OHIO STATE TO HOST NATIONAL MINORITY AFFAIRS CONFERENCE

   COLUMBUS -- Developing strategies for diversity, affirmative action and minority student retention in higher education will be the focus of “Racial Legacies and Learning: An American Dialogue,” the fifth annual conference of offices of Minority Affairs to be held Tuesday (5/4) at Ohio State. The event, co- sponsored by the Office of Minority Affairs and the Division of Student Affairs, will run from 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. in the Ohio Union Ballrooms, 1739 N. High St.

   Representatives from 40 colleges, universities, organizations and corporations nationwide will gather to discuss issues affecting minorities in higher education, including mentoring, cultural appreciation, diminishing minority university scholarships and the role of corporations in diversity matters.

   Former U.S. Rep. Ronald V. Dellums, D-Calif., will give the luncheon address following the theme of “Racial Legacies and Learning,” a program that fosters communication between campuses and communities on issues of race. The program, which began last April, is sponsored by the Ford Foundation and is designed to support President Clinton’s Initiative on Race.

   Dellums, who earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from San Francisco State University and his Master of Social Work degree from Berkeley, served 14 terms as a congressman. He chaired the Armed Services Committee, and served on the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Post Office and Civil Service Committee. He was the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and a representative and military panel member to the North Atlantic Assembly, parliamentarians from NATO.

   Samuel Betances, vice president and senior consultant of Souder, Betances and Associates, will hold a “Grand Conversation” on the Racial Legacies and Learning theme at 11:35 a.m. After Dellums’ address, he and Betances will hold a question-and-answer period at 1:50 p.m.

   Betances earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from Harvard University. He joined the faculty of Northeastern Illinois University in 1973 as a professor of sociology, specializing in race and ethnic relations, education and reform, and diversity in the workplace. He formed Souder, Betances and Associates, a consulting company that works with private and public organizations on issues of diversity, in 1991.

   “Dr. Betances and Congressman Dellums were chosen to be a part of the conference for their expertise in areas relative to the conference theme and their unique abilities to be effective in bringing matters to full discussion to foster implementation and resolution,” said Barbara Rich, interim vice provost of minority affairs.

   The conference also will feature remarks from President William E. Kirwan, Executive Vice President and Provost Edward J. Ray, and Vice President for Student and Urban/Community Affairs David Williams II. Several work sessions will be held throughout the morning concerning student and faculty retention issues, minority recruitment efforts in academia, insuring the success of diversity initiatives, and the role and responsibility of institutions to affirmative action.

   The registration fee is $15 for students and $75 for all others. For more information, call 292-8156.

Contact: Rose Wilson Hill, special assistant to the provost, minority affairs, (614) 292-8156.