plaques that explain the its history and many locations have already been renamed. Vitter said he plans to use the same methods in future contextualization.
“We took a look at what other institutions are doing –the Browns, Harvards and Yales – and we have studied them, and we’ve seen a spectrum of things done,” Cole said. “Sometimes, plaques are put up and sometimes buildings are renamed. Right now, we’re not putting anything on the table or taking anything off.”
When asked about the cost for contextualization of various properties on campus, Cole said the committee’s primary focus is to identify sites in need of contextualization, not the work’s scope and cost.
Cole said he is confident that these recommendations will receive “priority consideration.”
Vitter held multiple listening sessions around campus over the summer before the committee was selected where he asked constituency groups about specific criteria that should be associated with the members appointed to the group, Cole said.
The criteria for selecting the individuals to represent the contextualization committee was based on a candidates expertise in history, sociology, English, law, or race relations; consensus building and collaboration; an understanding of Ole Miss culture; experience in contextualization of historic sites; and a commitment to an inclusive and respectful process that honors the UM Creed.
Associated Student Body President Austin Powell is the only student on the context committee. As a representative for the student body, Powell said he is committed to ensuring that student’s voices and concerns are heard by the committee.
“Individuals serving on the committee have concerns that are different from the students, and I wanted to make sure their voices are elevated in the committee,” Powell said. “The more I thought about it, I realized I’m supposed to be the voice of 20,000 people, and it made sense to fill that role as a student representative for such an important committee.”
Powell said it is important to have conversations with students about this issue. He said he plans to host listening sessions for students as well as monthly student organizational meetings that will allow students to voice their concerns regarding future sites.
“It’s important to have that personal interaction with students and asking them about their thoughts on what needs to be contextualized on campus,” Powell said. “We’ve already seen a movement on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and personal emails.”
Powell said his position as ASB president has put him in the best position to represent students’ needs on the committee.
“I’m excited to represent students in a great way and develop positive change on campus. It has a lot to do with the nature of the creed as well,” Powell said. “The committee is a direct action of the creed as well and I’m excited to work with them.”
