Let's Talk UNLV

Wesley Knight 0:00
This is a Kun V studios original program. The content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 jazz and more the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.

Dr. Sammie Scales 0:20
Hello. Hello again. And welcome to Kun V 91.5 let's talk today. I have a very special guest. Ms, Jose Melendrez, and he's gonna introduce himself and tell you his titles here on campus, and we're gonna go from there. Welcome Jose. Thank

Jose Melendrez 0:34
you. Sammy, so yeah, Jose melendres, and I am currently serving as the interim vice president for diversity initiatives and Chief, Chief Diversity Officer. I've been in that role as of November of 2023

Dr. Sammie Scales 0:47
great. Thank you so very much. And just so everyone know also, we have Otis Henderson here as well. He's out of the office of ODI. I want to say hi, Otis. Hello, everyone. Excellent, excellent. So Jose, let's give this dive into this conversation. Could you tell us your origin story. How did you end up here at UNLV? What you get your degrees out of those things? Sure.

Jose Melendrez 1:05
So I actually, like a lot of folks, I have my bachelor degree from UNLV. I have a degree in political science, and I won't say, win, but it's been a while now, and I actually ended up my wife and I ended up in Michigan going to graduate school, and a lot of her research, and a lot of my work deals with with diverse populations, communities, and so at the point where we were ready to do some of our research data collection, we just didn't have her our focus in that time was on Latino students, and we just didn't Have the population that we wanted in Detroit for that community. So we decided, we decided to come back to Nevada, and I reached out and applied for a position here at UNLV that turned into back in the day when we had a lot more resources available to us, was the establishment of what was then the office of student diversity programs and services that you're out you're in now. And so I was the first, I was the person that was brought in to help create that office. This was in, this was in 2006 that we established the Office. So that was our way back to Las Vegas. So I earned a master's degree in social work, and then came back and started working in student affairs here, running this Office of Student Diversity. Student diversity programs and services that we created. And I've been in my 18 years now here at UNLV, any kind of diversity programming element that's involved here, you know, be I've either led it, or I've been a part of the team to do that work. And so including all of the diversity work, including our designations as a as a Title Five, Hispanic serving institution, the title three and a PC, working with Dr Keith Rogers and his team to bring all of that into fruition. And now with our work here that currently is around all of the minority serving institution that we have, our task force and other things like that. So that's where, kind of how I've been involved and and glad to be a part of UNLV, in the sense of coming back home and being able to do this work for for UNLV. Wow,

Dr. Sammie Scales 3:07
that is excellent. So since 2006 so you are definitely qualified to be talking about this topic that we're discussing today. A little bit, just a little bit. Okay, let's jump in. So from your perspective, how would you describe the current culture here of diversity, equity and inclusion among the student body here at UNLV. You

Jose Melendrez 3:25
know the thing about UNLV, and especially with our students, it's always been, it's always been a diverse group. I think that's what makes UNLV who we are, in that sense, and and I can tell you from back when I was a student here in the 90s, we knew that the direction, you know, he was going was about the diversity of our students. And, you know, folks will tell you what's just the basic, just the natural growth of the demographics that we've that we've landed where we are with the diversity of our students. And I would tell you there's another, there's another lens for that, and that is that there are a lot of folks in our community, you know, UNLV is an urban based institution, and so we have a lot of folks in the Latino community, in the black community, in the Asian, Pacific Islander community, who have done a lot of work over the years, advocacy work to make sure that it's one thing to have the basic demographics, but then it's another thing for UNLV, be able to say We are a welcoming institution, that a student of some diverse background can come here and call it home. Yeah, and so there's a lot of folks in the community who have worked for years talking about what, you know, he was going to become, the diversity of our students. And so it's, it's, for me, it's incredible to sit here and watch things that I know 30 years ago, people who were my mentors, talking about this is going to happen, and now we're living it right. We're in HSI, we're in Ana, peasy. This semester, I think this current year, we have the largest in a long time enrollment of black students on campus that we've had in a long time. So to see that happening, to see it coming into fruition, and then for me to be able to be. Part of that leadership group that's working to make sure that this is a welcoming and safe environment for the diversity of our students. The other thing I would add to that, I think it's also in the last five years, because of the leadership that we've seen. I think everybody, over my 10 years, there's a lot of people, have been committed to it, but in the last five years where we had our first Latina president, and now our first black president, who, unfortunately recently resigned, but it's, I think it's under their leadership that we were really able to push the envelope and move diversity initiatives forward and and now with our current officer in charge, our former provost, Cassidy, I think we're going to be able to keep that momentum going forward as we do everything that we need to do, despite all of the national challenges or federal challenges against di

Dr. Sammie Scales 5:47
Yes, absolutely. I hear you saying also with the diversity of the students. Sound like the diversity of the students has been a strength for UNLV

Jose Melendrez 5:53
here. Always, always. I mean, like I said, I know back in the day when I was a student, it was something that we knew was on the verge of blowing up, in the sense of the diversity of our student population, and now to see it actually happening is just again for me, I feel very blessed to be in this capacity of what we do right now, when you see the continued growth, and I'll tell you right now, based on the demographics, we're not going to be going backwards anytime Soon, despite all of the federal challenges to di excellent, one thing for sure that's going to continue to grow is the diversity of our student population. So we have to ask ourselves that, no matter what comes out of and I think our provost, Chris heavey, said this, well, no matter what comes out of the federal government, at the end of the day, we still have to serve the diversity of our students. Yeah, absolutely.

Dr. Sammie Scales 6:38
And earlier, you talked about having a safe environment for students, which actually also ushers in that sense of belonging here on campus. I think that's something that you know, students want to make sure, of course, feeling safe on campus and then also feeling like they actually belong here on this campus. So how is student affairs working to ensure that dei is integrated into all aspects of campus life here at UNLV.

Jose Melendrez 7:03
Well, I think again, from, from my lens, been here 18 years now, to see the staff that are now involved with, like in your area, with, with our student diversity programs, that's probably the biggest staff that I've ever seen while being here at UNLV. And so to have that kind of staff, the number of professional staff who are working in these different areas. And it's for me, it feels it's almost like whether I'm talking with somebody in admissions, whether I'm talking at the cabinet level with our other vice presidents, whether I'm talking with the academic faculty, the faculty senate, everybody has an understanding of what it means for us to be this diverse campus, with all of the diversity. And I think I see genuinely, I see a lot of attempts on how can we do better, no matter what area people are coming from, how can we do better to serve those student groups, you know, meet their unique needs that they bring to the table, whether it's financial, whether it's mentoring, whether it's career pathways, just all the different things. And I see a lot of that coming from a lot of different areas. Now, there's, there's still a lot of work to be done. There's still a lot of unknowns that we have to navigate right now with the current federal climate correct. But I think I still see, I see just a genuine effort across campus of making sure, no matter what role I'm in on campus, that we're serving, serving this diverse student groups. And that's where I see, especially with Student Affairs, I kind of put student affairs as being kind of on the front lines of establishing that place where students feel welcome, they feel safe, they feel that I do belong here. You know, just take a walk through the Student Union any day, and just look at the diversity of all the students that are in there interacting with each other, you know, programming all these different things. So I think it's really, it's really positive thing that I see happening, yeah,

Dr. Sammie Scales 8:45
you know, not, and not only with this, with the student population here, that I see a rainbow of people. I'm also impressed, you know, during our Inter department meeting with Dr DMC at the diversity of the staff members. So when you see someone that look like yourself in certain positions, you can see, okay, that's obtainable. I can do that. You know, one thing that Dr DMC always stress is making sure that everything that we do is student centered. Now, what are some of the biggest concerns that you heard from students regarding inclusively and belonging here on campus? Is there anything that you hear? You know,

Jose Melendrez 9:17
I think from what I see, Dr DMC, Dr Rogers, are our officer in charge all the different folks from the different areas. You know, this is a priority for them. That's that's what I've experienced in the year and three months that I've been in my role as Interim Vice President, that it's a priority for everybody, of how we engage the students, what resources are at the table for them. So to see that happening is critical, but I think when the students might have concerns is unfortunately going back to the current climate that we see of happening, of what's coming out of the White House, and the decisions that are being made that we know, you know, across the United States, you look at where diversity offices have been eliminated. This kind of work has been eliminated. That folks are being targeted, not in Nevada, at least not yet. We're talking about it being ready for it, because there's just a lot of crazies, I like to say, coming out of coming out of the White House right now. But we're ready for it, and so students need to know. I think my message to students would be that whatever they're hearing, whatever the concerns, the legitimate concerns, we need to be mindful of it. But this is also, you got a lot of folks on this campus who are very committed to that student experience, yes, and so they just have to step up and ask or get involved and look at look around, and because there's a lot of folks here who are there to support them and to work with them, absolutely.

Dr. Sammie Scales 10:36
You know, I remember back in November, right after election, I have a few students come to my office, and one of the things that they were concerned about is, you know, keeping their families together. Would they be heard? Would they have a voice in the current climate? Would they be attacked some of our LGBTQ students here on campus? So those are some of the concerns that I've heard, you know, and being here on the campus at UNLV, and some of the things that been put in place, a lot of the different meetings that I've gone to is nothing but support for these students. So these students, some of the fears, have been calm because of, you know, having those staff members there to actually work through certain issues that they or concerns that they had at that particular time. So let me ask you this, how does student affair, collaborate with other departments to ensure that dei remains top priority in student programming, housing and in campus life. Here, I would

Jose Melendrez 11:29
you know, from my experience, I would tell from my lens, it's just, it's a it's a constant ongoing communication, whether it's official in some kind of meeting, whether we're getting together for a coffee chat, we're always discussing what's the best thing that we can do for our students? I think that's the part that I love most about this job, the opportunity I've had to serve in this role for the last year and three months, is that in every conversation I'm in with every official meeting, community partners, other folks on campus, is that that's in the top three items we're discussing, it's always, how's that student experience going? You know, understanding that a lot of our students come with different challenges. And again, the situation right now in the federal level, with the anti di, the the executive orders targeting transgender, gender, all those things that are are critical, and we need to understand how they play out. But people are mindful of that. This is having a direct impact. And so what can we do? What we what can we put in place in terms of programming services? And again, I think that's where I see student affairs is kind of on the front lines of doing that and making sure that everybody across the campus understands where the priorities are in terms of how we serve the diversity of our students and everything. And so Alexis, I know I see a lot of professional staff members and academic faculty who are working the hardest they can to make sure they create that space despite whatever's coming out of on the policy side. Okay,

Dr. Sammie Scales 12:59
okay, so given the current climate that we're living in politically since this new administration has taken taken over, is there anything that students are expressing to you about their personal safety here on campus, or how they feel when they go off campus, whether they're going to be attacked or anything? Is there

Jose Melendrez 13:17
any you know, for the past year, you know, where I've been, myself and Otis and our staff, our team and diversity initiatives, has been, you know, we've been doing a lot of work around the, as I put it, the Middle Eastern crisis, with with with making sure that there's a place for our Jewish students, for our Palestinian students, for our Muslim students, Israeli, all the different factions there, those groups that are involved there, that we're creating that space, and I know. Thank you to Dr DMC, yourself, Dr Luna, the work that's gone in and the things that we've had to do to make sure that we have a safe campus, and then throw on top of that the anti di stuff that obviously gets at all of the racial and ethnic situations. And then, you know, and I hate to bring it up, but you can kind of do this kind of conversation about student safety and inclusion. Remember what happened to us here on December 6 in 2023 and that that space where students have a lot of concerns safety and mental health. So I was proud. I was I've been proud to be a part of not only the typical, standard programming that we do for students on campus, but then also, you know, under President Whitfield, we initiated the his mental health initiative to making sure that we were creating spaces for everybody to be heard if services were needed, if resources were needed right now as an example, right now we're working with to try and support our immigration clinic, because we know that there's a lot of things happening around DACA and undocumented students and their concerns they have, so being able to work in elevating those things to the forefront when we need to talk about, what do they need? What resources need to be put in place? So. We can work with this. And then the other part, for me is always, because there's always been that community engagement component. So working with our community partners, whether they're nonprofit organizations, whether they're policy makers, that they're aware of what we have going on on campus, and that they're involved with us, you know, and I'm proud to say that we have a lot of those folks who are those policy makers now, a lot of them are graduates of UNLV, so there's that unique understanding of, well, that's part of my that's part of my world. And so having that, I think that's what makes us stand out from a lot of different institutions across the country, because there is such a ownership of our campus partner, community partners who are out there because they have some kind of connection to UNLV,

Dr. Sammie Scales 15:42
yeah, and that's always a strength as well, you know, realizing that we have more in common than we have have differences. So how does student affair ensure that students know their rights and have access to these resources when come to dealing with like discrimination, harassment and stuff like that?

Jose Melendrez 15:57
Yeah, that's a great question and a great point. You know, I know that I see because especially in the last year and a half, that I've been involved at this level, that there's just tons of meetings and conversations, constantly, constantly reviewing the policies, constantly reviewing the protocols for when something happens. Sonny Giddens and Phil burns and those folks do a phenomenal work engaging with the student affairs and everybody that needs to be at the table about how we ensure whatever's going on on campus that students understand where they can turn to resources, where they can turn when something does happen unfortunately, who they can go to report it. So I know there's a lot of effort in that area by staff on all levels, both on the administrative side and the academic side, but it's a constant work in progress. You know, we, I don't think we can ever say, Oh, we, we've solved this issue, and now we're we don't have to worry about that anymore. No, it's a it's a process of where we're constantly communicating, constantly listening and making sure, especially with our students, that they know they can come to this office and they're going to get some kind of help, whatever, and if like, if they come to our the last couple of weeks, we've had multiple students come to us with different issues, and if it's not something we can answer, Otis does a phenomenal job of when students show up, and he kind of works with them and gets them to know what resources are available, but that if we don't have the answers for them, then we're going to find out and connect them to where they need to be. And so I'm very grateful to our staff, Otis and yaw and and Dr Harry Barlow and Anna and the intersection that's a part of our team that they all maintain, that whatever we're about, students are priority one of everything that we

Dr. Sammie Scales 17:39
do that is excellent, and that relates back to having those personal connections with other departments here on campus. Otis, can you tell us what departments you know outside of your own department that you work with closely, and I know Jose just mentioned intersection, are there any others that you work with here on campus? Well, definitely

Jose Melendrez 17:57
your department, Student Affairs, specifically the student diversity programming in helping to advertise and promote those programs that reach out and touch our students to offer that sense of belonging. Because you know statistics. Statistics say that the more you are belonging, the more you contribute as a student to your own personal education outside of just the classroom, the higher your chances of graduating are. So we try and definitely promote that and help those students that do come in, oftentimes, when they come in to see us, they're they're at some type of breaking point, either financially or mental health wise. So we do try and get them the help they need as efficiently as possible, as fast as possible, because down the line, as Jose alluded to, those graduates go on to be to do good things in the in the community, and they do want to give back at some point in time. So here is where those seeds are sown to getting them the help for them, not necessarily a handout, but a hand up so down the line, it's going to pay dividends when it's either through the alumni sponsorships, or are they given their time or their effort to help UNLV thrive and succeed. Great,

Dr. Sammie Scales 19:18
great. You know, the one thing in the past 10 minutes that I've noticed both the both of you actually saying a lot is talking about mental health. So how do you get these students connected? Jose, with mental health services. Where is that located? Here on campus. What do they have to meet a certain criteria. How do you connect these students? Right? So sorry

Jose Melendrez 19:35
for you know, everybody's familiar with caps. That's that's the main part where somebody is doing some kind of mental health issue, emotional issue, a motion issue, that we can send in there. And they resources available to them under Dr Jamie Davison. We also have Dr Michelle Paul with the practice and her role now as an AVP over over behavior and mental health initiatives for the campus so and those are all things that the council has been there for a little while. I know Dr Davison does a lot of work in the. Area with his team, and then again, the commitment from leadership, because Dr, Michelle Paul, she's had the practice has been on campus for a little while now, but her new role as Dave P over that area has elevated that level of where we engage and what resources are available. And I think so the more communication we have, the more understanding we have with what those what's available to students, and that's just a constant component of where we talk to again, after the December 6 event, the whole rebel SAFE program was put in place. And so everybody understands that when a student comes to you, I know I've had it in my world, when, when a student sends an email or something, and then you read something in that email that, okay, this, this person's in trouble, then who can I reach out to to connect them, to make sure? And I you know, recently, we had a situation where students reach out and they're putting some things in the email about, maybe even thinking about harming themselves. And right away, I was able to share that with five or six individuals. And I think, like within the first within the first hour, I know that somebody had been able to contact that student, reach out to them and have a conversation with them, and we got them that, I think, that same day, we got them connected to some resources on campus that we were able to hopefully put them in a different direction. And so I think it's that kind of how we are as a campus, ready and be much in tune with what's going on right now, and knowing that this is a it's a tough environment right now, and we have to do everything we can to support our students.

Dr. Sammie Scales 21:26
That's excellent. Yeah, it's definitely important to be able to connect these students, you know, with that possibly could be experiencing mental health issues. Because, you know, we as adults, you know, we come into UNLV to work every day we work, we do what we need to do. And of course, we're dealing also with some of these things that's happening in the political environment right now. But these students are students as well, and they're dealing with that in addition too. So definitely I can understand them needing to get help. You know, if they feel like they need that mental health help there. So as political pressure against dei increase nationwide. How is UNLV working to ensure that student focused dei programs continue to receive institutional support here at UNLV?

Jose Melendrez 22:09
Well, from my lens, right now, we're still very much committed to that. You know, we have there's what comes out of the federal government, then there's what comes out of the state legislature. I think Nevada, we're in a unique place, because right now, we're mindful of it. We're paying attention. We're seeing what's happening, but, but we're not we're not doing anything drastic just yet to oh, we're going to change the name where we're going to drop to all that we're just going to drop to, you know, because there are states where they literally overnight, they eliminated di programs, yes, staff lost jobs, departments were closed, all of that. That's not happening Nevada, and I don't think it will. Now, again, like a lot of folks, we we have to be ready. We're, you know, right now, we're doing an internal audit of what everything is on campus, what we have. And so if we have to pivot, okay, we pivot. If they, if you're forced to do a name change, okay, we'll call it something else. But at the end of the day, it's still about serving the diversity of our student population. And so those things are not those it might look different, but we're not going to stop serving our students so so that's going to be something. No matter what comes out, whatever the political climate looks like, we're still going to do the work that we need to do to serve our diverse student population. Excellent.

Dr. Sammie Scales 23:16
What messages would you like to share with students who feel anxious and uncertain about the future of the of dei here at UNLV. You

Jose Melendrez 23:24
know what I would tell them is they need to reach out if they really don't know, or we know that with use of social media to there's a lot of there's a lot of good information, and then there's a lot of misinformation. And so I would tell them, if they're unsure about something, or they're not, they're not quite sure, I know that they can reach out to you all in student diversity programs, they can definitely come to our office, reach out and just reach out. Don't, don't hold back. Don't be, don't be stuck out there. Oh, well, I heard this on on Instagram, so it must be true. No, if you're unsure about something or you need something, they need to reach out and come talk to us. And know that. You know, if a student comes to buy our office, my door is always open. If I'm there, they can, they can go into your office or Otis office, and hey, I need to talk to the VP about this or that. If I'm there, I'll take it. You know, they don't need to make an appointment. Because, you know, what I've learned over the years is that when a student has an issue and they need to deal with it. You we as professional staff, we as academic staff, we all need to be ready to respond in the moment, because if a student's dealing with an issue today, and then they come and they send you an email, or they come by the office and said, Hey, I need to talk to you about something. Can I, can I? Oh, well, you know what, go and set up an appointment and I'll see you in three weeks. No, we have to be able to do a lot better than that. And so that's why I always maintain that if I'm in the office, they can come in, if I'm there, they can come in, and we can talk about whatever the issue is. We can't put it off for three weeks. Or they can email, if they email me, then I try to check my emails and I read through and see what's going on and try to connect them to resources or reach out to them. And I think we all need to be, especially during the current climate right now, we all need to be in that position of ready to serve. And willing to reach out right away.

Dr. Sammie Scales 25:01
Yeah, that definitely hits on being student centered and actually showing that you care. Because you know, there are times on campus when students come to my office and want to talk, of course, I have an open, open door policy, just like what you have, and I'm always willing to talk to those students right there and right then. Because I always think, if it's my kid somewhere out of college and got have an issue going on, I would want someone to talk to them. So that definitely shows that you're there for the student. And students can actually sense, you know, okay, this guy actually care about me. Here I am. I have this issue. I'm at his office, and he's willing to talk to me. So that's excellent, excellent. So can you share but tell us, do you think it would be beneficial to have something you know what, I guess, titled as what you need to know about dei here, for those students that really just want to come, even if it's put together on a newsletter and it's sent out to students or they can download it on

Jose Melendrez 25:55
a camera, I think that that's always critical. The more information we can share about who we are, what we do, how we do it, where our commitment is. I think that's always critical messaging. And I know that we're always, I mean, I just today, three different meetings I've been in, and that was kind of like the core, how do we how do we communicate who we are, so that students know, okay, yeah, if I if I want to go to UNLV, or if I want to stay at UNLV, I know that there's a commitment to to to my concerns, my needs. I know that I'm going to find somebody who probably looks like me or shares my experiences, and I think that's a critical part of who we are and how and that we need to really think about and be I always say in diversity, where we have to be very intentional about what we do, and especially during this current climate, we have to be very intentional about who we are under dei and how we engage the community that we serve in at the end of the day. For my lens, it's about priority is creating this space for our students, creating the space for our staff and faculty, and that we're all on that finding that common ground for how we all make the best experience for everybody. At UNLV,

Dr. Sammie Scales 27:00
excellent, excellent. Otis, I want to ask you, when it comes to students and dei here on campus, what's your best advice for students when it comes to dei here on campus and what they need to know or find out, what's your best advice who

Jose Melendrez 27:13
you think belongs to diversity might not be what you think. I'm a veteran. That's diversity. If you talk to someone on the street, they have mental health problems, for instance, that's diversity. You never we are all inclusive, and I think that's the important takeaway. It's not just one group or two groups that might fit in that box of diversity, but it's all of us, some way, shape or form. We all belong in that category, and it's very important for us to be mindful of that. And for the students, keep your eyes on the prize. Your objective is to graduate. And yes, when you've got to foster that sense in within yourself of what do you need to graduate? For some people, you know, they can do it on they can do it to a certain degree by themselves. Some people need that social group, that social interaction, to get them through to the next stage in their life. And as a diverse student body and faculty, we should be able to provide that we owe them, that at the very

Dr. Sammie Scales 28:17
least, great. Thank you. Otis, closing words for students on dei we're

Jose Melendrez 28:22
here to serve you. You know, if you're not sure about something, come find out. Come and ask questions. We're all. We're always there to work with you all and you know, and for in my role, it's an interim vice president, but I'm there to serve students and just make that take that risk. If you're not sure about something, take that risk and get out there and put yourself out there and ask the questions and get involved. Absolutely

Dr. Sammie Scales 28:41
great. Thank you. So if student, if a student, wanted to contact you, how would they do that?

Jose Melendrez 28:47
Well, they can email me. Jose.melendres@unlv.edu they can come by the office. They can call our office, 702-895-5604, is my direct line. If I'm there, I'm available. And for those who do connect to me, I'll also give them my cell phone number so that they have access to me. Excellent,

Dr. Sammie Scales 29:09
excellent. And oh and Otis, how would students reach out to you if they want to contact you? Oh,

Jose Melendrez 29:14
they can contact my boss. Jose, field those questions anytime.

Dr. Sammie Scales 29:19
Excellent, excellent. Thank you so very much for my to my guests here. Thank you so very much for commenting. I really appreciate having you both, and there's always room here for you. If you come up with something and want to come back to talk, the door is always open for you. Thank you so very much. Thank you, Sam, thank you. Thank you. And that's a wrap

Dr. Renee Watson 29:38
for more. Let's talk. UNLV, be sure to follow us on social media, where you can get the latest updates on the show, plus great behind the scenes content. We're on Facebook at, let's talk, you know, V podcast, Twitter at, let's talk UNLV and Instagram. At, let's talk UNLV.