Meth Labs, Fluke And Sensitivity Training At Georgetown University

Harbin Hall Georgetown

Georgetown University is no stranger to scandals. In 2010 a meth lab was discovered in one of the student dorms (Harbin Hall) and Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown law student drew major attention to the school when she appeared in a hearing to discuss birth control; specifically the Jesuit institution’s refusal to cover birth control under the student health care plan. Could yet another scandal be brewing?

Enter the Community Scholars Program at the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access. The CSP reaches out to disadvantaged youth and provides full scholarships and assistance for to GU. By all accounts it is a wonderful program that has great intentions and has helped many young people achieve their dream of attending college. Here is how they explain themselves at their website: 

The Community Scholars Program provides Georgetown students with the unique opportunity to thrive. Scholars are carefully selected during the admissions process based on their academic achievement, impressive co-curricular accomplishments, and commitment to the transformative power of education. They typically represent diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, and are often first generation college students.

Scholars attend a five-week summer intensive on campus to prepare for the upcoming school year. .

Here is what is listed at the website as the course curriculum.

• The summer residential component is constructed around two credit-bearing courses – Humanities and Writing 009, and a second Summer School course. The Humanities and Writing course is an intensive critical-reading and writing course taught by Georgetown faculty with graduate-student writing tutors. A second Summer Session course, chosen by each student’s academic dean, provides participants with an opportunity to get a head start on their credit hours before beginning their first semester. Courses include Theology, Philosophy, Government, and Math, depending on their school and intended course of study.
• Scholars live in a residence hall along with Resident Advisors, who provide an extended orientation to life at Georgetown.
• Continuation of Humanities and Writing 009 course into the Fall semester. This course counts as six (6) credits.
• Fourth Hour Study Group for Core Courses – Led by former students who excelled in the course. Fourth hour support will be offered for Microeconomics, Chemistry and Calculus.
• Freshman Year Support – This support includes mandatory attendance at College Readiness Seminar Series, meetings with the Academic Advisor, and various social events.
• Ongoing Support - Ongoing activities throughout the remainder of a Scholar’s Georgetown career, including one-on-one meetings with the Academic Advisor; special faculty seminars; cultural and social outings; and community service opportunities.    

Sounds pretty basic. What is not included in this summary is one other workshop that students were required to attend as a part of the CSP. It was an LBGT “Sensitivity Training” course and apparently it was a requirement for students attending the program. According to multiple sources who wish to remain anonymous, although many students were uncomfortable about being forced to attend the training they were told they would face disciplinary action if they did not participate. One student who has yet to be officially named refused and was allegedly escorted off campus by Georgetown Campus Police. He was expelled from the summer program but there is a possibility he will still be eligible to attend regular classes in the fall.  And in case you were wondering if this is true, here is video taken at the actual workshop and slipped to us exclusively here at kiradavis.net. Also see Talitha McEachin’s reporting on this story for more info.