Diversity UPDATE WINTER 2004
Vice Provost for Minority Affairs
MESSAGE FROM MAC
Dear Friends of Ohio State:
I recently had the opportunity to report to the university's Board of Trustees about the development and growth of educational diversity at Ohio State. In a panel discussion with Christine Ballengee-Morris, director of our Multicultural Center, and john a. powell, director of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, we all agreed that Ohio State is on the right track but we must continue our commitment and enhance our efforts in this everchanging climate.
I reminded the board that the focus of diversity at Ohio State has been directed toward the recruitment and retention of minority students, and then provided a look back at some of the university's milestones. I also conveyed my belief that our quest for diversity should be considered a journey rather than a goal, a path that continuously changes as we better understand the changing world surrounding us. Progress on this journey can be difficult to measure, but national indicators, along with aggressive recruiting and our own careful monitoring, prove that academic excellence and diversity can be jointly attained, as prescribed in the university's Diversity Action Plan.
Ohio State's success has been noted in many publications and journals, including Hispanic Outlook, which ranks Ohio State 17th nationally in the number of doctorates awarded to Hispanics, based on the latest available data. Last year, the university ranked 37th. And the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, citing a 150 percent increase over four years, recently ranked Ohio State highest among the nation's 25 leading business schools in the percentage of African Americans enrolled.
We are clearly making progress, but there is still much to be done. Sincerely,
Mac A. Stewart
Vice Provost
Alliance to Help Increase Minority Grads
A $3.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation will help Ohio universities and partners work together to significantly increase the number of minority students who earn bachelor's degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. The NSF initiative, the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation program, is named in honor of the congressman from Cleveland and currently funds 31 alliances nationwide.
Ohio State will lead a consortium of 15 universities and four other agencies in the state to form the Ohio Science and Engineering Alliance. The alliance aims to double the number of minority undergraduate students earning bachelor's degrees in science and high-tech fields and increase the number of minority students who go on to pursue graduate degrees.
The NSF grant provides $700,000 annually for five years to support projects designed to enhance the recruitment, retention and graduation of minority students as well as to encourage participants to attend graduate school. Funds will also be used to support initiatives of the alliance, such as a statewide undergraduate research symposium and research-based internships at consortium institutions, as well as individual campus mentoring, tutoring and supplemental instruction.
Progress Report
Faculty and Staff Recruitment Dr. Melvin Shipp will begin his tenure as dean of the College of Optometry on May 1. Currently a professor of optometry at the University of Alabama- Birmingham, Shipp is also the director of the optometric technician program in the School of Public and Allied Health, and is the assistant dean for clinical services and director of clinics in the School of Optometry. Shipp is a retired captain in the U. S. Naval Reserve and serves as the professional school liaison officer for the University of Alabama. He has the distinction of being the only optometrist to receive a Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellowship, during which he completed a one-year congressional fellowship as a health legislative assistant in the U.S. Senate. Additionally, Shipp has served as a consultant, panelist and grant reviewer for several federal institutions, notably the Food and Drug Administration, the Health Resources and Services Administration, and the National Institutes of Health.
Shipp earned his B. S. in zoology and a doctorate in optometry from Indiana University, his Master of Public Health degree from Harvard University, and his Doctor of Public Health degree from the University of Michigan.
Christine Balengee-Morris, interim director of the Multicultural Center since 2001, has been named to the position on a permanent basis. As interim director, she had the job of inaugurating and establishing the center as a visible presence on campus. Under her leadership, the Multicultural Center has forged partnerships and developed programs that innovatively and creatively address many dimensions of multiculturalism and diversity. Ballengee-Morris, an associate professor of art education at Ohio State's Newark campus since 1995, has an extensive background in teaching, research, service and administration. A scholar of indigenous, Appalachian and multicultural arts, she is a frequent contributor to professional publications and conferences. She earned her B.S. and M.A. in art education at Miami University and her Ph.D. in the same field from Pennsylvania State University.
Student Recruitment and Retention
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education recently ranked African-American MBA student enrollment at the nation's 25 highest-ranked business schools, and the Fisher College of Business was the topranked program in both percentage of African American students and progress of African American student enrollment. With a 150 percent increase in the number of African American MBA students from 1999-2003, Fisher College countered the overall trend of declining African American student enrollment. According to the Journal, African American MBA student enrollment has dropped by almost 11 percent since 1999. The survey also noted that Fisher College had the highest percentage of African American MBA students with 10.3 percent.
Computer and Information Science (CIS) continues to support women students and faculty within the department. WHILE Ð Women's Hour of Information, Lunch, and Enthusiasm Ð brings women together to discuss topics of interest for them in the computing field. This activity is supported by a grant from the GE Foundation's Faculty for the Future Program, which is designed to support programs for students in under-represented groups. Additional initiatives supported by this grant include a mentoring program for women interested in CIS as well as travel support for faculty and students to attend conferences for women in computing.
The university recently began accepting applications for Digital Animation: A Technology Mentoring Program for Young Women. The program, which is a free, two-week summer experience for high school women, is scheduled June 21-July 2 at the Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design (ACCAD). Students will work with women mentors at ACCAD, and will investigate technology through the creative applications of computer-generated animation and web media. The program is open to girls currently in or entering grades 9 to 11 in Columbus-area high schools.
The Office of Minority Affairs Career and Job Fair Student Association hosted its 31st annual Career and Job Fair in January at the Ohio Union. The fair gave university students an immediate opportunity to network and secure a wide range of employment placements at several registered companies before and after graduation. The fair was open for all undergraduate, graduate, and professional candidates, with a special emphasis on minority career seekers. Information booklets that outline the various positions for which companies are recruiting were also made available at campus career services offices. Approximately 1,500 students and 90 companies attended the fair last year.
Academic and Research Programming
The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences unveiled its new Visiting Faculty Multicultural Scholar Program, and the first guest scholar was Marybeth Lima, associate professor at Louisiana State University's Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. Lima led a series of discussions in February on such topics as "Women's Strategies to Success in Science Careers and Beyond," and "Bridging the Gap Between Your Classroom Experiences and Life: One Hispanic Woman's Perspective."
Leadership/Recognition
Cynthia Tyson, professor of education, has contributed a chapter to a new book asserting that the National Council for the Social Studies fails to address issues of race and racism. Merry Merryfield, professor of teaching and learning, is series editor for Information Age Publishing Inc., the publisher that issued Critical Race Theory Perspectives on the Social Studies: The Profession, Policies and Curriculum last month. An article about the work, "Book Accuses Social Studies Group of Ignoring Racism," appeared in a recent issue of Education Week.
Retired dentist George Boston was recognized by the Office of Minority Affairs at a January reception for his contributions as one of Ohio State's earliest African American faculty. In the photo above, Boston is flanked by Mac Stewart and University President Karen A. Holbrook. Boston was promoted to assistant professor in 1957, and is believed to be the first African American to receive tenure at Ohio State. He left the university in 1974 to pursue private practice.
The Education Law Association has elected Philip T.K. Daniel as its president for 2004. Daniel, professor of educational policy and leadership, is a leading scholar in education law, particularly the impact of technology on school issues. He has been on the association's board of directors since 1998 and its executive committee since 2002. He has written numerous articles and is co-author of two books, Education Law and the Public Schools: A Compendium and Law and Public Education. The university has honored him with the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching and he is a member of the Academy of Teaching.
Access for the Disabled
The Department of Recreational Sports recently formed an advisory board and launched the Adapted Recreational Sports Community Initiative. For many years, Ohio State has provided recreational programs for people with disabilities, and offers specialized classes for children and adults. The purpose of the initiative is to collaborate with other central Ohio programming resources to make the university and city a leader in recreational opportunities for disabled individuals. Heidi Keller of the Department of Recreational Sports is spearheading the effort for the Ohio State.
Awareness
As part of its annual GLBT Awareness Week in January, the university's office of GLBT Student Services, in conjunction with other Ohio State offices and student groups, sponsored a series of events that discussed GLBT experiences in different religions. "How Can You Be a Lesbian? You're Jewish!," "Hidden Voices: The Lives of LGBTIQ Muslims," and "Just as I Am" were three featured presentations. GLBT Student Services decided to organize the presentations with the other sponsors because students who come from religiously conservative backgrounds often struggle to reconcile what they have been taught about GLBT people.
U.S. Rep. Jesse L. Jackson Jr. was the guest speaker for the university's 32nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration. "Celebrating the Legacy; Social Justice for All" was the theme of the university's 2004 observance. Jackson, who represents the second congressional district in Illinois, discussed King's legacy and current political issues. In 1995, Jackson became the 91st African American ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and is currently serving his fifth term in the 108th Congress.
The Inter-Professional Council presented an interactive workshop entitled Building Community by Welcoming Diversity to dentistry, law, medical, optometry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine students. The interactive diversity workshop helped participants celebrate their similarities and differences, identify the misinformation that they have learned about other groups, claim pride in their own group identities, learn about the personal impact of discrimination through the telling of stories, and gain empowerment by learning concrete tools for changing bigoted comments and actions.
Ohio State's American Indian Council (AIC) held its first student-initiated and student-run powwow and conference in February. The theme, "Paving the Way for the Seventh Generation: Preserving Our Culture in the Face of Colonialism" was meant to be a testament to the cultural conservation and student support that AIC has contributed to Ohio State for the last 11 years. AIC billed the event as an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to providing advocacy and education to the native community on campus, as well as a way to offer a cultural experience designed to help form a bridge of understanding to non-native people. The twoday event included workshops emphasizing current issues in American Indian higher education, a powwow including native music, dancing, and food.
"African Americans in Sports" was the topic of alumnus and author Charles K. Ross during a presentation at Ohio State in which he discussed the impact that the National Football League has had on the civil rights movement. Ross currently is an assistant professor of Afro-American Studies and history at the University of Mississippi, and is the author of "Outside the Lines: African Americans and the Integration of the National Football League." A panel discussion featuring former Ohio State sports figures followed the event, which was free and open to the public. Panel members discussed the challenges that African Americans face in gaining coaching, administrative and ownership opportunities in college and professional sports.
Outreach Activities
Students from the College of Dentistry participated in a day-long program that offered free dental services to children from the Columbus' Boys and Girls Club. More than one-third of Ohio's middle school-age children from lowincome families have untreated dental disease, and some 100 dental students helped combat this problem by contributing their services to children during the second annual Give Kids A Smile Day, part of National Children's Dental Health Month. Along with receiving dental screenings, cleanings and education, each child took home a kit that includes a toothbrush and toothpaste, activity sheets and brochures on good oral health. The event was designed to reach children from families who cannot afford oral health care services.
