"We will not waver": Berea College's leadership speaks on presidential transition, affirmative action

Jul. 5—Sierra Marling

The torch — and a mace — has been passed at Berea College as Bereans came together to celebrate the departure of Lyle Roelofs as president of Berea College.

At the presidential transition ceremony, which was held at Boone Tavern's event center, both Roelofs and newly minted President Dr. Cheryl Nixon spoke about the meaning of Berea College's mission as well as the Supreme Court decision overturning affirmative action in higher education.

Roelofs approached the podium and addressed the sea of spectators explaining that the story of Berea College is broken up into chapters, with each presidency serving as a chapter in the greater Berea College story, which is interwoven together from the various interlocking pieces made up of "remarkable" faculty, staff, and students.

With that, he passed on a few items to Nixon, who will serve as the tenth president of Berea College. First, he passed her a copy of the Great Commitments, which he explained hangs in the President's office because "it is always mission-first at Berea College."

Second, he passed on a large, wooden mace, joking that "being president comes with a significant amount of authority, and every now and again you need the mace... I will pass this on to Cheryl with the hopes that she never has to use it."

Lastly, he figuratively passed on Berea College's endowment in the form of a piece of paper that read, "Berea College Endowment Value as of 6/8/23 $1,498,300,000."

Dixon then spoke, thanking her predecessor and praising the value of what he passed on to her.

"It's absolutely thrilling to be standing here today with you, assuming the role of president of Berea College, taking on a position that you, President Roelofs, have stewarded so well, and that I similarly hope to steward to caretake an institution that is so much bigger than any individual — that is so much bigger than us."

She noted that her transition has been "seamless" and "kind" and that she was excited to begin her duties.

Thoughts on the affirmative action ruling

Roelofs thoughtfully elaborated on the Supreme Court decision, saying, "In the Harvard and UNC decisions announced yesterday, a majority of the Supreme Court justices struck down affirmative action and consideration of race as a factor in college admissions in both private schools and public universities. Since its earliest days, Berea College has been dedicated to serving the youth of southern Appalachia and to interracial education."

Berea College, which was the first racially integrated co-educational college in the south, has a history of serving minority populations in addition to Appalachian students. Officials made it clear in their statements that their work in this area supports the notions of Justice Jackson and that they did not support the decision made by the Supreme Court.

Roelofs explained that affirmative action "has never really been part of [the] admissions process." However, he and Nixon went on to explain how the process relays the experience of a student, which includes their background.

Berea College has a 33% acceptance rate, making it the most selective postsecondary institution in the Commonwealth. While it has not adopted an Affirmative Action policy in the past; however, its policies have leaned toward expanding educational opportunities for those who may not have previously been able to have access to higher education.

One example of this can be seen in the college's financial eligibility requirements which must be disclosed as part of a student's application. In its goal to assist low-income students, this allows the admissions committee to understand the opportunities and background afforded to the applicant.

Nixon declared that she will continue to uphold the institution's tradition of considering "every aspect of an applicant's personal journey." In these qualities, she listed their "perseverance", "commitment", and "their ability to take advantage of every opportunity that Berea can offer."

According to Roelofs, the college's commitment to interracial education stems from the commitment the college has made in its third Great Commitment to "stimulate understanding of the Christian faith, and its many expressions, and to emphasize the Christian ethic and motive of service to others." He also noted the importance of the fifth Great Commitment, which works to "assert the kinship of all people, and to provide interracial education with a particular emphasis on understanding and equality among blacks and whites, as a foundation for building community among all peoples of the earth."

"Our founder, the Reverend John G, was a staunch abolitionist and believed that there was a debt to be repaid to the newly freed African Americans. and that education should also be made accessible for the youth of Appalachia. So he wanted to serve both black and white students in the same school. This belief stemmed from this understanding of the Christian faith and the scriptural foundation that is in the Bible in Acts 17, verse 26, 'That God has made of one blood all peoples of the earth'," he said.

When Nixon spoke on the ruling, she took a more pointed stance, saying she was "disappointed" in the ruling and "what it may mean for the future."

"I must affirm that Berea College is unique in higher education and our situation is very different from most other colleges and universities; we were founded to enact interracial education. We were founded to educate black and white together. Equally. We know that this diversity has been the source of our excellence. I must thus stay as strongly and emphatically as possible that the court's decision will not cause us to change or back away from our founding value of interracial education," she stated.

"Interracial education has been both the firm foundation on which we stand, and the shining light that guides us to a more perfect future for over 165 years. and it will be that foundation and that shining light for hundreds of years to come...As we were founded on the principle of educational opportunity for all, this is our commitment."

She went on to confirm that the college's dedication to its service has been challenged before, but she staunchly affirmed, "We will not waver."