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October 2, 2007

ULM administration responds to video; open forum scheduled for 7 p.m.

At a press conference today in the ULM Library, administrators responded to a dramatization that was filmed on Red River, near Alexandria, and posted on YouTube and Facebook. An open forum was held at 7 p.m. in Brown Auditorium to further address the issue.

Upon learning of the dramatization, allegedly created by a student, President James Cofer immediately directed Wayne Brumfield, Vice President of Student Affairs and Provost Stephen Richters to develop educational materials, especially for freshmen, about cultural diversity and racial sensitivity, and the ramifications of posting objectionable material in public forums, such as Facebook and YouTube. Student Life and Leadership will continue to incorporate issues related to diversity in their programming, Cofer said.

Wayne Brumfield, Vice President of Student Affairs said, "We are appalled at the actions of these students and have taken a very proactive stance. We want to enhance what we're already doing and make students aware of the dangers of posting inappropriate materials on Facebook and other social networking sites. It's a very serious issue."

Brumfield mentioned that ULM is currently reviewing the Code of Student Conduct through the Office of Judicial Affairs to ensure that any disciplinary action taken will be appropriate based on the incident that happened away from campus.

"As a university community, we have to provide opportunities for students to develop a sensitivity to race, to culture, and to utilize a common sense approach to taking appropriate responsibility for their actions. We are looking to reinforce our freshman orientation programs and ensure that racial sensitivity is a hallmark of our orientation programming. The actions of these students do not reflect the actions of the student body at ULM," said Brumfield.

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