COLUMBUS -- Columbus attorney Alex Shumate and Nationwide’s Donna James will join NAACP National President and Chief Executive Officer Kweisi Mfume to examine diversity and explore methods to improve racial and cultural equity throughout society during the 7^th Annual Big 10 & Statewide Conference, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday (5/1) at the Ohio Union, 1739 N. High St.

Ohio State University President William E. Kirwan, who since his arrival in 1998 has consistently sought to increase the university’s commitment to diversity on campus, said the conference will provide opportunities for university and community leaders to set goals for increasing understanding and awareness to diversity issues.

“We are serious about enhancing our learning environment through racial and ethnic diversity,” Kirwan said.  “Students who attend a university that supports and celebrates diversity will be better prepared to live in today’s multicultural society and to work in the global marketplace.  The Big Ten & Statewide Conference will help the university and the community examine issues surrounding diversity in an attempt to use the information to strategically improve relations.”

The conference, being hosted by The Ohio State University, will also feature Mfume’s keynote address, “Rationalization or Legitimacy: An Inclusionary Code of Conduct for the 21^st Century,” from 1:15 to 2:10 p.m.

At the beginning of the conference, Frank W. Hale, Jr., vice provost emeritus for minority affairs and distinguished university representative, will moderate a panel discussion, asking participants to discuss issues of diversity applicable to their work experiences. 

The panel will include: Samuel Cook, president emeritus of Dillard University; John Fleming, director and chief operating officer of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center; James, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Nationwide Insurance; Maria Julia, professor in Ohio State’s College of Social Work; Rita Chung, professor at George Mason University; and Shumate, managing partner of Columbus’ office of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, L.L.P.

According to Mac Stewart, Ohio State vice provost for the Office of Minority Affairs and master of ceremonies for the conference, this event is intended to enhance dialogue on racial diversity.

“We have attracted a group of very fine presenters,” Stewart said.  “It should be an enlightening and enriching experience for those in attendance.”

Following the panel discussion, participants will be able to choose from 20 breakout sessions including:

• 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. – Early Intervention: Creative Pre-collegiate Programs that Support Diversity;  Status of Minorities in America: Making ‘the Dream’ Real in the Bush Administration;  The Election, Courts & Constitution – Equal Opportunity & Protection?;  The Importance of Collaborative Relationships Between Black Cultural Centers and Departments of Black Studies;  Attracting & Retaining Minority Employees;  How to Create an Inclusive & Supportive Climate for Minorities & Women: Developing a Collaborative Programmatic Model;  Diversity Issues in the Workplace: Accountability;  Challenges/Remedies of ‘By-in’ & Budget of Diversity Plans;  Court Cases (Michigan, Florida, etc.): Implications on Affirmative Action;  and Demographic Shifts & Impacts on Institutions (education and corporate).
• 10:15 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. – Minority Student Retention: Becoming More Effective, and the Prejudice Reduction Workshop.
  
•   11:25 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. – Post-baccalaureate Programs that Support Diversity: A Collaborative Effort;  Men of Color: Survival in the Workplace;  The Future of Diversity & Affirmative Action with the Bush Administration;  Taking the Cue: Higher Education & Corporate America’s Marriage in Response to Diversity Initiatives;  Obtaining & Maintaining Faculty Support for Diversity Initiatives;  Impact of Faith-based Funding on Diversity Initiatives & the Church’s Role with Regard to Diversity;  Multicultural vs. African American: Cultural Centers in Crisis;  and Communicating Diversity: Sharing Best Practices.
  
  
  EDITOR’S NOTE: For more information about the break-out sessions, contact Lesley Deaderick at (614) 292-0569.  For additional information about the conference, see Ohio State’s Big Ten & Statewide Conference Web site at http://www.oma.admin.ohio state.edu/spprogs/big10/conference.htm.

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