Task force to evaluate Chicano group director
By Jacob Carpenter (Last updated: 03/26/09 12:18am)Animosity between the MSU Chicano/Latino Studies program director and students over the director’s performance will be the subject of an investigation by a College of Social Science task force in the coming weeks after students called for her job.
About 30 people — most of them affiliated with the Chicano/Latino Studies program — vented frustration with Sheila Contreras, the program’s director, in a meeting with social science dean Marietta Baba on Wednesday.
The students said Contreras has attempted to dismantle the Chicano/Latino Fellows Program, a mentorship project, and has disrespected students who complained about her job performance.
The students also said Contreras has received a vote of no confidence from staff and students, restricted access to office space typically open to Chicano/Latino Studies students, been unresponsive to communication made by students and created a list of troublemakers who have been critical of her.
“We’re trying to work with it and put in our input as much as we could, but the fact is that this semester, we basically saw the elimination of the Fellows Program and her attitude was getting worse and we were systematically getting shut out of the office,” said Gabriela Alcázar, an international relations and social relations and policy junior who is part of the Chicano/Latino Studies program.
“We were trying to work around stuff before and compromise, but she wasn’t listening to anything that anyone was saying.”
Contreras denied claims that there are plans to cut the Chicano/Latino Fellows Program and said she has been responding to student complaints. She added she didn’t know the details of the problems students had identified regarding access to office space reserved for the program in South Kedzie Hall and denied allegations of creating a “troublemaker list.”
Contreras referred questions related to a vote of no confidence and her process of responding to students’ complaints to the College of Social Science’s dean’s office.
“We have a pretty good process going to look at the student concerns and to respond to them in the most generous and professional way,” Contreras said.
The students called for Baba to make a decision on Contreras’ job security by April 1.
Baba said she hopes the task force of nine people will be assembled by April 1. No action will be taken against Contreras until the committee presents its findings, Baba said. Contreras began a three-year contract with the university in August and can’t be fired without just cause, she said.
Baba said she wants the committee to decipher the truth about allegations made against Contreras and find whether Contreras has support.
Students in attendance Wednesday said undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty members have expressed a vote of no confidence involving Contreras, but Baba said she has not received a formal declaration.
“I was presented with a sheet of paper saying there was a vote of no confidence, but there were no names attached to it, so I don’t know who’s supporting her and who’s not supporting her,” Baba said.
“I got a statement that people had crossed their names off. I heard that people’s names were put on it that didn’t want their names on it. I can’t even tell who’s on whose side.”
Baba said interviews will be conducted to determine whether claims of a vote of no confidence are valid.
“I need some real experts to go and really find out, ‘are a majority supporting or not supporting her?’” Baba said.
Originally Published: 03/25/09 4:46pm
common sense
03/25/09 5:08pmOh no the world’s gonna end!
student
03/25/09 5:21pmMediocre, conformist, egocentric prof? Being paid top dollar?
Its simple: Get out!
Go to LCC or something.
Horatio Caine
03/25/09 9:56pmOH NO!! Not the Latino Studies program!! I’m too shocked…and too hurt to even think about this!
Good Luck working this out
03/25/09 10:28pmI call to question why this professor “attempted to dismantle the Chicano/Latino Fellows Program, a mentorship project, and has disrespected students who have complained about her job performance and her restricting access to office space.” It seems to have really upset many people who have tried to bring it to her attention. Hope that things are looked into and dealt with fairly. It appears from this article that the 30 people complaining may very well have just cause.
Xicana Soldier
03/26/09 12:25amThe faculty’s vote of no confidence is valid, the graduate student’s vote of no confidence is valid, and the undergraduate’s vote of no confidence is valid. They were all thrown in Dean Baba’s face. Does she want their signatures signed in blood? That allegation and this “taskforce” are all tactics to buy her time in making a decision.
If she hasn’t seen a list with names on it, how have people already decided to have theirs crossed off of it?
If all 3 tiers of CLS affiliated persons, her faculty, her graduate students, her undergraduate students (including the Fellows participants), want her gone because she is not willing to engage with them, then what is she doing?
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Latina Student
03/26/09 12:43amDean Baba heard what we had to say, and she better know we’re serious about it. As students that pay tuition, we deserve to have a director that is in our best interest. If we’re not getting what we paid for, then something needs to be done. Contreras is not in our best interest, and we need a director that will be.
Latin Lover
03/26/09 3:50amHere is a friendly message to Sheila Contreras please resign today. From the article and comments you are not a friendly person. Please resign for the betterment of the CLS program.
Bloodlines
03/26/09 3:54amSheila Contreras must resign by 5:00 p.m. today. You do not have much support
Slave Master
03/26/09 3:58amSheila Contreras please do us favor resign today by 5:00 p.m.
Tezcatlipoca
03/26/09 9:24amDr Contreras would do the Xicano/Latino Studies program, herself and the Xicano community in general a great service if she were to resign. Contreras habitually misses faculty meetings, constantly postpones, cancels or doesn’t schedule meetings with student staff, can’t be bothered to attend meetings and forums organized by students and on the one occasion when she did attend a forum in the fall Contreras talked over undergraduate students, grimaced constantly and rolled her eyes, disrespected and demeaned graduate students and gave a demonstration of why she is unfit as a leader.
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Tezcatlipoca
03/26/09 9:28amOne more thing. It is was quite egregious behavior by Contreras to have her flunky call undergraduate student concerns “silly and irresponsible” at a recent faculty meeting. Resign now!
Bloodlines
03/26/09 11:18amAgain more comments on why Sheila Contreras should resign. Sheila please do the CLS community a favor resign by 5:00 p.m. today
Latina Student
03/26/09 4:30pmSheila Contreras,
Please resign by 5:00 pm.
Thank you,
Latina Student
Bloodlines
03/26/09 6:35pmSheila Contreras please resign tomorrow by 5:00 p.m.
XicanoSoldado
03/26/09 6:36pmDr.Sheila Marie Contreras needs to start thinking with a rational mind. Her own faculty (with the exception of one faculty member) gave her a vote of no confidence, the graduate students (with the exception of 2 of’em) and the undergraduates all have asked her to resign. She is not paying attention to the CLS community at all, thats why shes seeking support from people who have NOT been in the CLS office like the undergrads have and witnessed first-hand the disrespectful and hostile environment that she has made of the CLS office. Shes a good professor, as her undergrad supporters have claimed, but she is not a good director. Please resign Dr.Sheila Marie Contreras.
Slave Master
03/26/09 6:36pmSheila Contreras please do us favor resign tomorrow by 5:00 p.m.
Bloodlines
03/26/09 6:40pmI message to Sheila Contreras, your so-called friends will not save you, Diana Rivera does not have any type of power to save your job. Do your peers a favor please resign tomorrow by 5:00 p.m.
Bloodlines
03/27/09 12:16amMarch 26, 2009
Dear Dr. Contreras,
Earlier this evening two students attempted to meet you at a spot you designated for a meeting called for by Concerned Undergraduate Students. After arriving there fifteen minutes after the said meeting was scheduled to begin you were nowhere to be found. The students then attempted to deliver the letter to you at your office, yet you refused to answer the door. ...View full comment »
Slave Master
03/27/09 12:30amThis is another reason why Sheila Contreras should resign tomorrow by 5:00 p.m. Sheila why did you behavior in that matter to these concerned undergraduate students after you set up a meeting date with them.
Please resign tomorrow by 5:00 p.m.
uhh...
03/27/09 10:25amOK she may very well be bad, but from all of your posts, you all look kinda like sociopaths. Seriously, stop stalking the woman and use the logic and rational skills you should have learned to write out why she is a problem and present these findings in an orderly, businesslike way. I mean saying you’re soldiers and whatnot really hurts your arguments across the board.
Stop acting like spoiled children and present the problems like college students. If you do that, and you’ve got just cause, you’ll win. Keep this up and you’ll have acomplished as much as the “killer coke” nutters (i.e. nothing).
Xicano Soldado
03/27/09 1:32pmMarch 26, 2009
Dear Dr. Contreras,
...Earlier this evening two students attempted to meet you at a spot you designated for a meeting called for by Concerned Undergraduate Students. After arriving there fifteen minutes after the said meeting was scheduled to begin you were nowhere to be found. The students then attempted to deliver the letter to you at your office, yet you refused to answer the door.
View full comment »
Bloodlines
03/27/09 1:40pmSheila Contreras please do us favor resign today by 5:00 p.m.
Latino Observer
03/30/09 2:53pmIt seems to me that there are legitimate concerns over job performance, however, the aggressive tone of the bulk of these comments undermine your position. There are accusations of disrespect when respect is not being given. To call the professor in question “mediocre, conformist, egocentric” does not demonstrate HOW or WHY she is either mediocre, conformist, or egocentric.
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Bloodlines
03/31/09 1:28pmSheila Contreras please do us favor resign today by 5:00 p.m.