The first of five visiting candidates for the position of NIU vice president for student affairs yesterday said he is ready to tackle the racial problems of NIU.

James Gold said at an open forum that he worked to help create a racially-diverse university in New York and is ready for the challenge of NIU. Gold has been vice president for student affairs at the State University of New York, Buffalo since 1977.

“You’ll find that on our campus there is a great deal of diversity,” he told the audience of about 20 people. “We (at SUNY) welcome diversity at every level…I don’t just mean racial differences, I mean all differences.”

Gold said programs that have increased retention of minority students at SUNY include assertiveness and leadership training as well as a mentoring system involving faculty and students.

Although some of his associates at SUNY suggested he try to become a university president, Gold said he is primarly interested in student affairs.

Gold said he is interested in NIU because it is a larger school than SUNY, where enrollment is 12,500, and there are more challenges here.

“The chief of student affairs must be concerned with the total student environment,” Gold said.

The NIU student affairs position is responsible for all university functions not related to academic or business affairs, including the Student Financial Aid Office, housing services, health services, Office of Campus Recreation among others.

Jon Dalton, former NIU vice president for student affairs, received a $71,448 salary before he left the position last summer.