The Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies (SWCHRS) is a department within the University of Oklahoma Outreach / College of Continuing Education. Formed in 1961, SWCHRS is devoted to the study, understanding, and resolution of human conflict and to promoting understanding and cooperation among people of different racial, ethnic, religious, and economic backgrounds. One of the major programs of SWCHRS is the Annual National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE), which serves as the leading national forum on issues of race and ethnicity in higher education.
NCORE Conference History
In 1988, The Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies launched the first Annual National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (NCORE) to address the resurgence of racist incidents in higher education. Since its inception, NCORE has evolved into a vital national resource for higher education institutions, providing an annual multicultural forum that attracts Black/African Americans, American Indians, Asian/Pacific Islanders, Latino/as, and European Americans representing higher education institutions across the United States.
The NCORE conference series constitutes the leading and most comprehensive national forum on issues of race and ethnicity in higher education. The conference focuses on the complex task of creating and sustaining comprehensive institutional change designed to improve racial and ethnic relations on campus and to expand opportunities for educational access and success by culturally diverse, traditionally underrepresented populations.
NCORE is designed to provide a significant forum for discussion, critical dialogue, and exchange of information as institutions search for effective strategies to enhance access, social development, education, positive communication, and cross-cultural understanding in culturally diverse settings.
Conference Evaluations
Over the years, approximately 99 percent of conference participants have rated NCORE’s overall value and benefit as “Excellent”, “Very Good,” or “Good,” with 90 percent rating it as either “Excellent” or “Very Good.” Persons attending this conference have repeatedly commented on its high quality, its level of organization and planning, and the hospitality they have received at the conference site.
The role played by the many individuals and staff representing the conference headquarters hotel and the conference services vendors is an extremely important one. The assistance of all staff and employees in serving our conference guests and helping to create a pleasant and positive experience for them while they are in the host city will be greatly appreciated.
Conference Participants Include:
- Senior administrative officers at both campus and system levels
- Academic affairs administrators, deans, department chairs, and teaching faculty
- Directors and staff of offices of affirmative action, equal employment opportunity, and minority affairs
- Professionals in virtually all campus activity/service areas, including admissions, student life, financial aid, personnel, public safety, alumni affairs, and athletics
- Representatives of state and national institutes, associations, agencies, commissions, and foundations
- Leaders of student organizations
- Representatives of community-based agencies and organizations