Keynote Address--Navigating the Landscape of Diversity: Dilemmas and Possibilities
Annette Gordon-Reed, Carol K. Pforzheimer Professor at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University and Winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in History for The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family
From Main Street to Wall Street and in our own classrooms and administrative structures, deep divides--political, economic, social, cultural--hinder democratic aspirations of inclusion, equity, justice, and belonging. Dr. Gordon-Reed will offer her analysis of where American society is and should be headed in terms of our approach to diversity. Despite the momentous election of Barack Obama as the nation's forty-fourth president, few believe this event has "fixed" layers of history and habits. As the conference focuses on pragmatic ways in which colleges and university leaders are fostering inclusive learning environments, Dr. Gordon-Reed's address will provide a portrait of the contemporary landscape against which, and within which, current diversity dilemmas and possibilities are played out.
Recorded Thursday, October 21, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.
(Posted on Fri, 05 11 2010 11:25:47)

Plenary--Diversity as a Core Strategy for Institutional Transformation
Rusty Barcelo, President, Northern New Mexico College, and Thomas F. Nelson Laird, Assistant Professor, Indiana University
What diversity-related knowledge is important for today's students to gain in college to prepare them for a global,interconnected, yet stratified world? What kind of learning and development is spurred by thoughtful engagement with diversity in the curriculum and in the campus environment? Dr. Barcelo will share her comprehensive vision for placing diversity at the very center of the institution's civic and educational mission and address some of the internal institutional changes that must occur to help insure the academic and personal success of underserved students. Dr. Nelson Laird will examine how educators include diversity into their offerings, sharing recent results from the Faculty Survey of Student Engagement that illustrate how institutions can better understand diversity and its critical place in courses, programs, and student development.
Recorded Friday, October 22, 9:15 - 10:15 a.m.
(Posted on Fri, 05 11 2010 11:27:42)

Plenary--Ensuring Access, Resources, and Essential Learning for All Students
Diana Natalicio, President, The University of Texas at El Paso
Following steep economic decline, some campuses are seeking to consolidate or eliminate diversity programs even as the country undergoes rapid demographic shifts. Rising costs and cutbacks in financial aid threaten the economic diversity of our student populations at a time when a college education is becoming more critical for success in work and in life. President Natalicio will share her vision for creating educational opportunities for first-generation and non-traditional students that places their access and academic achievement at the heart of the academic enterprise.
Recorded Friday, October 22, 1:15 - 2:15 p.m.
(Posted on Fri, 05 11 2010 11:32:22)

Closing Plenary--Purposeful Work: Students Talk about Local and Global Responsibilities
Richard Vaz, Dean, Interdisciplinary and Global Studies, David Arnold and Evan Sawyer, students--all of Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Preparing students for life and work in our globally interdependent, information rich, and technologically advanced society means helping them to develop the ability to make connections across disciplines and cultures as they apply knowledge to solve complex problems. It also requires fostering an understanding of one's place in the world and a sense of personal and social responsibility. Students from Worcester Polytechnic Institute will share the local and global experiences that enabled them to better understand the intersections of culture, science, engineering, and justice, and how they drew on these connections to develop ethical solutions to real-life challenges.
Recorded Saturday, October 23, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
(Posted on Fri, 05 11 2010 11:35:03)