At the second meeting of the Brown University Community Council on Friday - its last meeting of the year - members of the audience asked University officials to address the firing of a dining services worker and cuts to the American Sign Language program.
The meeting was attended by panel members representing various parts of the University community and by about 25 audience members, an increase from the first meeting. Even though most of the time was allocated to formal agenda items, there was an opportunity for non-panel members to raise questions and topics for debate.
Sam Holzman '05 took advantage of the open floor to bring up his concern over the firing of Sharpe Refectory worker Valdi Williams. Holzman spoke about his friendship with Williams, whom he has known during his time at Brown and called a "great person" and a "hard worker."
Holzman said he came "unaffiliated, as a concerned member of the community" to raise awareness about the way Williams was fired from her job. According to recent accounts, Williams was terminated some weeks ago from her job at the Sharpe Refectory after failing to wash her hands after adjusting her apron in the bathroom.
Seth Leibson '05, a member of the Student Labor Alliance and a student supervisor for Dining Services, said there is "no legal obligation" to rehire Williams, but he asked that the University acknowledge that the "firing was unjust" and take action to remedy the situation.
While Holzman and Leibson spoke, 10 audience members stood in an apparent show of support.
In response, Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services David Greene said there is currently a "problem resolution process" underway at the Human Resources Department and that the incident would be "resolved quickly."
When pressed for details by a BUCC member, Greene said the Human Resources Advisory Board will review the issue at a meeting April 22.
President Ruth Simmons added that she had asked Human Resources to investigate the "limited duration employee category," in which Williams had been classified for five years before her transfer to the Ratty. Simmons said that any mistreatment of such workers "was not really something that reflects what we want to be as a community."
Two students in the audience urged the University to retain its American Sign Language program. Adee Thal '05 - whose speech Simmons described as "moving" - and Willa Mamet '04.5, a deaf studies concentrator, spoke on the behalf of ASL supporters.
"We don't need a huge department," Mamet said of the program, which does not have its own department or permanent faculty and will become a non-credit Continuing Education course over the course of the next year. "Just a small amount of support."
The last audience member to address the panel was Matthew Redovan '06. He said that he was there out of concern that the "suicide of Anthony (Abanto '06.5) has not been satisfactorily addressed."
Greene said the University is currently working on a memorial service with Abanto's family and planning outreach activities.
Also at the meeting, Dean of the College Paul Armstrong presented his recommendations for improving academic advising.
Armstrong identified weaknesses in sophomore advising - "where support is less organized and less sympathetic" - and in "uneven concentration advising." He cited inconsistencies across concentrations: Some departments, such as the classics department, offer "wonderful advising," he said, while larger concentrations provide "less dependable" and "more sporadic" advising.
Armstrong said that any student interested in contributing input to this review process should contact him, Greene or Associate Provost Brenda Allen.
