Race and YCP as a Four Year Institution

While comparing race and space at York College, it is important to first understand the space the campus fulfills and its relation to the student body and the community. The campus itself has undergone a lot of changes as YCP has developed into what it is today. In 2013, the Willman Business Center opened for the expansion of the  School of Business at YCP. Diehl Hall was expanded in 2012 for the nursing program, and the Grumbacher Fitness Center was first opened in 2006 in a newly built West Campus. Next came the Northside Commons, built in 2011 to house new students and those in scholarly programs. While these are significant to the student body, YCP’s main focus remains on the community. In 2006, the Waldner Performing Arts Center (WPAC) was completed and opened for students and the public, where community members could gather and watch YCP productions. Community relations are a very important part of the mission of York College. The 2009 yearbook states, “The college actively participates in neighborhood improvement organizations and initiatives that are focused on the area contiguous to campus”(YCP Archives, 2009). The areas surrounding YCP include York City and Spring Garden Township. It is important at York College to connect with all areas of the community to build the strongest relationship to those populated within the city and its surrounding areas. In 2013, big changes came to YCP - President Pamela Gunther-Smith became the first woman and person of color to become president of the College. She then enacted Spartan Service Day, which encouraged students to help out their community (YCP Timeline, 2021). In relation to race on campus, the introduction to President Gunter-Smith was a victory for all women and POC that could look up to her as a role model. The fight for racial equality is a battle that spans over hundreds of years, and the advocating of inclusion at YCP is no different in those relations. Despite slowly growing in terms of diversity, there is still a lot of work to be done to close the gap and lack of diversification on campus. 

Although York College became a four year institute in 1969, demographic data on students was not recorded until 1980 (NCES, 2021). York College was said to start out with only 1,800 students in 1969 and today (as of 2019) has over 5,000. Comparing the demographical data from 1980 to 2019, it is consistent that YCP has a predominately white student population. Diversity on campus has increased since 1980, but the increases have not been very significant. In 1980, the total number of students was 3,883. The number of white students was 3,806 compared to 68 total black students. The number of Hispanic and Asian students that year were both less than 20. Comparing that to 2000, the total number of students was 5,254; white students made up 5,044 and black students made up 77 (NCES, 2021). Comparing those numbers to 2019, the total number of students was 4,307, the total number of white students was 4,802, black students was 214 and Asian and Hispanic were in the 100-150 ranges (NCES, 2021). This means that in 1980, only 1.75 % of the student body was African American, comparing that to 1.47 % in 2000 and finally 5.83 % in 2019. It should be noted that the student populations from 2000-2008 were the highest they ever were and they slowly decreased since then, possibly explaining the decrease. But even when just comparing the data from 1980 to 2019 it has shown that in 40 years the percentage of African American students has gone up by 4.08 percent (NCES, 2021). Is this good enough though? YCP is a private institute which makes it more expensive and less opportunistic to those who do not have the means to travel or receive financial aid. This may explain the lack of diversity on campus but in reality the representation is not much different and YCP should aim for more inclusion so students of color feel more welcomed in the space. 

Historically, York College of Pennsylvania has had a lot of clubs and organizations. That is an aspect of the college that hasn’t changed over the years. From athletics to Greek Life to activist and multicultural organizations, York College has adapted and grown with the times. The oldest organization on campus would be the Student Senate, a group that is still very active on campus today. White men dominated the Senate until the 2000s, despite early attempts at diversification. Multicultural organizations have been present since 1969 when the college changed, implying that international students and/or study abroad students have always been a part of the college curriculum. Greek Life has also been around since the 90s. The earliest founded fraternity was Tau Kappa Epsilon, and they are still around today. After that, the following Greek Life organizations were founded in chronological order: Phi Sigma Sigma, Zeta Beta Tau, Phi Mu, Sigma Delta Tau, Phi Kappa Psi, Phi Sigma Phi, Kappa Delta Rho, Kappa Delta Phi, and Sigma Gamma Rho. Additionally, there are 4 unrecognized organizations that used to have chapters on campus, which are: Alpha Delta Gamma, Theta Phi Alpha, Alpha Chi Rho, and Alpha Sigma Tau. Sports have always been a huge part of York College, with teams often placing in the news. Nowadays the relationship between the college and its sports teams is a lot better, as in the past the teams have had to fund their own tournaments. Culturally, we have an assortment of faith-based organizations, as well as a Hispanic Cultural Society, an LGBT alliance, and a Unity Club. As times progress, we gain more and more student organizations.

Diversity and inclusion has been important to the administration throughout the history of York College of Pennsylvania. In 1990, Naomi Tutu (daughter of Nobel Prize Winner Desmond Tutu) spoke to the York College community about diversity during Black History month and spoke about the importance of learning the history of Black Americans. Another speaker was Yolanda King on February 9th, 1997. Her speech was about “the next frontier,” which was the ever-changing relationship between diversity and inclusion within shared spaces. Speaker presentations are common nowadays at YCP, bridging a vast variety of topics in the ‘Spartan Speaks’ series. Racism is not tolerated here, as outlined in the Spartan Oath. If racist remarks are made by a student, they are sent to Student Conduct. This was enforced by President Gunter-Smith when she emailed the York College community about this subject matter following the discovery that a student had made racist remarks. In her own words, “The roots of racism run deep in our society. We will not allow it to fester here.” That was not the only racial incident that the York community got a letter from her about. The recent verdict on the Derek Chauvin case prompted a formal statement reminding students to do the right thing in the face of racial injustice. York does not stand for racism on its campus, or off. 

York College has grown a lot as an institute and as a contribution to the community from when it first opened in 1968. Diversity on campus has increased from 1980, even though the change is minimal. York College maintains its virtue that community relations; including those within the student body,  are respected, upheld, and protected. Through the growing number of clubs and activities relating to diversity and the responses and policies the college has set forth to protect its students from hate, YCP is moving in a slow but promising direction with race and space in the college community.