George Lucas Gives $10 Million to the University of Southern California for Minority Scholarships
The University of Southern California in Los Angeles received a donation of $10 million from the George Lucas Family Foundation. The money will provide scholarships for students in the School of Cinematic Arts with preferences given to African American and Hispanic students.
University of Texas Introduces the “Rooney Rule” for High-Level Administrative Searches
William H. McRaven, chancellor of the University of Texas System is instituting a new rule for all administrative searches for deans and higher posts in the 14-campus system. At least one minority applicant must be included in the final pool of candidates for all high-level administrative positions.
How Anti-Affirmative Action Admissions Laws Impact Campus Diversity Efforts
The authors found a reluctance by administrators who are charged with diversity missions at universities prohibited from using race in admissions decisions to deal specifically with race in their efforts to create a more welcoming campus.
Yale University Earmarks $50 Million for Faculty Diversity Efforts
The Ivy League university will earmark $25 million over a five-year period for faculty recruitment, faculty appointments, and emerging faculty development. Participating schools at Yale will add an additional $25 million in matching funds.
The University of Montana’s “Six-Word Essays” on Race
Students in the School of Journalism at the University of Montana are asking all 47,000 students at the 16 state university campuses and seven tribal colleges to submit a six-word essay on the topic of race.
A Check-Up on the Racial Gap in Medical School Applications and Enrollments
In 2015, the number of Black applicants to U.S. medical schools was up a whopping 16.8 percent from 2014. Blacks were 7.6 percent of all medical school matriculants in 2015. This was up from 6.9 percent in 2014.
University of Delaware Allocates $1 Million as a First Installment for Diversity Initiatives
The University of Delaware, has announced the allocation of $1 million for diversity initiatives. The dean of the College of Arts and Sciences says that the allocation will be a recurring expense, not just a one-time expenditure.
Ohio University Aims to Boost Retention of Black and Minority Faculty Members
The Multicultural Junior Faculty Mentoring Program that will assign new junior faculty members from underrepresented groups a senior faculty member who will serve as a mentor.
Middlebury College Names New Intercultural Center After Two Early Black Alumni
The new Anderson Freeman Resource Center was named after Mary Annette Anderson, the valedictorian of the Class of 1889 and Martin Henry Freeman of the Class of 1849 who later became president of Liberia College.
University of Massachusetts Debuts New Diversity Website
The new website offers visitors a one-stop location for information on campus support systems, organizations, policies and procedures, and news relating to all university programs on diversity, equity and inclusion.
University of Missouri Announces Required Diversity Training After Racist Incidents
After two racial incidents on campus, the university's chancellor called for an end to hate and announced mandatory training for faculty, staff, and all incoming students.
The Nation’s Colleges and Universities With the Most Diverse Student Bodies
The Rutgers University campus in Newark, New Jersey, was deemed to have the most diverse student body in the country among large national universities. Blacks make up 18 percent of the enrollments at the Newark campus.
Ithaca College Aims to Increase the Diversity of Its Faculty
The new guidelines will include training for search committee chairs on tactics to make their searches more inclusive. Candidates from minority groups will be included in semi-finalist and finalist pools for open positions.
Two Flagship State Universities Report Progress on Student Diversity
Blacks are 5.3 percent of the first-year class at the University of Texas at Austin, up from 4.2 percent a year ago. At the University of Colorado at Boulder, the number of African American undergraduates students is up 8 percent from a year ago.
University of Iowa Offers New Certificate Program in Leadership for Diversity
Students in the program will take courses in coalition building across diverse groups, navigating and defusing conflict situations, and fostering a climate where diverse opinions, backgrounds, and identities can flourish and be respected.
SUNY Announces a New Comprehensive Policy to Promote Campus Diversity
Under the new policy, all 64 campuses of the SUNY System will be required to hire a chief diversity officer. Also, all campuses will be required to develop a strategic plan to increase diversity among students, faculty, and staff.
American Public Schools: White Teachers, Minority Students
From 1987 to 2012, the percentage of minority teachers in the nation's public schools has increased from 12 percent to 17 percent. However, it must be noted that minority students now account for about half of all public school students.
Arizona State’s Kimberly Scott to Lead the National Academic STEM Collaborative
Dr. Scott is an associate professor in the department of women and gender studies at Arizona State University. She is also the founding executive director of the Center for Gender Equity in Science and Technology at Arizona State.
Berkeley Takes Multiple Steps to Enhance Opportunities for African Americans
The University of California has announced its new diversity initiative, a comprehensive effort to address the underrepresentation of African American students, faculty, and staff at the university.
University of Michigan in New Recruitment Effort for Low-Income Students
Prohibited from using affirmative action in admissions, the University of Michigan is embarking on a new effort to seek out and recruit low-income students.
Vanderbilt University Launches New Diversity Initiative
Part of the new diversity initiative is the establishment of three endowed chairs that will bring scholars to the Vanderbilt campus who will be leading figures in disciplines that match the chancellor's vision of a diverse university.
Purdue Commits $1 Million to Faculty-Inspired Diversity Initiatives
Purdue University has initiated the new Diversity Transformation Award program that will enlist current faculty and staff members to come up with strategies to further increase the diversity of the faculty and the student body.
ACE Report Examines Current Diversity Strategies in Higher Education Admissions
A new report from the American Council on Education documents admissions practices of colleges and universities in the current legal climate resulting from the most recent Supreme Court rulings on race-sensitive admissions practices.
Two African American Finalists for Vice Provost for Inclusion and Diversity at Virginia Tech
Menah Pratt-Clarke is the associate chancellor for strategic affairs and the associate provost for diversity at the University of Illinois and G. Christine Taylor has served as vice provost for diversity and chief diversity officer at Purdue University.
Virginia Tech’s Summer Program Seeks to Increase Diversity at Its Medical School
Hampton University students selected for the internship program receive guaranteed admission to the medical school so long as they graduate from Hampton with honors and achieve a threshold score on the Medical College Admission Test.
Increasing the Number of African American Cancer Researchers
The Minority Training Program in Cancer Control Research aims to encourage Black and other minority graduate students to pursue doctoral degrees and careers in research relating to cancer.
New Effort Aims to Increase Diversity Among Academic Librarians
American University in Washington, D.C., the University of Iowa, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia University are hiring resident librarians from diverse backgrounds in the early stages of their careers for a three-year period.
Vanderbilt University Creates the Office of Inclusion Initiatives and Cultural Competence
The new office will be under the direction of Tina Smith, who has been promoted from assistant dean of students to associate dean. She will have oversight over many organizations including the Women's Center and the Black Cultural Center.
Purdue University Eliminates the Post of Chief Diversity Officer
Many colleges and universities across the world have added an administrative post with the title of chief diversity officer in recent years. Purdue University did so six years ago. But now the university has eliminated the position but says all diversity programs will remain.
Cornell University Mounts an Effort to Increase Diversity Among Op-Ed Writers
Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, has mounted a program where the goal is to increase the number of women and minorities who regularly contribute op-ed pieces to major media outlets.
Major New Survey Effort Will Measure Higher Education’s Effect on Students’ Diversity Views
This fall, 100,000 students at 130 colleges and universities nationwide, will begin to participate in a four-year study that will determine how their views on issues of faith and diversity change during their time at college.
Princeton University Funds Initiatives Aimed at Increasing Diversity
Princeton University has endorsed the recommendations offered by a 51-member task force and has announced funding for several initiatives to improve the university's diversity efforts.
Vanderbilt University Is the Latest Partner of Management Leadership for Tomorrow
Under the partnership, MLT will help recruit minority MBA students to Vanderbilt. Then MLT will provide these students with skills and tools needed to be successful in business school and in the corporate arena.
The University of Nebraska’s Innovative Plan to Help Retain Minority Faculty
Under the new plan, faculty members who teach in an academic department and also in one of the ethnic studies programs at the university will be required to teach only five courses over a three-semester period instead of six.
Duke University Task Force Publishes Report on Faculty Diversity Efforts
In the past, Duke University has been a leader in efforts to increase the diversity of its faculty. But a new report finds that from 2005 to 2014 the Black percentage of the Duke faculty increased from 3.8 percent to 4.4 percent.
University of Washington School of Law Aims to Increase Diversity
Students from underrepresented groups who are selected for the new fellows program will receive paid summer internships at area law firms or in the legal departments of area corporations after completing their first year of law school.
