Students, faculty and staff gathered Wednesday to hash out details of a proposed restructuring of the Office of Minority Affairs. This forum was the first in a round of discussions promised to students by the administration. It comes in the wake of a sit-in at Bricker Hall in May. Frustrated students occupied the building for nine days saying their advice was not being sought on the proposed restructuring. Students were not the only ones who were unhappy.Rumors circulated throughout the office that staff members would be given new assignments. In May, many received a phone call and were told they had a new position with new responsibilities. Lisa Barclay-Kafele, an education and career counselor for the office’s Upward Bound program, breathed a sigh of relief when she received a call saying she would not be given a new job.Whether they were reassigned or not, many staff members felt insulted about the lack of input they were given on the restructuring, Barclay-Kafele said.”You work hard for many years, it hurts not to be included,” Barclay-Kafele said. “We all want OMA to serve students effectively but when our input isn’t included, how can we help?”Ed Ray, interim provost for Ohio State, fielded questions from an audience gathered at Stillman Hall.Barbara Rich, vice provost for OMA planned to be part of the panel but canceled because she was in a minor car accident.The forum touched on many issues concerning the restructuring.”As a student, I want to see more than an ad-hoc level of involvement by administration,” said T.J. Ghose, a member of the Afrikan Student Union and a graduate student in sociology. The Union was a key organizer of the sit-in.”There needs to be a more permanent body put in place, like a student advisory board, to allow student input.” Ghose also said he didn’t want this forum to be used as the only device for input and worried that the administration will immediately go back and change things.Ray agreed that more discussion is needed. “I would like to get going on an advisory board,” Ray said. “We need to do a lot more talking to a lot more people before the restructuring occurs.” Students would serve two years on the proposed board and have direct assess to the vice provost.”Any changes made to OMA will be written in a document and will provide ample opportunity for people to see it and get back to us with reactions. It doesn’t make sense to rush to make changes just to make a change,” Ray said. Ray said nothing will be implemented during times that students won’t be available to react, such as during winter break.Luz Allende-Moore, assistant director of retention services said the students need more personal attention than they’re currently getting.”If I’m at a meeting, there is no one around to help the students that walk into my office,” said Allende-Moore, who focuses on serving Hispanic students. “There is only one recruiter and if he is out, then there is nobody around to answer questions.””Students call us at home and we work on the weekends. My work study student has the responsibilities of a graduate student,” said Allende-Moore.Ray responded to Jenrose Fitzgerald, a member of the Union and a graduate student in comparative studies, who questioned the goals and rational behind the proposed restructuring.Ray said, “The new restructuring plan makes OMA less cluttered and more symmetrical. OSU wants to make OMA as responsive and cost effective as possible.”Ray also addressed the issue concerning the candidate search for a new vice provost of OMA.”The search committee has not been fully constituted yet. There will be someone from the ASU on the committee, one more faculty person and a representative from student government.”Ray said the committee will hopefully be in place by July 1999 to begin the national search.The next forum will be held Nov. 18 beginning at noon at the Ohio Union Conference Theater.