The Northeastern Student of Color Caucus, or NSCC, held its first town hall of the fall semester this past Thursday, where students shared some of their concerns about Northeastern.

One topic that students brought up is the lack of diversity among Northeastern faculty members. James Lyons, the secretary-general of NSCC and a fourth-year media and screen studies and political science combined major, shared that only 17 percent of NU faculty members identify as people of color — a number the town hall attendees agreed was too low.

Another member mentioned the difficulty international students have with dealing with law enforcement. Since international students are less familiar with their rights in the United States, they may struggle to understand what options they have for dealing with legal situations, the student said.

Students also discussed whether the NSCC should work to require residential assistants and resident directors to undergo the same cultural mediation training that they want for University Health and Counseling Services therapists. The idea was ultimately removed from Resolution 006, which created a Mental Health Access and Expansion Committee, after some students questioned its feasibility and brought up the fear that RAs of color would be obligated to teach their peers about race.

Next month’s town hall will focus on existing campus organizations and the work they’re doing to achieve, as Lyons said, “our collective liberation.”

Lyons said he wants to highlight these organizations, not dismiss them. 

“The purpose of the NSCC is to amplify the work that [organizations] are already doing, to provide support for the work that [organizations] are already doing, and to increase collaboration between existing organizations so that there is a broader community of color on campus that is working in coalition to fight white supremacy, essentially, [which] is holding us all down,” he said.