"We of the dominant white society have been deluding ourselves; this problem is far more serious and deeply rooted than we thought it was…" - J.W. Maucker

Unmoved in his belief that the University had to do something to contribute to the improvement of relationships between the whites and blacks on the UNI campus, in the Waterloo-Cedar Falls community, in the Iowa schools, and even in other institutions of higher education, President Maucker told the faculty in 1968 what the University had done and what it planned to do regarding minority group relations.  This by far, Maucker considered, was  the most crucial and the biggest project facing the university and he urged the faculty to support it.

At the fall's matriculation convocation, Maucker spoke these words,
            "We must consider seriously our responsibility as a university with
             respect to the education of the disadvantaged within our society. We
             stand indicted, along with many other individuals and institution in
             our community, for failure to come to grips with the problem right
             here where we live.  We must make a major  commitment of our
             energies and our resources in this area.  There must be recognition
             of the centrality, pervasiveness and depth of the racial issue.  We of
             the dominant white society have been deluding ourselves; this problem
             is far more serious and deeply rooted than we thought it was.  In fact,
             it is the most serious problem we have ever confronted as a people --
             a serious threat to the American dream.  Our basic attitudes are much more
             racist in nature and our basic institutions are much more deliberately
             designed to keep black people in a subordinate position than we have
             commonly assumed.  Until we grasp this fact, and face it squarely, most of
             our efforts to alleviate those aspects of the racial problems which we do
             recognize will miss the mark.  While it is not the University's business
             as a university to undertake a program of social reform, it is the University's
             business to develop an exemplary climate of human relationships within
             the university community itself and to carry out an instructional program
             which will equip our graduates to be effective in dealing with the basic
             problems of our society.

President Maucker continued to applaud and support the efforts by the COURIMGE but contended that "nothing less than  a total University commitment will make the impact necessary in view of the magnitude of the problem."  Not only were the president's words positively recognized by the faculty senate, the Student Senate, led by Cyndi Hovden, stated they too were in accord with the president's position.

Although words may be a strong start, actions often need additional support.   The efforts to improve the on-campus environment for minority groups made little progress in that first year (1968-69).  The COURIMGE had outlined on-campus program but was found difficult to execute by the then director, Robert K. Murphy.  In addition to his lack of experience in planning and administering programs outlined by the COURIMGE, the variety of assignments, lack of funds, and existing policies of the Universities were handicaps.  Not to be discouraged, Murphy, along with  a number of black staff members,  contributed greatly  to the success of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP).

In the Fall of 1968, recruitment of minority students was directed toward those who had enrolled in the Upward Bound program a year earlier.  Twelve Upward Bound students enrolled.  The COURIMGE  recruited six recent gradates of East Waterloo High and had them enrolled in the university under the 'provisional student program' in the summer of 1968.  Within this East Waterloo High group were several students who would have not met the usual University standards.  Under a special program, the university admitted them and provided substantial financial assistance.

The numbers of minority students  slowly began to rise.  By the fall of 1970, the number had reached 82.  Four years later, the number of black students reached 289 and, at that time, there were four a Native American students, and nine Hispanic students.

Next: The Afro-American Society addresses curriculum

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