An update on the state of affirmative action and some implications for the University of Colorado at Boulder will be presented March 13 at the third annual Chancellors Diversity Summit, "Beyond the Choir."
Activities will run from 8:40 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Dal Ward Athletic Center and are open to all CU-Boulder students, faculty and staff.
Scheduled events include an address by Chancellor Richard Byyny on the state of diversity affairs on campus, an update on affirmative action from law Professor Richard Collins, a discussion of admission policies in light of current affirmative action issues and a report from the Chancellor's Task Force on Civility.
"We'd like to bring in some more 'diverse' opinions on the issue of diversity," said Patrick McQuillan, professor of education and chair of the Chancellors Advisory Committee on Minority Affairs.
"We feel that there are lots of people at the university who are committed to this idea, but who aren't sure what it means for them," he said. "We'd also like to include folks who have real concerns or reservations regarding diversity to be a part of the day's dialogue."
Two sessions are aimed at gathering information for Chancellor Byyny on things that various campus constituencies -- students, faculty and administrators -- feel should be part of a university diversity education program. Another is designed to help campus units think about how they can integrate a commitment to diversity into their academic program reviews.
In two other workshops, experienced faculty will examine the issue of making diversity issues a more explicit focus in their teaching, including the benefits and the tensions that arise from such decisions, McQuillan said.
The summit is organized by the Chancellor's Advisory Committee on Minority Affairs, the Chancellor's Committee on Women, the Chancellor's Task Force on Civility, the Chancellor's Standing Committee on Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Issues, and the Program Accessibility Committee.
THE THIRD ANNUAL CHANCELLOR'S DIVERSITY SUMMIT:
"BEYOND THE CHOIR"
Dal Ward Center
March 13, 1998
8-8:30 Refreshments
8:40-10:10 A Discussion of the Shifting Socio-Political Context of Diversity at CU
(1) The Honorable Raymond Pierce (Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education): Implications of affirmative action.
(2) Richard Collins (Law School): An update on the state of affirmative action and some implications for the university.
(3) Gordon Chavis (Admissions): A discussion of CU Admission policies in light of current affirmative action issues.
(4) Merrill Lessley (Professor of Theatre, Associate Dean for the Arts and Humanities) : A report from the Chancellor's Task Force on Civility.
10:20-11:20 Workshop Sessions I
(1) Planning Initiatives to Support Community: What Do You and Your Colleagues Want?: Chancellor Byyny has asked CACMA and other university groups involved with issues of diversity to help him determine what a diversity education program for the university should look like. With this issue in mind, the session will solicit participant input as a means to help the Chancellor address this concern.
(2) "Unexpected Benefits and Unhappy Choices: The Tensions (Creative and Otherwise) of Diversifying Curriculum": In this session, Associate Professor and President's Teaching Scholar Lee Chambers-Schiller will share the surprises, unexpected conflicts, and tensions that emerged as she tried to refashion a course with an eye toward diversifying the content and taking into account new knowledge that has emerged for historians from new research in ethnic and racial studies.
(3) Ism's & Schisms: During this workshop, the Institute for Multicultural Development will present information on the interconnection of the "isms." The presentation is designed to promote a better understanding of the "other" through our experience with identities that tend to be marginalized in the dominant discourse and everyday life. Also discussed will be the issues of power and privilege in relation to the distinct individual identities that shape our community.
(4) Diversity & the PRP (academic program reviews): Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs Todd Gleeson will describe the PRP planning process, how Diversity Plans are integrated into the PRP process and how the process can be used to assist departments in strengthening their plans and realizing their goals.
11:30-12:50 Lunch Diversity in the New Millennium
1-2 Student Panel: A student-directed discussion of what university instructors can do to support the students of color they serve.
2:10-3:10 Workshop Sessions II
(1) Planning Initiatives to Support Community: What Do You and Your Colleagues Want?: (see above)
(2) Teaching for Diversity: In this session, organized by Professor Anne Costain, Associate Dean for Social Sciences, a panel of faculty from Arts and Sciences will discuss the issue of integrating issues of diversity into their university teaching.
(3) Ism's & Schisms: (see above)
(4) Redefining Service: For university faculty, the matter of "service" can be problematic -- in terms of the demands imposed by service and the official "rewards" for doing so. To provide some insight into this matter, Associate Professor of Communication Brenda J. Allen will discuss her own experience in the area of university service.
3:15-4:30 Closing Session: An address by Chancellor Byyny as to the state of diversity affairs on campus, including an update of the new Associate Vice Chancellor for Diversity Position.