Housing and Residence Life at Tulane University informed student staff on Wednesday, April 13 that a number of structural changes to the department would go into effect in the 2016-17 school year.

A significant change is the elimination of the community director position, resulting in the firing of the four current staff members in those positions. Two new assistant director positions will be added, which will be open to the former community directors and other applicants.

The Tulane Black Student Union issued a letter to the community on April 26 expressing their support for the community directors, three of whom are black women. They stated the change by HRL contradicts the List of Demands presented to President Michael Fitts by tBSU, with the assistance of Students Organizing Against Racism, at the Call for Unity in November.

The letter included a direct quote from their List of Demands: “We are concerned that Tulane does not have a commitment to recruiting, hiring and retaining Black faculty, staff and administrators.”

In their statement, tBSU discussed the importance of the community directors of color for creating more inclusive residential environments, positively impacting the experiences of students of color.

HRL declined to comment due to the confidential nature of personnel matters.