COLUMBUS -- The Ohio State University will host student retention and recruitment expert William Sedlacek, professor of education at the University of Maryland, College Park, Thursday and Friday as part of its continuing diversity lecture series.

Sedlacek will speak at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., on Thursday, at the Fawcett Center, 2400 Olentangy River Road, on the topics of "Models for Increasing Black and Hispanic Student Recruitment and Retention" and "Strategies for Undergraduate Recruitment." He will also speak on at 9 a.m., Friday, on the topic of "Strategies for Graduate Recruitment." All lectures will be followed by an open discussion, and are free and open to the public.

The university has spearheaded this new initiative on diversity to reinforce its commitment to recruiting and retaining students and faculty of color. The series seeks to identify key strategies for creating and implementing comprehensive plans to strengthen the university's commitment to diversity. "As the Diversity Action Plan makes clear, we are committed to becoming a leader within the higher education community," said President William E. Kirwan.

Sedlacek has received considerable recognition in higher education circles for his research and writings on diversity initiatives. His research on the cultural diversity model of admissions considers such factors as student personality, interests, attitude and other psychological considerations in college admissions practices. He has written and co-authored numerous publications that cite the importance of considering alternatives to traditional standardized tests in the education of nontraditional students.

Sedlacek was the recipient of the 1993 John B. Muir Writing Award for his work, Achieving Diversity: Strategies for the Recruitment and Retention of Traditionally Underrepresented Students.

The President and Provost's Diversity Lecture Series will present its next speaker, Donald Brown, director of AHANA Student Programs at Boston College, on 9 a.m. on Monday, November 13, at the Fawcett Center. AHANA represents the diverse students of African-American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American descent, who are involved in the variety of programs aimed at academic performance. Brown has been especially effective in creating a positive climate for students of color in higher education.

Visit the Ohio State Diversity Web site at www.osu.edu/diversity for upcoming diversity lecture speakers.

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