This session will feature a unique panel of the only three African Americans currently serving as president of a predominantly white public university. Appearing together for the first time ever, these exceptional leaders will explore diversity issues impacting higher education in general, their institutions in particular, and the global implications of technology and curricular reform for U.S. colleges and universities. The backdrop for the panel will be a report of findings from data collected in the past year regarding awareness among college/university personnel of the diversity of the Boards of Trustees governing the institutions where they are employed.  The cruciality of trustees’ primary role in selecting and supporting presidents committed to leading with vision in a diverse “flat” world will provide a context for this session. 

Portia L. Hunt, Ph.D., Professor, Counseling Psychology, Psychological Studies in Education, Temple University; and President, Eclipse Consultant Group—Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Roderick J. McDavis, Ph.D., President, Ohio University—Athens, Ohio

Sidney A. McPhee, Ph.D., President, Middle Tennessee State University—Murfreesboro, Tennessee 

Sidney A. Ribeau, Ph.D., President, Bowling Green State University—Bowling Green, Ohio

Patricia A. Ackerman, Ph.D., Trustee Emerita, Ohio University; Trustee, Lake Erie College; President, Chalkdust Inc.—Bedford, Ohio (Moderator)    

Since 1980 public policy choices have been diverging ever farther away from reality. Demographic and economic changes since 1980 require specific policy responses that address the challenges of a rapidly changing population and an increasingly human capital-based economy. But federal, state and institutional policy choices have largely ignored these realities. The first direct consequences is a significant and measurable deterioration in higher education opportunity for low income and minority populations. The second direct consequence is stagnation in college participation rates since the early 1990s. The third direct consequence is the U.S. now ranks seventh in the world in the proportion of its young adult with bachelor's degrees. The cumulative effect of the regressive policy choices made since 1980 has been to diminish our nation's future economic strength, social health and security.

Thomas G. Mortenson, Ph.D., Higher Education Policy Analyst, Postsecondary Education Opportunity-Oskaloosa, Iowa; Senior Scholar, The PELL Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education—Washington, D.C.www.postsecondary.org/pr/pr_01.asp

Frequently power-holders evaluating faculty and staff colleagues unwittingly make cognitive errors, errors that result in the disproportionate shortchanging of women and especially under-represented U.S. minorities. To reduce or eliminate these errors requires two steps: coach individual decision-makers so they can recognize and rise above cognitive errors and also incrementally slow down and improve committee and evaluation processes. This highly interactive session will focus on both steps.

Judy ("JJ") Jackson, Ed.D., Dean of the College, Vassar College—Poughkeepsie, New York

JoAnn Moody, Ph.D., J.D., Faculty Developer and Higher Education Consultant—San Diego, California

While the constitutional right of undocumented students to receive public primary and secondary education has been recognized since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1982 Plyer v. Doe decision, the right of these same students to continue their post-secondary education has not been explicitly recognized as a constitutional right. Federal law and the laws of various states have at times attempted to deny or restrict undocumented students from attending public post-secondary institutions. But there are federal and state laws that permit undocumented students to receive a public college education. This session will review the recent legal history of undocumented students and higher education, address some of the more significant legal barriers to higher education for the undocumented, and address the circumstances under which undocumented students now are able attend public colleges and universities.

Niels W. Frenzen, J.D., Clinical Professor of Law, Specializes in Immigration Law, and Director of USC Immigration Clinic, University of Southern California—Los Angeles, California

This interactive session will provide slide/video presentation drawing upon the world's largest collection of international film posters of Indians in film. Discussion will include a reevaluation of the presenter’s book Tonto's Revenge (1997) and the impact of the growing Indian based Native American film movement. Book Signing by Rennard Strickland to be scheduled.

Rennard Strickland, J.D., S.J.D., Dean and Phillip H. Knight Professor of Law Emeritus, a Legal Historian of Osage and Cherokee Heritage, School of Law, University of Oregon-Eugene, Oregon; Visiting Professor, School of Law, The University of Oklahoma—Norman, Oklahoma

This experiential session invites critical thinking, while, at the same time, enriching people’s ability to connect to one another. The presenter’s warmth and compassion, along with her intuitive listening capacities, support self-directed learning in others. This session will provide a structure for effectively using film—in various settings and time frames—related to issues of race and culture.

Dr. Shakti Butler is a popular and inspirational facilitator who generates new questions and transformative learning within her speaking engagements, workshops and trainings, which are held across the U.S. Shakti Butler is the producer/director of Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness Visible, The Way Home and Light in the Shadows, all groundbreaking documentaries. As Executive Director of World Trust Educational Services, Inc., Dr. Butler has created a national program of dialogue called Heart to Heart Conversations™, which uses film as a launching pad for authentic dialogue, critical thinking, deep learning and change.

The John D. O'Bryant National Think Tank for Black Professionals on Predominantly White Campuses (JDOTT) grew out of the Black caucuses that were held at NCORE.  Ten years ago, under the leadership of the late John D. O'Bryant, the need for such an organization was envisioned. During the formative years, it was clear that Blacks on predominantly White campuses experienced similar forms of racism and traditional structural arrangements were challenging, confusing, and frustrating. JDOTT was organized to provide not only networking opportunities, but also a unified base for collective action that would empower members with techniques they could use to implement systemic and systematic change in all levels of higher education. JDOTT has since evolved into a national organization with a membership of over 200 Black professionals from colleges and universities across the country; has published two books; and has a national scholarship program for Black students. JDOTT now serves as a model for organizational effectiveness with strategies for institutional transformation and outcomes based on initiatives that are supported by scholarly research and student involvement.

Beginning with the early developmental years, following the establishment of JDOTT as a non‑profit group, this session will address the evolutional process involved in moving an organizational concept to a living, active body.  Participants interested in building their group or organization as a national body will learn: (1) critical early planning steps, (2) tactical methods essential for growth, and (3) the process for moving your organization towards long‑range strategic planning.  Similar organizations or groups will be able to use JDOTT’s process as a model for development, growth and progressive movement.

P. Eric Abercrumbie, Ph.D., President Emeritus of JDOTT, and Director, African American Cultural Center and Ethnic Programs and Services, University of Cincinnati—Cincinnati, Ohio

Dwain Archer, Past JDOTT Parliamentarian, Fire Marshal, Department of Public Safety, University of Louisville—Louisville, Kentucky

Kenneth Durgans, Ed.D., President of JDOTT, and Associate Vice Provost for Institutional Diversity, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute—Troy, New York

Paul James, JDOTT Regional Representative, and Director, Multicultural Affairs, Xavier University—Cincinnati, Ohio

LaTashia Reedus, Vice President for Finance and Secretary of JDOTT, and Director, Multicultural Student Affairs, Mount Union College—Alliance, Ohio

Mordean Taylor-Archer, Ph.D., Advisor to JDOTT Board, and Vice Provost, Diversity and Equal Opportunity, University of Louisville—Louisville, Kentucky

We often assume that if we obtain favorable judicial legislative, or policy decisions in support of minority social rights, we have achieved a victory. In reality, laws may reflect rather than lead public morality. Social change agents must be more sophisticated in planning and implementing programs. This session will examine social change strategies and the role political forces play in the process.

William R. Carmack, Ph.D., Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Communications and former Chair of Communications, The University of Oklahoma—Norman, Oklahoma

This session will explore the use of family history narratives as a tool for disrupting racism and deepening cultural understanding. Family histories delve into historical and cultural complexities in a way that texts about history generally not do, and can uncover lost stories of resistance to oppression, confronting racism, working for justice, or claiming non-Anglo identities. For whites, these lost narratives can be particularly surprising and awakening.  For people of color, they can be historically empowering. In this session we will explore use of several tools, including oral histories, family documents, genealogical search tools, official documents, old newspapers, and so forth. We will then examine what can be learned by situating family history within a historical context of place and time, and cultural changes, in order to tease out a broader set of possible narratives, such as white anti-racist work, struggles to maintain culture and language, and cross-racial community-building. These explorations will be illustrated with our own family history narratives and those of a few students. Book signing by Christine Sleeter to be scheduled.

Rina Benmayor, Ph.D., Professor, Division of Humanities and Communication, California State University, Monterey Bay—Seaside, California

Christine Sleeter, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, Center for Collaborative Education and Professional Studies, Master of Arts in Education Program, California State University, Monterey Bay—Seaside, California

Building unity and alliances across dynamics of difference is not simply a matter of black and white or red, yellow or brown and white. One of the most important dynamics is the relationship among communities of color. We must learn to care enough for each other to stand for each other. To effectively transform oppression, people of color must examine the internalized misinformation about our communities—our own and those of our allies—essential to that process is knowledge of each other¹s histories. Ongoing alienation by culture, ethnicity, race and nationality keeps us from coalescing effectively for political and social change. In this session, we will grapple with ways to identify and interrupt non-productive patterns of personal and institutional levels that threaten our collective future. Book Signing of Skin Deep: Women Writing on Color, Culture and Identity by Elena Featherston, and 500 Years of Chicano History and the latest De Colores Means All of Us: Latina Views for a Mult-Colored Century by Elizabeth "Betita" Martinez to be scheduled.
 

Elena Featherston, Educator, Author, Filmmaker, Cultural Critic, and Producer/Director of the award-winning "Alice Walker: Visions of the Spirit"; Co-founder, Featherston & Associates (a collective of consultants, educators and trainers specializing in diversity and cross-cultural equity)—San Francisco, California

Elizabeth "Betita" Martinez, Activist, Writer and Veteran of the Black Civil Rights and Chicano Movement s; Co-founder and Chair, Institute for MultiRacial Justice (to build alliances between communities of Color)—San Francisco, California                    

Presentation and discussion will focus on multiple strategies for increasing and sustaining the presence and success of female faculty and faculty of color in Science and Engineering fields. Analyses will consider societal, organizational and (inter)personal barriers to achieving a more diverse faculty, as well as tactics designed to overcome these impediments to a more egalitarian and socially just academic environment.

Mark Chesler, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Sociology, University of Michigan—Ann Arbor, Michigan 

Samuel Mukasa, Ph.D., Professor, Geological Sciences, University of Michigan—Ann Arbor, Michigan 

It’s been over a year since Hurricane Katrina shattered the Gulf Coast, but what have we really learned? In the wake of the natural and un‑natural disaster that was Katrina, the media briefly focused attention on the deep race and class divisions in the U.S. But the divisions that were revealed were not created by the storm, nor have they healed with the receding water. A shocking level of economic inequality was revealed, which might be termed, “Economic Apartheid.” During this interactive session we will have the opportunity to discuss the effects of this gross inequality on our lives and our communities; review the massive income and wealth shifts of the last 25 years, the power shifts and rule changes that have fueled this inequality; a range of strategic initiatives, as well as specific and immediate steps we can take to reverse the growing gap between the rich and everyone else.  Participants will have an opportunity to discuss how this widening gap impacts on our campuses and the educational enterprise. Book Signing to be scheduled.

Felice Yeskel, Ed.D., Executive Director, Class Action (a national non-profit focusing on issues of social class and money, and their impact on our individual lives, our relationships, organizations, institutions, and culture)—Northampton, Massachusetts

Higher education officials of America have been struggling with the challenges of diversifying college and university campuses for decades. Some of theses challenges include increasing the representation and presence of the people of color in all levels of the academy, issues of retention, curriculum integration, environmental fit, legal matters, and sorting out who should be included under the big tent of “diversity” efforts.

This session is designed to present a comprehensive view of institutional and system-wide initiatives implemented to improve campus diversity. The session will include a candid discussion of efforts that were successful and those that have failed.  Participants will hear about lessons learned by presenters based on their individual and collective experiences. The session will also include an integrated perspective focusing on policy issues, institutional issues, academic and student support challenges, organizational structural focus and system-wide and institutional dynamics. This session will be presented with an emphasis on the strategic point of view in addressing the critical issues of equity, diversity, and access in the university environment.

Kimberly Edgar, Executive Assistant to the President, Middle Tennessee State University—Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Sharon Shaw McEwen, Director, Office of Cultural Diversity Initiatives, Middle Tennessee State University—Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Sidney A. McPhee, Ph.D., President, Middle Tennessee State University—Murfreesboro, Tennessee 

Wendy J. Thompson, J.D., Special Assistant to the Chancellor, Tennessee Board of Regents—Nashville, Tennessee

Forrestine Williams, Special Assistant to the President, Institutional Equity and Compliance, Middle Tennessee State University—Murfreesboro, Tennessee

This experiential session invites critical thinking, while, at the same time, enriching people’s ability to connect to one another. The presenter’s warmth and compassion, along with her intuitive listening capacities, support self-directed learning in others. This session will provide a structure for effectively using film—in various settings and time frames—related to issues of race and culture.

Dr. Shakti Butler is a popular and inspirational facilitator who generates new questions and transformative learning within her speaking engagements, workshops and trainings, which are held across the U.S. Shakti Butler is the producer/director of Mirrors of Privilege: Making Whiteness Visible, The Way Home and Light in the Shadows, all groundbreaking documentaries. As Executive Director of World Trust Educational Services, Inc., Dr. Butler has created a national program of dialogue called Heart to Heart Conversations™, which uses film as a launching pad for authentic dialogue, critical thinking, deep learning and change.

This session provides individuals who have been doing social justice work an opportunity to reflect on how their work has been affected by their social identities, personal struggles, and transformations. It encourages in‑depth exploration of our personal paths to social justice work, why we have chosen to focus in some areas (e.g., against racism, sexism, heterosexism), and why we may have avoided others. We also examine our various social identities, and how these influence what and how we approach social justice work, and how we are received and perceived by people with whom we work. Our assumption is that our own education is a life long journey. This session will explore ways to continue our own social justice path; expand our support systems; set new personal goals; and tap into work that we consider important, but have avoided for whatever reasons.  This session should particularly benefit faculty, staff, administrators and educators who have worked on social justice issues for a number of years and are interested in furthering their understanding of the journey.

Sharon J. Washington, Ph.D., Interim Director, Faculty Equity Programs, University of California Office of the President—Oakland, California

Charmaine L. Wijeyesinghe, Ed.D., Consultant in Organizational Development and Social Justice—Delmar, New York

Too often, search committees are given vague charges that they should work harder to diversify their staff and faculty hires. Exactly how and why to identify, cultivate, and hire under-represented minorities and other diverse faculty—these specific tasks are left to chance. But key administrators can take a pro-active role in helping committees effectively perform these tasks. In this highly interactive session, two seasoned administrators will discuss a number of proven strategies.

Karan Watson, Ph.D., Dean of Faculties and Associate Provost, Professor, Electrical Engineering, Texas A&M University—College Station, Texas

Sylvia Welch, Director, Affirmative Action, Portland Community College—Portland, Oregon

This session will focus upon the following three indicators of success: (1) rate of progress, (2) time of degree, and (3) degree completion. Drawing on the largest survey of doctoral students ever conducted on Three Magic Letters provides a compelling portrait of the graduate school experience and identifies key issues affecting the success and failure of doctoral students. Presenters surveyed more than nine thousand students from the top twenty-one doctorate-granting institutions in the United States, and drawn from a vast amount of descriptive data, as well as rational analysis of the data.  The session will share the presenter’s findings and will shed light on multiple factors critical to the progression of the doctoral degree, especially adequate institutional funding and engaged and accessible faculty mentors. This comprehensive volume will provide faculty chairs, administrators, and students with information and evidence for assessing their policies, practices, and programs to improve the graduate school experience and the future of the Ph.D.  Book Signing of Three Magic Letters: Getting to Ph.D. (John Hopkins University Press) to be scheduled.

Michael T. Nettles, Ph.D., Sr. Vice President and Edmund W. Gordon Chair, Policy Evaluation and Research Center, Educational Testing Service—Princeton, New Jersey

Catherine M. Millett, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Policy Evaluation and Research Center, Educational Testing Service—Princeton, New Jersey

It is common for public policy to suggest that "race problems" would go away if everyone just had enough... money, access to education, housing, etc. This approach minimizes the ways in which class has been used to create and justify inequities based on color, ethnicity and race; and how these inequities, in turn, have perpetuated an often color-coded class divide. This session will demonstrate a variety of exercises that can be used in classrooms and other settings to illuminate these connections, and encourage more complex thinking about the reasons behind the shape of our society.

Cristine Clifford Cullinan, Ph.D., Training and Development Administrator,
University of Oregon—Eugene, Oregon

This session will discuss ways to increase access to college for under-represented groups. The presenter will focus on three particular challenges that under-represented groups face and ways to overcome them. The session (1) will discuss successful strategies for developing school–university partnerships; (2) will focus on collaborative relationships such as mentoring projects in the 12th grade that can increase applications and admissions to postsecondary institutions; and (3) the presenter will suggest that summer bridge programs aimed at increasing ‘college knowledge’ and ‘college readiness’ are essential throughout the high school years in general, and after high school graduation, in particular. The goal of this session is to consider ways to improve access to college for those students who are most under-represented.

William G. Tierney, Ph.D., University Professor and Wilbur-Kieffer Professor of Higher Education, Rossier School of Education, and Director, Center for Higher Education Policy Analysis, University of Southern California—Los Angeles, California

We recognized that professional development often suffers from one of two extremes: process focused educator training that is not product-driven can leave participants feeling unsatisfied, while product-driven professional development can be static and draining for educators. The Storytelling Project’s model for curriculum and professional development allows for alignment between the process and product of participating educators. Participants who attend this session will leave with a working knowledge of the model, experience with the curriculum, and the ability to create their own plans for professional and curriculum development.

This session will present and introduce “The Storytelling Project: Teaching About Race and Racism Through Storytelling and the Arts,” an innovative, interdisciplinary curriculum model developed by a racially diverse team of artists, teachers, and university faculty and students. Presenters will demonstrate interactive model as a framework for both curriculum and for professional development for educators interested in teaching/learning about race and racism. The arts provide an opening for critical dialogue that requires emotional and intellectual engagement. This powerful approach is carefully grounded in a critical theory of racism and a pedagogy of social justice that have been tested by the creative team and high school students who acted as consultants. The session will include a theoretical foundation for the research methodology, opportunities to experience the arts-based content of the curriculum, and to investigate and critique the model as a tool for professional development. We will discuss our team process, issues that emerged over the course of our collaboration, what we have learned about using the arts to teach challenging social content such as racism, invite critiques from and discussion with the audience.

Lee Anne Bell, Ph.D., Professor and Director, Education Program; Principle Investigator: The Storytelling Project, Barnard College, Columbia University—New York, New York lbell@barnard.edu

Zoe Duskin, Teacher, Storytelling Project Creative Team—Washington D.C.

Kayhan Irani, Teaching Artist, Storytelling Project Creative Team—New York, New York
Level

Race, Gender, Sexual Orientation, all are aspects of humanity’s grand and wild diversity, and all are important to learn about and consider in today’s increasingly diverse, and globally connected, world. Yet in today’s climate, perhaps no other aspect is more crucial to our future than our understanding of religious diversity. In fact, it might be said that the fate of our world depends upon our ability to understand and even embrace religious differences. As evidenced by 9/11 and the ongoing strife in the Middle East, Northern Ireland, and other spots on the globe, most of the conflict and war in our world can be attributed to religious differences. If there is to be any chance for peace on Earth, it is crucial now—for the sake of all humanity—that we deepen our understanding about, and develop a sense of respect for, each others’ religious beliefs. Otherwise we risk global annihilation all in the name of God. The main challenge we face is spiritual arrogance and self-righteousness – the belief that there is only one way to speak to or worship the Divine, and that “our way” is “the only true way” to do so. For better or for worse, such one-sided beliefs are no longer sustainable in a multicultural, multi-faith world filled with weapons of mass destruction, bio terrorism, and other horrors. If we are to survive as a species, we must now learn to respect religious diversity. “I have spent the better part of my adult life questioning the beliefs I was raised with, and seeking answers to spiritual questions that have plagued humanity,” said de la Huerta. “I truly believe there is no greater challenge than learning how to accept, and find congruence with, the religious beliefs of others.”

In this informative and challenging session, best-selling author Christian de la Huerta combines his studies of and personal experience with various religious traditions to present a message both timely and important. “Religious tolerance is the bare minimum of what is called for, and certainly beats intolerance,” de la Huerta says. “Yet what is truly needed is deep acceptance and mutual respect for different belief systems. That only comes about as a result of self-inquiry, an open mind and heart, and the willingness to question our beliefs. Whatever is true will still be there on the other side of the questioning process.” The presenter will offer ways to open our own minds to religious diversity, as well as teaching interactive strategies that can be used to begin to open the minds of others, and slowly turn the world away from religious intolerance and towards mutual acceptance and understanding.

Christian de la Huerta, Author, Beyond Belief: The Importance of Religious Diversity, CAMPUSPEAK, Inc.—Aurora, Colorado

This is a panel of distinguished Black professionals, administrators and former administrators, who will share the astonishing transformations that Black college and universities have made in the lives of Black youth.  They are the voices of experience who tell their own stories about the essential factors that shaped the lives of those young people who have benefitted from these institutions.               

Samuel DuBois Cook, Ph.D., President Emeritus, Dillard University—New Orleans, Louisiana

Frank W. Hale Jr., Ph.D., Vice Provost and Professor Emeritus, Ohio State University—Columbus, Ohio

Anne S. Pruitt-Logan, Ph.D., Professor Emerita, Educational Policy and Leadership, Ohio State University, Associate Provost, Associate Dean of the Graduate School and Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence (1995)—McLean, Virginia

Talbert O. Shaw, Ph.D., President Emeritus (1987-2003), Shaw University—Raleigh, North Carolina

Orlando L. Taylor, Ph.D., Vice Provost for Research, Dean, Graduate School and Professor, Communications, Howard University—Washington, D.C.

Charles V. Willie, Ph.D., Charles William Eliot Professor Emeritus, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University—Cambridge, Massachusetts      

In 2005, the President of the University of California appointed a systemwide task force to assess the status of faculty diversity in the ten campus system and make recommendations for future efforts. The May 2006 report of the task force reflects the impact of Proposition 209 on faculty diversity at UC and highlights a variety of successful strategies including the President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, the President’s faculty hiring incentive to promote diversity, and recent amendments to the systemwide policy governing faculty appointment and promotion to reward faculty for contributions to diversity through their teaching, research and service. At the same time, under the leadership of Chancellor Birgeneau, the Berkeley campus has developed the Berkeley Diversity Research Initiative, dedicating six faculty positions to a multidisciplinary research cluster. The Berkeley campus also established diversity advisors in each department and created a new cabinet-level position of Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion to address faculty, student, and staff diversity. This session will address the challenges and successes associated with these initiatives and provide a blueprint for institutional change promoting faculty diversity.

www.universityofcalifornia.edu/senate/committees/ucaad/report.html

Sheila O’Rourke, J.D., Acting Assistant Vice President for Academic Advancement, University of California Office of the President—Oakland, California

Gibor Basri, Ph.D., Professor and Department Chair, Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley; Chair, University of California Academic Senate Committee on Affirmative Action and Diversity—Oakland, California

This session will lead participants in a discussion of the Latino/Latina stereotypes prominent in American mass media.  Dr. Bender will use his research to discuss the political, legal and social impacts on Latinas/os from this propagation, as well as the implications for the American justice, educational and political systems.

Steve Bender, J.D., Professor of Law, University of Oregon - Eugene, Oregon          

Contemporary Christian privilege in the U.S. is a result of a founding myth and a 300 year historical tradition of Christian hegemony and domination over non‑Christian religions.  The contemporary ramifications of this historical tradition present an important social justice issue in current American society, with implications and consequences for K‑12 schooling, as well as higher education.  It is an area for teachers and administrators to explore, from their own religious identity perspectives, in order to design classroom curricula and school/higher education policy that acknowledges the pluralism and diversity of students from non‑majority religious communities within the U.S.  Christian hegemony is a form of privilege that is rarely discussed as part of a social justice, anti‑oppression or multicultural agenda.  Religion is often conceptualized as if it were solely a matter of individual choice, rather than an issue of social group identity and cohesion, associated with social advantage or disadvantage, and often conflated with race and ethnicity.  The patterns of domination and subordination associated with advantaged or targeted religious groups have received considerable scholarly and media attention after 9/11, when Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh communities experienced increasing levels of stereotyping, harassment and exclusion.

This session will include a brief formal presentation to frame the topic of Christian hegemony and privilege as an issue of social oppression that is rooted in long‑standing historical patterns of religious domination and subordination.  The greater part of the session will be devoted to interactive, experiential and small group activities recently presented in the revised (2007) edition of Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice (edited Maurianne Adams, Lee Bell, Pat Griffin), in a new chapter on “Religious Oppression in the U.S.” (authors: Maurianne Adams and Khyati Joshi). For many participants, this will be a first opportunity to explore and discuss historical and institutional patterns, and personal experiences, of Christian hegemony or exclusion.  For school and higher education teachers and administrators, this session presents an opportunity to explore the historical, systemic and personal ramifications of these difficult and complicated issues, in order to consider how they might bring issues of Christian privilege into the classroom’s curricula, or develop more equitable religious programs and policies.

Maurianne Adams, Ph.D., Professor, School of Education, University of Massachusetts—Amherst, Massachusetts

Khyati Y. Joshi, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, School of Education, Fairleigh Dickinson University—Teaneck, New Jersey

This session is a preview of a series of retreats being offered for those who provide advanced facilitation training on issues of diversity and privilege. These retreats, titled "From Where I Stand" are designed to deepen the awareness, skill and abilities of seasoned practitioners in fostering dialogue on (a) Racial/ethnic identity theory, (b) key historic events in the identity development for different racial/ethnic groups, (c) architecture of white supremacy and white privilege and how these issues manifest in organizations and communities, and (d) action planning for improved learning and communication of one’s own identity. Around the world, people are beginning to view issues of race and racism as critical components in a matrix of social justice issues: education, housing, health, women’s rights, etc. We who are striving to be authentic educators, change agents and leaders must learn to assess and understand our own racial identities, assumptions, beliefs and myths. Our work is focused on helping diversity practitioners get better at fostering authentic and transformative dialogues on issues of identity. This interactive experiential learning process is designed to cultivate our emotional literacy in relation to issues of race, ethnicity, privilege and power. As a result of this dialogue, participants will (1) leave this session with an understanding of the rationale for addressing issues of race and achievement in professional development, (2) acquire strategies to engage faculty and peers in examining their beliefs about teaching and learning and in considering their own multiple identities, and (3) develop a clearer sense of the next stages that their own personal work should take.

Michael Bell, InPartnership Consulting—Oakland, California

Marquita Chamblee, Chamblee Consulting Services—Berkeley, California

Frances E. Kendall, Kendall & Associates—Albany, California

Mercedes Martin, InPartnership Consulting—Oakland, California

Friday, June 1—10:00–11:30 a.m.
PART I—Racial Identity in Multiracial Students
This session offers a review and evaluation of models of racial identity development in multiracial people, and their application to teaching and advising multiracial students. Through interactive presentation, small and large group discussion, and case studies, the models of racial identity are tested, analyzed, and applied to concrete situations.  Participants also discuss the reactions to multiracial students that they encounter on campus, and how to address questions and tensions related to these situations. The session encourages frank discussion of topics raised by the increase in students who identify as multiracial, such as: how real is the concept of race today? To what extent can a person “choose” his or her identity? And, what roles do physical appearance, cultural attachment, political orientation, and social norms related to race play in racial identity formation?

Charmaine L. Wijeyesinghe, Ed.D., Consultant in Organizational Development and Social Justice—Delmar, New York


Saturday, June 2—9:00–11:30 a.m.
PART II—Multiracial People on Campus: an Open and Honest Discussion of the Issues
This highly interactive session seeks to create an environment for open and honest discussion of issues, concerns, or questions about being a multiracial person, or working with multiracial people on campus. Using dialogue, as well as activities that promote deeper levels of introspection and discussion, participants explore a range of beliefs and attitudes related to multiracial people. Through this work, participants gain greater understanding of issues facing multiracial students, and the impact of their own racial identity on ability to work on controversial issues raised by this topic. These include questions such as: what constitutes race? How should multiracial people identify and be identified in terms of race? And, how does the increasing number of multiracial students on campus affect other demographic groups?  Examples of successful campus programs or interventions related to multiracial students will also be shared.

Jim Bonilla, Ed.D., Associate Professor, Conflict Studies, Graduate School of Management; Faculty Coordinator for Diversity Resources; and Director, The Race, Gender & Beyond Faculty Development Project, Hamline University—St. Paul, Minnesot

Charmaine L. Wijeyesinghe, Ed.D., Consultant in Organizational Development and Social Justice—Delmar, New York

This session has three very practical goals: (1) providing participants with a tools to assess the perspectives of the members of their audiences, so they can more appropriately target diversity and equity training programs for maximum effectiveness; (2) practicing how to identify the appropriate domains of learning—cognitive, affective and/or skill‑building—for your learning goals, either in classroom teaching or workplace training; and, (3) learning to design, facilitate and evaluate learning activities in each of these domains. Participants will receive copies of curriculum design materials, including exercise descriptions and directions, for use on their own campuses.                              

Cristine Clifford Cullinan, Ph.D., Training and Development Administrator, University of Oregon—Eugene, Oregon

The presenter will provide a detailed analysis of his experience in heading the Department of Ethnic Studies and where he see the future of ethnic studies in higher education across the U.S.

L. Ling-chi Wang, Ph.D., one of the Founders of Ethnic Studies and Asian American Studies on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley (1969-2006), Head of the Asian American Studies Program, and Chair, Ethnic Studies Department (three terms), University of California—Berkeley, California                   

How does a school defend its diversity and equity efforts given the backlash against affirmative action? With threatened lawsuits and ballot measures on one hand and public misinformation on the other, how can colleges and universities defend these programs both ideologically cand programmatically. This session will offer ideological weapons and practical applications that will assist campuses in maintaining and strengthening programs that address institutional inequity. It will look at how to "train" different branches and departments of the school deal with the conservative-fueled anti-affirmative action backlash. The session will also help schools rally support for affirmative action and other equity programs with the broader public.

Tim Wise is one of the country's most prominent anti-racism writers and speakers. He is the author of White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son and Affirmative Action: Racial Preference in Black and White. Book signing will be scheduled following the session with Tim Wise of Affirmative Action: Racial Preference in Black and White.

Tim Wise, Anti-Racism Educator, ZNet Columnist, and Director, Association for White Anti-Racist Education (AWARE)—Nashville, Tennessee

The current globalization of our world, which embodies multilingualism, necessitates tides of change that promotes many languages and cultures. In urban, suburban and rural areas of our country, it is common to hear and read several languages, including English. This socio-cultural phenomenon should be acknowledged and respected for all students. The future of our nation will depend on how we embrace languages and cultures.

Pedro J. Ruiz, Ph.D., President, National Association for Bilingual Education—Washington, D.C.      

This panel will consider the issues facing faculty who are committed to teaching in ways that consider matters of diversity and multiculturalism in the classroom. The session will focus on the approaches and experiences of faculty of color, female faculty, and white faculty, as they deal with curricular alternatives, students’ responses, and collegial/departmental reactions to such work. Management of one’s own social identity, self‑presentation, conception of the faculty role, and location in the surrounding academic structure will be considered. Both experience‑based and research‑based commentary will include a focus the role of allies, as well as resistors.

Jim Bonilla, Ed.D., Associate Professor, Conflict Studies, Graduate School of Management; Faculty Coordinator for Diversity Resources; and Director, The Race, Gender & Beyond Faculty Development Project, Hamline University—St. Paul, Minnesota

Jessica Charbeneau, Doctoral Candidate, Sociology, Graduate Student Instructor, Sociology, College of Literature, Science Arts, University of Michigan—Ann Arbor, Michigan               

Mark Chesler, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Department of Sociology, University of Michigan—Ann Arbor, Michigan

Kristie Ford, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Skidmore College—Saratoga Springs, New York

Carolyn O'Grady, Associate Professor of Education, Gustavus Adolphus College—St. Peter, Minnesota

David S. Owen, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy, and Coordinator, Diversity Programs, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Louisville—Louisville, Kentucky

The session will create an awareness of different types of oppression, and its effects, within society and the campus community.  The primary goal of the project is to create an experiential program for students, staff and faculty.  The session will challenge the senses and feeling of participants in a safe environment.  In this session, after going through the experience, participants will process what they experienced with trained professional counselors.  Though this program is targeted to the campus community, the program could be open to anyone that would like to attend.

Robert N. Page Jr., Director, Office of Multicultural Affairs, University of Kansas—Lawrence, Kansas            

This two‑part session will present the theory and practice necessary for the successful recruitment and retention of faculty of color to predominantly White institutions (PWIs).  Part I will cover “pre‑recruitment” activities to assess readiness of the organization to receive faculty of color, techniques for attracting and recruiting diverse candidates, intervention strategies needed to alter the “usual” search and screen processes, a review of internet tools for recruitment, and post‑search activities. Part II will use the common theme of support systems from two research studies, to guide a discussion on the purpose, objectives, and programmatic thrusts for support systems to increase the retention of African American at any predominantly white institution. Following a summary of various types of support systems for this population, the session attendees will participate in a vivid, collaborative planning session to be further developed at their home campuses. This session will benefit those persons responsible for and/or interested in the recruitment and retention of faculty of color, professionals in faculty development that directly serve this population, administrators committed to this particular effort, and individuals who are interested in attracting, retaining and supporting faculty from less‑represented populations to their campuses.

Natasha Flowers, Ph.D., Director, Office for Multicultural Professional Development, Indiana University-Purdue University—Indianapolis, Indiana

Sherrée A. Wilson, Ph.D., Special Assistant to the Chancellor, and IU Executive Vice President, Indiana University-Purdue University—Indianapolis, Indiana       

The University of Wisconsin Excellence Through Diversity Institute (EDI) is an intensive train‑the‑trainers/facilitators workforce learning community organized around appreciatively‑framed and culturally‑grounded evaluation processes.  It focuses on generative evaluative thinking and reflective practice for faculty, classified staff, academic staff and administrators.  EDI helps each participant to discover and bring forward their *Best Self* in full voice to do their best learning, their best engaging and their best work so that they can better help others do the same while facilitating the university’s development of such transformational processes.  EDI is a social‑justice grounded leadership development resource for many campus and community initiatives.  As a still evolving project‑in‑process, EDI strives for excellence through cultivating authentically inclusive and vibrantly responsive teaching, learning and working environments that are conducive to success for all.  The Excellence Institute mindfully cultivates multilateral self‑awareness through knowing and using the self as a diversity‑grounded, responsive instrument.  To remain a world‑class institution, EDI recognizes the need for the university to move beyond simply appreciating and celebrating diversity toward substantively engaging diversity throughout the campus community.   EDI helps faculty, staff and administrators to expand their border‑crossing bridge‑building capacities in order to advance a success‑for‑all agenda and not simply an access agenda.    

Hazel Symonette, Ph.D., Senior Policy and Program Development Specialist, University of Wisconsin System Office of Academic Development and Diversity and University of Wisconsin-Madison Offices of Dean of Students—Wisconsin, Madison                      

The session will challenge participants to examine their personal and professional histories with the “Nigger” word, examine when and/or how they were first introduced to the word and to explore the pictures and different feelings associated with the word. The session will take a look at the history of the “Nigger” word utilizing Randall Kennedy’s popular and controversial book along with TV shows (Boston Public & Dave Chappelle); film clips (Bamboozled, Any Given Sunday, Chris Rock’s Bring the Pain, Pulp Fiction and School Daze); and a documentary film about a recovered white supremacist (Blink). We will look at how current events, media, popular music and movies have used “Nigger” over the years and if the word has had any impact or influence on the millennial generation. Presenters will attempt to answer some tough questions, including: (1) how is the word used in music, media, and movies? (2) Does it still generate the same reaction, incite the same feelings, and raise the same issues and concerns it did throughout the 20th Century? (3) How does the word reflect DuBois’ existential question concerning black folk’s “problem” status? (4) What is the word’s relationship to DuBois’ notions of “double consciousness” and the “inevitability of the black criminal?” (5) How might the word exacerbate black and white people’s internalized oppression while further stoking a dysfunctional perspective on black people from outside of the African American community? And, (6) could anyone ever be completely comfortable with everyone using the “Nigger” everywhere? We will ascertain which camp the participants identify with the most, the eradicationists who believe, at the very least, the word should be obliterated from the American lexicon, or the regulationists who allow for its usage within certain regimented contexts. Lastly, the session presenters will consistently offer suggestions about the need and importance of understanding the various realities associated with the “Nigger” word and recommend how to challenge and encourage all people, but specifically young people, about the ramifications of casual or uninformed usage of this extremely troublesome word.

Eddie Moore Jr., Ph.D., Director of Diversity, The Bush School-Seattle; and Founder, The White Privilege Conference (www.whiteprivilegeconference.com) and America & MOORE Research and Consulting—Seattle, Washington

J.W. Wiley, Director, Center for Diversity and Lecturer in Philosophy and Interdisciplinary Studies, State University of New York;
and Founder, Xamining Diversity Consulting (www.xaminingdiversity.com)—Plattsburgh, New York

This session is designed to give participants hands‑on experiences in the arts as a bridge to discussions about difference. This involves experiential as well as cognitive processing. The session proposes diverse cultural explorations that engage the whole person—the intellect through discussion, the emotions through art and music, the body through song and movement. Peeking Behind The Wall of Difference is aimed at all members of the academic community and is intended as a model for conversations. Participants will engage in dance, art and music making while viewing works of art that clearly speak to issues of racial, gender, ethnic or cultural difference.  The presenters, including professors in music, art and art history, will guide participants in dialogue and thus model ways in which discussion about specific topics common to much art and music of the 20th century can open doors to cultural understanding.  The topic questions we present seek to understand common images—people, social spaces and everyday objects—in terms of economic status, cultural space, and gender, racial or ethnic difference.  The session will offer various resources that include both directed questions and more open‑ended discussion themes.  This session should particularly benefit those (students, staff or faculty) who want to raise discussion points that can lead to deeper understanding about culture and its role in enriching the lives of each who touch it.          

Donna M. Cox, Ph.D., Professor of Music, University of Dayton—Dayton, Ohio

Dennis Greene, Professor of Music, University of Dayton—Dayton, Ohio

Judith L. Huacuja, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Art History, University of Dayton—Dayton, Ohio

Kelly Phelps, Assistant Professor of Art (sculpture), Xavier University—Cincinnati, Ohio

Kyle Phelps, Assistant Professor of Art (sculpture), University of Dayton—Dayton, Ohio

When racist graffiti deface campus property...when members of hate groups attempt to recruit on your campus...when professors are members of hate groups...how should you respond?  Classroom Movement allows participants to explore the dynamic of hate, learn how it escalates, and discover the ultimate goal hate seeks to achieve each time it strikes.  Classroom Movement also offers strategies for responding to hate and bias activity when it strikes. With more than 500,000 hate crimes striking college campuses each year, this session is more than important, but could prevent hate violence from victimizing your campus community.

Brandon Wilson, Higher Education Consultant, Wilbron Institute—Birmingham, Alabama    

The concept of Whiteness refers to the legal, economical, and social privileging of refugees and immigrants who, for the period stretching between 1790 and 1965, were deemed by the Supreme Courts as singularly eligible for U.S. Citizenship; and these people were primarily White and Caucasian (Salyer, 1995). It has also been used to reference those people and institutional processes that, albeit to maintain the status quo, continue to support and sustain this system of social inequalities (Wildman, 1996).  A tenured faculty member, by virtue of his/her central and protected status at the Academy, stands as the persistent “gate keeper and champion” of educational standards; and, reflexively, serves to promote and perpetuate that very system‑and‑culture that legitimates and sustains him/her privileged social role. This interdependent relationship between system and class maintenance inevitably produces resistance to institutional and cultural changes of all sorts. Frequently and often inadvertently, diversity and inclusion initiatives that fostered fundamental changes to cultural norms and standards are met with persistent, polite and rationalized neglect. The invisible hand of privilege maintenance is frequently veiled under a cloak of rhetoric and rationalization.

A panel of tenured faculty members will speak on their frustrations with facilitating changes in the academy. The panel will reflect on the often invisible realities of privilege and Whiteness that permeate the academy, and share stories of their personal and internal struggles with peer acceptance, status maintenance, and taking risks to actualize ethical aspirations. An Associate Dean will highlight examples of resistance to diversity from politically liberal faculty members, and describe how one vehemently defends this behavior. Participants will have an opportunity to discuss about their own struggles with privilege, and discover ways to acknowledge, overcome and/or move beyond the seduction of maintaining social privileges.

Michelle Burnham, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English and Membe