The 19th annual Diversity and Inclusion Summit will be held at the University of Colorado Boulder Nov. 13-14, featuring a variety of sessions for students, faculty, staff and community members. All events are free and open to the public.
This year’s theme, “Building the Road Map: Realizing Diversity and Inclusion for CU-Boulder, City of Boulder and Boulder County,” is based in part on a 2003 statement from U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. In a Supreme Court ruling that diversity can be used in university admission decisions, O’Connor wrote: “We expect that 25 years from now, the use of racial preferences will no longer be necessary to further the interest approved today.”
Alphonse Keasley, who has been involved with the summit since it began 19 years ago, says the Summit Planning Committee is using this year’s summit to help the campus and community march toward a place that “exemplifies diversity, intercultural understanding and community engagement.”
“This year we will be taking a look at the history of our campus efforts related to diversity and inclusion,” said Keasley, CU-Boulder’s assistant vice chancellor for campus climate and community engagement. “We also will be looking at what it is we want to do, not only on campus, but also within the city and county. Thus the theme ‘Building the Road Map.’ We really would like to see this year as a year where we launch into some specific actions that we can take year after year.”
Most summit events will be held in the University Memorial Center on the CU-Boulder campus. Highlighted sessions at this year’s summit, all to be held in the UMC’s Glenn Miller Ballroom unless otherwise noted, include:
-- Nov. 13, 9:30-10 a.m. Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia will offer insights on the critical importance of diversity and inclusion for the state of Colorado.
-- Nov. 13, 10:05-10:35 a.m. CU-Boulder Professor Adam Bradley will offer an address titled “A Hip-Hop Road Map to a Diverse Future.”
-- Nov. 13, 10:45-11:50 a.m. A panel titled “Where Have We Come From?” will cover significant milestones from the campus and community.
-- Nov. 13, noon-1:30 p.m. Keynote presentation by Professor Patricia Gurin of the University of Michigan on “Engaging Diversity: More Important Than Ever.” Gurin will discuss the social science evidence that was key in the 2003 Supreme Court affirmative action ruling on the educational benefit of diversity.
-- Nov. 14, 9:30-10:45 a.m. in UMC room 235. A panel titled “Where Are We Now and Where Are We Going?” will build on an understanding of the actions, policies and dialogues that have shaped the direction of diversity and inclusivity within the University of Colorado and greater Boulder community.
Hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement, the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee, Boulder County and the city of Boulder, the Diversity and Inclusion Summit offers more than 80 educational and exploratory sessions presenting a view of diversity beyond the most common definitions, highlighting the research, talents and insights of faculty, students and staff. The purpose of the summit is to bring the most up-to-date practices around matters of diversity, inclusion, equity and social justice to campus.
For a complete schedule of summit events visit http://sites.google.com/a/colorado.edu/cu-diversity-summit/home.
Contact:
Alphonse Keasley, assistant vice chancellor, 303-492-5479
Greg Swenson, University Communications, 303-492-3113
