Students voice concerns about diversity at Arkansas College of Health Education

Arkansas College of Health Education students gathered Monday to discuss the experience of minority students on campus.

The Black Student Health Alliance organized the event "Raise Our Voices." As part of the forum, students analyzed a survey sent to minority students about what they think about the college.

“The biggest thing about why we’re here today is the fact that there’s been consensus that minorities feel unwelcomed to a certain extent or they’ve had adverse experiences while here at ACHE," said Cayla Adams, who led the forum.

According to the survey, 36 out of 49 students feel that the school is not diverse.

Student Klare Aziz said she thinks that is partially because there are few people of color on the staff.

While the survey showed that 48 out of 52 students feel safe on campus, 31 out of 52 people feel safe in the surrounding community.

Adams said that when the students were recruited to the college, administrators told them that Fort Smith and Barling would be welcoming and diverse, and for many, that has not been the case.

She said that when she first arrived at the college, officials told her to stay away from the north side of town, which includes more people of color.

“But I do think we should enforce to professors and staff going here forth to no longer tell students they should not go to the north side because that implements the idea that the people who look like me, I am not safe around, and the culture that is closest to mine, I am not safe to be around," Adams said. "So what does that mean you think about me if that’s what you’re saying?"

Student Mouhamed Gueye said that while he was jogging in the area, a truck drove past him blaring police sirens in what he said was an attempt to intimidate him.

According to the survey, about 60% of students feel welcomed by their peers at the college.

One student said that classmates have described her speech as ghetto.

Adams said there is a need for a culture change.

“We can change the path that ACHE is going down," Adams said.

Students were also encouraged to leave comments on the survey expressing any experiences that have affected them.

One student left a comment and said that the student went into Braum's Ice Cream & Dairy and was harassed by older, visibly whiter men about the student's clothing and faith.

Victoria George, who also helped lead the forum, expressed a need for students to know how to stand up for each other when they see injustice.

“As we’re all striving to be future health care providers in some form we need to understand how to be advocates for our patients for our future patients… But it’s important we know how to stand up for people even if we’re not being attacked directly or how to voice for people who cannot voice for themselves when we see people being attacked, and that is something that is not only important in our social circles, that might be the life or death situation for a future patient down the line," George said.

Alex Gladden is a University of Arkansas graduate. She previously reported for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and The Jonesboro Sun before joining the Times Record. She can be contacted at agladden@swtimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Students voice concerns about diversity at ACHE