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Registration due Friday for equity conferenceFeb. 21, 2006 KALAMAZOO--The 16th conference on "EQUITY in the Classroom" will take place Sunday through Tuesday, March 19-21, at the Holiday Inn West in Lansing, Mich. The theme for this year's conference is "A Global Perspective-a Local Mandate. The annual event focuses on achieving parity in enrollment, retention and graduation for underrepresented minority students and academically and economically disadvantaged students in higher education. It is aimed at faculty, staff and administrators who are willing to implement new ideas and strategies in campus programming, curriculum and faculty recruitment. The 2006 conference is being sponsored by WMU and 19 of the state's other public and private colleges and universities as well as two programs of the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth, GEAR UP Michigan! and the King-Chavez-Parks Initiative. Conference registration fees and included meals are paid by higher education institution members that support the event. Registration is facilitated through each institution's delegation coordinator. Conference attendees must register through their institution's coordinator by Friday, Feb. 24. The 2006 conference will feature more than 15 breakout sessions. Topics include: "The World of Diversity: Engaging the Freshman Student," "Using Jim Crow Artifacts to Teach Humanities" and "Hispanic Community Outreach." The first sessions on Monday will center on one common thread: "Affirmative Action at the Crossroads in Michigan." The keynote speakers, along with the titles and times of their talks, are: Frank Wu, dean of the Wayne State University Law School, "Beyond Black and White: Toward a New Paradigm of Civil Rights," 9 to 10 a.m. Monday; Susan Kaufmann, associate director of the University of Michigan Center for the Education of Women, "Gender Impact of the Proposed Michigan Civil Rights Initiative," 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Monday; and David Pilgrim, professor of sociology at Ferris State University and the founder and curator of the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia, "Hateful Things: The Resurgence of Racism in Material Culture, noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday. WMU's delegation coordinator is Dr. Martha Warfield, assistant vice president for student affairs and director of the Division of Multicultural Affairs. Reservations may be sent to Warfield at martha.warfield@wmich.edu. A conference brochure, complete with registration form, is available online at www.conference.wmich.edu/conferences. The conference is being organized by Extended University Programs at WMU. For more information, call the division's Cathy Colella or Mary Ann Ford at (269) 387-4174. Media contact: Jeanne Baron, (269) 387-8400, jeanne.baron@wmich.edu WMU News |
