Black Colleges Look to Increase Online Education Presence; Diverse Issues in Higher Education, 11/17/10

Kathy Matheson, Associated Press via Diverse Issues in Higher Education; Black Colleges Look to Increase Online Education Presence:

"Blacks comprised about 12 percent of total enrollment in higher education in 2007 but were 21 percent of students at for-profit institutions — many of which are online, according to an American Council on Education report released this year.

Tom Joyner, a syndicated radio host with a largely Black audience, also sees the market's potential. The longtime historical Black college and unversity booster and philanthropist has invested about $7 million to start HBCUsOnline.com, an educational services venture run by his son."

http://diverseeducation.com/article/14397/

[Press Release] NIH Recovery Act grants to foster scientific workforce diversity, 10/26/10

[Press Release] NIH Recovery Act grants to foster scientific workforce diversity:

"The National Institutes of Health has awarded six grants totaling approximately $12 million over three years through a new initiative aimed at fostering a diverse scientific workforce. The initiative, called the NIH Director’s ARRA Funded Pathfinder Award to Promote Diversity in the Scientific Workforce, is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and administered by NIH's National Institute of General Medical Sciences."

http://www.nih.gov/news/health/oct2010/nigms-26.htm

Gay rights group calls for safety at Rutgers; Seattle Times via Record (Hackensack, NJ), 10/25/10

Stephanie Akin and Hannan Adely, Seattle Times via Record (Hackensack, NJ); Gay rights group calls for safety at Rutgers:

"A gay rights group, citing what it called a "hidden population of Tyler Clementis," asked the Rutgers University administration to do more to ensure gay students' safety on campus.

"What we want is to address the issue of this hidden population that is hidden because of a lack of understanding of what they are dealing with," said Robert T. O'Brien, an assistant instructor of anthropology and one of the co-founding members of the group, Queering the Air."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2013253334_webgay26.html

Educational Difficulties of Men and Immigrants Hinder Efforts to Improve College Attainment; Chronicle of Higher Education, 10/20/10

Peter Schmidt, Chronicle of Higher Education; Educational Difficulties of Men and Immigrants Hinder Efforts to Improve College Attainment:

"The educational difficulties of men, as well as influxes of immigrants with weak educational backgrounds, have emerged as major challenges to the nation's efforts to get a larger share of its population through college, according to a new report by the American Council on Education."

http://chronicle.com/article/Educational-Difficulties-of/125015/

Obama Signs Hispanic Education Executive Order; Diverse Issues in Higher Education via Associated Press, 10/20/10

Diverse Issues in Higher Education via Associated Press; Obama Signs Hispanic Education Executive Order:

"The measure is intended to widen the scope of a long-standing White House initiative on Latino education by increasing partnerships with the private sector and soliciting more input from the community. The objective is to focus on the educational challenges faced by the Hispanic community in order to increase enrollment and outcomes."

http://diverseeducation.com/article/14288/

Outlook poor for long-term unemployed; Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/4/10

Dan Chapman, Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Outlook poor for long-term unemployed:

"Nothing, at first, seemed unusual about the listing for a McDonough warehouse job.

Minimum three years of experience. Ability to lift 75 pounds. Reliable transportation.

But one requirement, in bold type and uppercase letters, jumped from Abacus Corporation’s online listing in July:

“If you have not worked since 2009, do not apply!”"

http://www.ajc.com/business/outlook-poor-for-long-657702.html

Are Facebook ads outing gay users?; CNN.com, 10/21/10

Doug Gross, CNN.com; Are Facebook ads outing gay users?:

"Facebook ads are guessing whether users are gay and targeting a broad range of products to them based on the answer, according to a research study making the rounds on the internet Thursday."

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/social.media/10/21/facebook.gay.ads/index.html?hpt=T2

[Free Online Conference] December 1 - 2, 2010, free online conference sponsored by WebJunction: Serving the 21st Century Patron

December 1 - 2, 2010, free online conference sponsored by WebJunction: Serving the 21st Century Patron:

[Sample Session] "Changing Reference Services to Meet Patron Expectations
Traditional library reference work is changing, largely in response to changing library user expectations. Reference questions are becoming more varied, complex, and require more time than a librarian can answer briefly from behind a desk. Factors influencing these changes include the economic downturn – patrons with limited computer skills need to apply for jobs and social services online; and emerging technologies – library users demand access to downloadable books and interactive web technologies. In this session, Nancy Fredericks and Ruth O'Donnell will explore these changes and how libraries are responding to the new demands."

http://www.webjunction.org/conferences/-/articles/content/106453434

[Chart] Ph.D. Diversity: More Degrees for Blacks, Hispanics; Chronicle of Higher Education, 9/19/10

[Chart] Chronicle of Higher Education; Ph.D. Diversity: More Degrees for Blacks, Hispanics:

"The total number of doctorates awarded to all U.S. citizens and permanent residents has been flat since 1998, but degrees for blacks and Hispanics have grown, by one-quarter and one-third, respectively. The number of women earning doctorates surpassed those received by men in 2002, and has continued to grow."

http://chronicle.com/article/PhD-Diversity-More-Degrees/124494/

For a Fairer Admissions Process, Read Between the Lines; Chronicle of Higher Education, 9/19/10

Bryan G. Nance, Chronicle of Higher Education; For a Fairer Admissions Process, Read Between the Lines:

http://chronicle.com/article/For-a-Fairer-Admissions/124444/

In Push for Diversity, Colleges Pay Attention to Socioeconomic Class; Chronicle of Higher Education, 9/19/10

Peter Schmidt, Chronicle of Higher Education; In Push for Diversity, Colleges Pay Attention to Socioeconomic Class:

http://chronicle.com/article/In-Push-for-Diversity/124446/

Diversify Diversity: Remembering Gay Students in Recruiting; Chronicle of Higher Education, 9/19/10

Kristy Almeida-Neveu, Chronicle of Higher Education; Diversify Diversity: Remembering Gay Students in Recruiting:

http://chronicle.com/article/Diversify-Diversity-/124433/

[Resource] National Campus Diversity Project (NCDP)

[Resource] National Campus Diversity Project:

"The National Campus Diversity Project (NCDP), based at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, is a research program to identify best practices to achieve an optimal multicultural climate on campuses of higher education."

http://gseacademic.harvard.edu/~ncdp/index.htm

[Resource] Diversity Web: An Interactive Resource Hub for Higher Education

[Resource] Diversity Web: An Interactive Resource Hub for Higher Education

http://www.diversityweb.org/

Gay Harassment and the Struggle for Inclusion; New York Times, 10/8/10

Samuel G. Freedman, New York Times; Gay Harassment and the Struggle for Inclusion:

"“It may sound extreme,” Ms. Connor said, “but Tyler Clementi is someone who died in a battle that many clergy and religious people are fighting. For inclusion. For our understanding of what God wants the world to be.”...

“Clergy have a key role,” said the Rev. Pat Bumgardner, pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church in Manhattan. “We have a chance to shape public opinion, people’s willingness to wrestle with the diversity of God’s creation. Pastors need to step up to the plate and speak about the wrongness of bullying, the wrongness of cruelty.

“There’s no religion on the face of the earth that countenances the taunting to death of children.”"

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/09/us/09religion.html

Law Firm Diversity Slowed by Economy; Wall Street Journal, 10/1/10

Nathan Koppel, Wall Street Journal; Law Firm Diversity Slowed by Economy:

"This may come as little surprise to many, but law firms are still struggling mightily to diversify their ranks, according to data released by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and Vault.com."

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/10/01/law-firm-diversity-slowed-by-economy/

Michigan Asst. AG, Owner of Blog Targeting Gay Student, Takes Leave; Wall Street Journal, 10/1/10

Ashby Jones, Wall Street Journal; Michigan Asst. AG, Owner of Blog Targeting Gay Student, Takes Leave:

"One of the stranger stories we’ve ever read involving an assistant attorney general took a turn on Friday, when Michigan’s assistant attorney general, Andrew Shirvell, went on personal leave.

The move comes after weeks of intense public scrutiny of Shirvell, who attracted a lot of attention for his personal blog, which repeatedly rips the University of Michigan’s student president, Chris Armstrong, who is openly gay. Click here for the Detroit News story; here for the Ann Arbor News story."

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/10/01/michigan-asst-ag-owner-of-blog-targeting-gay-student-takes-leave/

From Uni-versity to Multi-versity; Diverse Issues in Higher Education, 10/7/10

Ibram Rogers, Diverse Issues in Higher Education; From Uni-versity to Multi-versity: SUNY College at Oneonta professor Ibram H. Rogers discusses and proposes ideas and programs to further diversify higher education and make it more relevant to all of its students:

"“We’re being told by government officials that there’s no money for education, health care or social services. But at the same time we’re spending trillions of dollars on war effort, on bailing out banks and building prisons,” Wayne Scherer, a member of the San Diego-based Education for All Coalition, told USC’s Annenberg Digital News. “So it’s not a matter of the money not being there, it’s a matter of political priorities.”"

http://diverseeducation.com/blogpost/308/protestors-nationwide-rally-against-assassination-of-public-education.html

N.J. Senator Calls for Anti-bully Law After College Suicide; Diverse Issues in Higher Education via Associated Press, 10/8/10

Bruce Shipkowski and Bill Newill, Diverse Issues in Higher Education via Associated Press; N.J. Senator Calls for Anti-bully Law After College Suicide:

"Colleges should adopt a code of conduct that prohibits bullying and harassment in the wake of the suicide of a Rutgers University student whose gay sexual encounter in his dorm room was streamed online, U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg said at a town meeting on campus."

http://diverseeducation.com/article/14244/

What "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Really Costs; Harvard Business Review, 10/8/10

Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Karen Sumberg, and Lauren Leader-Chivee, Harvard Business Review; What "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Really Costs:

""Smart companies recognize that an inclusive workplace is good for business. Deloitte's GLOBE (Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual Employees) Business Resource Group, for example, provides a forum for networking, professional development, recruiting and building relationships with local communities. Ernst & Young's Inclusive Leadership Program pairs high-potential performers with executive board members for formal mentoring and career development. It originally targeted women and minorities, but last year the program was expanded to include LGBT partners and principals. Cisco Systems covers the tax on imputed income that LGBT employees pay when they extend their health insurance to cover their partners. Pharmaceutical giant Boehringer Ingelheim lobbies Congress in support of anti-discrimination acts.

Such policies do more than foster engagement and boost productivity. They are also strong recruitment tools. "In today's marketplace, Gen X and especially Gen Y, irrespective of their sexual orientation, are looking for companies that are progressive," says Nancy DiDia, Chief Diversity Officer of Boehringer Ingelheim. "Whenever we go to career fairs or do recruiting events on college campuses, the two areas we get questioned on are: How socially responsible is your company? What's your position on LGBT policies?""

http://blogs.hbr.org/hbr/hewlett/2010/10/what_dont_ask_dont_tell_really.html

[Podcast] Schools Urged To Teach Youth Digital Citizenship; NPR's All Things Considered, 10/6/10

[Podcast] Nancy Solomon, NPR's All Things Considered; Schools Urged To Teach Youth Digital Citizenship:

"Commonsense Media, a nonprofit that provides information about movies, video games and technology for children, has written a curriculum to help schools teach digital citizenship. It focuses on how to teach youth to think critically about the Internet and make ethical decisions about its use. Steyer says he was flooded with requests for the curriculum as soon as it was released.

"There is so much education that needs to be done," he says. "For the most part, kids who are in college today never received any form of digital citizenship or media training when they were in high school or middle school.""

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130380236

The Roots of White Anxiety; New York Times, 7/18/10

Ross Douthat, New York Times; The Roots of White Anxiety:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/19/opinion/19douthat.html?src=me&ref=general

On Diversity, Bloomberg Remains Silent; New York Times, 6/30/10

David Chen, New York Times; On Diversity, Bloomberg Remains Silent:

"The Times reported on Monday night that at the top levels of the Bloomberg administration, by several measures, more than 70 percent of the senior officials are white, even though the city’s non-Hispanic white population is 35 percent.

Ever since, many people have weighed in, both to defend the mayor and to criticize his hiring practices. The City Council is weighing oversight hearings because of what some members consider Mr. Bloomberg’s poor record in appointing minorities.

More than 230 people so far have posted comments on the Times’s Web site, engaging in a lively and, for the most part, civil debate. Many others have sent e-mail messages to reporters for The Times with messages that have ranged from institutional praise to racial epithets.

So, after all that, how does Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who declined to be interviewed for the original article as well a follow-up one, feel about the matter?

He isn’t saying yet.

A reporter for The Times who on Wednesday attended Mr. Bloomberg’s first public event since the article was published was not selected by the mayor to ask a question, even though the reporter was sitting in the center of the front row and even though the mayor’s staff knew that diversity would be the topic."

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/30/on-diversity-bloomberg-remains-silent/?scp=3&sq=diversity&st=cse

Diversity Plays a Role in Surviving the Economic Downturn; National Ledger, 7/8/10

Amy Winter, National Ledger; Diversity Plays a Role in Surviving the Economic Downturn:

"Diversity in the workplace may give companies an extra edge when competing in the economic downturn. Businesses need diversity in order to connect with clients, according to Martha Fields, CEO and founder of Fields Associates Inc., an international management consulting firm. A range of ages, races and cultures gives a company a better ability to serve customers from different nations.

Businesses require a workplace and product that appeals to both a national and worldwide market; customers are needed from the U.S. and around the world to stay alive. This becomes even more essential during these hard economic times.

Diversity can aid a company in gaining a more global outlook, but a multicultural workplace may also mean more tension with different opinions and backgrounds coming together.

"With diversity comes opportunity," says Fields, "however with diversity comes conflict. The question our businesses face right now is how to integrate our multicultural nation in a way that empowers our economy and strengthens our global positioning."

A major clash in the workplace revolves around age. Fields refers to the age range as the "AARP to MTV watchers," especially with a greater number of older workers staying in the work force. Although younger workers have less experience, they tend to be chosen over older workers due to their lower salaries. Plus, younger employees are more inclined to be open to diversity; they grew up in a more multicultural time. Fields recommends that organizations make an effort to deal with conflicts between age groups.

Developing diversity takes time, although it is moving at a faster pace. Companies that don't embrace it will be left behind. Leaders should be trained in how to use diversity to gain a competitive advantage, according to Fields. Make sure managers understand how to control issues that develop from various cultures and opinions.

"A business with diverse customers and a diverse workplace can outperform other companies," says Fields. "If you and your employees can't handle customers, you are going to lose them to someone else."

For more information on Fields and her company, visit http://www.marthafields.com/."

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272633121.shtml

Mayor Falls Far Short of a Vow on Diversity; New York Times, 6/29/10

David Chen and Jo McGinty, New York Times; Mayor Falls Far Short of a Vow on Diversity:

"Since winning a third term in November, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has announced a parade of major appointments: bringing aboard three new deputy mayors and six commissioners and trumpeting most of those arrivals in the Blue Room at City Hall.

All nine are white. All but one is a man.

Those selections are hardly anomalous. Despite a pledge he made when he took office to make diversity a hallmark of his administration, Mr. Bloomberg has consistently surrounded himself with a predominantly white and male coterie of key policy makers, according to an analysis of personnel data by The New York Times.

The city’s non-Hispanic white population is now 35 percent, because of an influx of nonwhite immigrants and other demographic changes in the past two decades.

But Mr. Bloomberg presides over an administration in which more than 70 percent of the senior jobs are held by whites, and he has failed to improve on the oft-criticized diversity record of Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani.

“Obviously, it demonstrates no greater commitment under Bloomberg than there was under Giuliani in appointing minorities to high-level positions in government,” said Abraham May Jr., executive director of the city’s Equal Employment Practices Commission, an independent agency that monitors diversity and discrimination in city government.

Moreover, New York lags behind the three cities closest to its population in diversifying its senior ranks.

In Los Angeles, 52 percent of the top advisers to Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa are white; in Chicago, that figure is 61 percent for Mayor Richard M. Daley; and in Houston, it is 55 percent for Mayor Annise D. Parker.

“The numbers — they’re sad,” said Kevin P. Johnson, a former assistant commissioner of the Department of Correction, who was responsible for equal-employment policies, but quit in December because he was frustrated by the administration’s efforts. “It’s terrible in a city with such a large minority population.”

The Times examined diversity in several top management tiers of the Bloomberg administration. Each tier showed a nearly identical pattern..."

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/nyregion/29diversity.html?_r=1&src=mv

Age bias complaints surge in bad economy; MSNBC.com, 6/29/10

Allison Linn, MSNBC.com; Age bias complaints surge in bad economy: Older workers suspect discrimination, but find it hard to prove:

"The recent recession has amplified concerns that older workers are facing a tougher time getting — or keeping — jobs because of stereotypes about everything from the salaries they may demand to their ability to learn new skills.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission saw a 33 percent increase in the number of age discrimination complaints that were filed during its past two fiscal years combined, as compared to the prior two fiscal years. That translates into 47,360 complaints filed between October 2007, two months before the nation went into recession, and September of 2009."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37924201/ns/business-economy_at_a_crossroads/

[Podcast and Transcript] Kagan Criticized For Lack of Diversity At Harvard; NPR, 6/12/10

[Podcast and Transcript], NPR; Kagan Criticized For Lack of Diversity At Harvard:

"Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan is lauded by the White House and many of her colleagues for bringing ideological diversity -- and harmony -- to Harvard Law during the years she served as the school's dean. She recruited conservative law professors to balance the faculty politically. But it is a diversity of a different kind that Duke Law professor Guy Charles finds lacking during her tenure. He points out that of 32 faculty hires made under her leadership; only one was a person of color. A mere seven were women. Charles shares his concerns with guest host Allison Keyes."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126778631

School reverses decision to lighten Hispanic child's skin color in AZ mural; Examiner.com, 6/6/10

William Skordelis, Examiner.com; School reverses decision to lighten Hispanic child's skin color in AZ mural:

"The mural in Prescott Arizona which became the center of controversy when school officials had asked the artists to lighten the skin color of the children.

The "lightening" process began last Sunday, but by Friday, the national media had latched onto the story when R.E. Wall, the director of Prescott's Downtown Mural Project, told the Daily Courier a local Prescott newspaper about the story. He spoke of motorists hurling racial epithets at the "Mural Mice" the students who painted the mural, and labeled the reaction racist. School officials denied any racial motivation behind their decision and claimed "artistic" reasons for the change.

But the racial backlash against the project was fueled by Prescott City Councilman Steve Blair whose public comments against racial diversity and minorities, and the ethnic ratio of Prescott, were broadcast on his KYCA radio talk. And all the while denying that his comments were racist, or that he was a racist. Steve Blair has since been fired from the station.

Today the story took a turn for the best, when dozens of people protested the school board's decision to alter the original painting with light-skinned children. The decision was reversed today and the mural will be restored back to its ethnically correct state.

Diversity won this time, but there is no denying that racism and racial tension are not a thing of the past. Electing a black president was not proof that we had moved on from our dark past, instead it has proven just how far we really need to go.

If this nation can ever accept all races as equal we will have achieved something that seems at times unattainable, but then other times, like today, in Prescott, it seems a teeny-tiny bit closer."

http://www.examiner.com/x-40953-Political-Media-Examiner~y2010m6d6-School-reverses-decision-to-lighten-Hispanic-childs-skin-color-in-AZ-mural

Some Hospitals Falling Short of Protecting for Gay Patients; Health Leaders Media, 6/8/10

Janice Simmons, Health Leaders Media; Some Hospitals Falling Short of Protecting for Gay Patients:

"An evaluation of 200 of the nation's largest hospitals found that 42% currently do not have policies in place to fully protect gay and lesbian patients from restrictions based on sexual orientation, according to a report released Monday by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation."

http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/QUA-252125/Some-Hospitals-Falling-Short-of-Protecting-for-Gay-Patients##

Census shows more diversity; Spokesman-Review, 6/11/10

Hope Yen, Spokesman-Review; Four states exceed 50 percent minorities:

"The nation’s minority population is steadily rising and now makes up 35 percent of the United States, advancing an unmistakable trend that could make minorities the new American majority by midcentury.

As white baby boomers age past their childbearing years, younger Hispanic parents are having children – and driving U.S. population growth.

“The aging of baby boomers beyond young middle age will have profound impacts on our labor force, housing market, schools and generational divisions on issues such as Social Security and Medicare,” said William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution. “The engine of growth for the younger population in most states will be new minorities.”

New Census estimates show minorities added more than 2 percent in 2009 to 107.2 million people, boosted by a surge in Hispanic births and more people who described themselves as multiracial. During this time, the white population remained flat, making up roughly 199.9 million, or 65 percent, of the country.

By comparison, whites comprised 69 percent of the total population in 2000, and minorities 31 percent.

Currently four states – Hawaii, New Mexico, California and Texas – as well as the District of Columbia have minority populations that exceeded 50 percent. That’s one state more than in 2000, when Texas was not on the list.

About 311 of the 3,143 counties – one in 10 – have minority populations of 50 percent or greater. That’s up from around 250 counties in 2000.

The Census estimates released Thursday documented a widening age and race divide. They are the last government numbers before completion later this year of the 2010 census, which could change the balance of political power when legislative districts are redrawn based on population and racial diversity."

Much Research on Campus Diversity Suffers From Being Only Skin Deep, New Studies Suggest; Chronicle of Higher Education, 4/13/10

Peter Schmidt, Chronicle of Higher Education; Much Research on Campus Diversity Suffers From Being Only Skin Deep, New Studies Suggest:

"A new collection of studies suggests that the success of minority college students and students' perceptions of race relations on their campuses are strongly influenced by factors that actually have little direct connection with ethnicity or race.

Among the studies, all published in the spring issue of New Directions for Institutional Research, is an analysis of University of California student survey data that concludes that students' choice of academic major plays a greater role than their race in determining how much discrimination they perceive on campus. Moreover, having large numbers of racially and culturally sensitive students might paradoxically cause a campus's reputation for tolerance to suffer, because such students are more likely to perceive and report bigotry around them.

Another study, unusual in that it focuses on a campus where white students are outnumbered, concludes that high minority enrollments do not necessarily lead to increased perceptions of tolerance. A third study, examining the educational progress of freshmen at several institutions, concludes that first-generation college students experience some events on the campus differently than do other students. For example, they appear not to reap the same educational gains from out-of-classroom interactions with faculty members as do their peers with at least one college-educated parent, perhaps because the first-generation students may be somewhat rattled and put off by such interactions, which leave their peers feeling more intellectually engaged.

The journal issue, titled Diversity and Educational Benefits, was edited by Serge Herzog, director of institutional analysis at the University of Nevada at Reno, who said in an interview Tuesday that the new studies reinforce his view that much past research on diversity on campuses has been focused on advancing one side of the debate over affirmative action and has lacked a sound empirical basis and an appreciation of the complexities of campus race relations.

Although a wave of other recent studies not included in the new journal issue have taken a similarly nuanced approach to examining campus diversity, Mr. Herzog said much more such work needs to be done to ensure that colleges' policies are grounded in sound research.

"Clearly, defining diversity strictly around ethnicity or race fails to capture the multidimensionality of the concept," Mr. Herzog writes in an article in the journal summarizing the studies it presents. Other student attributes that also contribute to campus diversity, he writes, "play a significant role in shaping both the academic and the social experience of students," and assessments of the educational benefits of diversity "may significantly vary with the type of data used.""

http://chronicle.com/article/Much-Research-on-Campus-Div/65051/

Becoming a Force for Diversity and Inclusion; Diverse Issues in Higher Education, 6/8/10

Jamal Eric Watson, Diverse Issues in Higher Education; Becoming a Force for Diversity and Inclusion:

"Rosemary E. Kilkenny made her foray into the diversity arena more than three decades ago.
Troubled at the time by the dearth of Black graduate students in her class at Kent State University, Kilkenny complained to the dean of graduate studies about the lack of diversity but was later challenged to develop a program of her own aimed at increasing Black enrollment.

She accepted the challenge, and her strategy for increasing minority enrollment by ensuring Black students had the financial and mentoring support they needed was immediately hailed as a success and Kilkenny was later appointed assistant dean for graduate recruitment. She went on to serve in various positions at Kent State University and the State University of New York at Albany before arriving in 1980 at the nation’s oldest Jesuit university, where she assumed the role of special assistant for affirmative action programs.

Today, Kilkenny is Georgetown University’s vice president for institutional diversity and equity, a position that was created for her in 2006, and she has become the university’s most visible cheerleader for diversity and inclusion.

Under Kilkenny’s leadership, Georgetown — which is largely viewed as conservative and steeped in tradition — has been aggressive in launching several campuswide initiatives aimed at making the campus more welcoming of others. The latest effort at promoting change was unveiled last spring and is a comprehensive attempt by the university to focus on diversity in recruitment and outreach, student life and curriculum.

“I am very committed to issues of social justice and equity,” says Kilkenny, who received her law degree from Georgetown. “Sometimes this is very frustrating work. You take major steps forward and then you take some steps backward.”

Those backward steps include an incident in 2007 in which several Georgetown students were targets of anti-gay attacks. The university responded by opening a resource center for gay students and hiring a full-time director to run it. The center plans events on campus such as Coming Out Week and Lavender Graduation, a ceremony held for gay students.

“There are from time to time incidents where LGBTQ students might be addressed in negative ways or harassed,” says Kilkenny. “Ultimately we want to feel like that’s eliminated so LGBTQ students feel like they’re safe on our campus.”

Responding to the various challenges that confront diversity efforts on campus has been a bit of a balancing act for the mother of two. Two years ago, the university required all university employees to participate in an online anti-harassment and discrimination course called “Promoting a Respectful Campus Community.”

Kilkenny says she remains personally committed to increasing the percentage of minority faculty on the campus. Asians, African-Americans and Latinos comprise about 15 percent of Georgetown’s faculty. The university scored a major coup when it lured Dr. Michael Eric Dyson away from the University of Pennsylvania a few years ago, and administrators have since hired three prominent African-Americans in the physics and mathematics departments.

Still, Kilkenny is discouraged by the lack of minority graduate students on campus — overall Black enrollment is about 6.7 percent, though its Black graduate student population is less than 3 percent — and says the university seeks to reverse this trend by committing a significant portion of its $1.5 billion capital campaign to fund grants for deserving minority students.

“We have to cast a wide net and build a pipeline of minority graduate students whom we can tap for the job market,” says Kilkenny.

“We need to do more to get full-time doctoral students because these students will serve as teaching assistants to our faculty, and they will be the future generation of the academy,” says Kilkenny, who wants Georgetown to partner with fellow Washington, D.C., institutions like Howard, George Washington and American universities when it comes to recruiting minority doctoral students for potential jobs. “The idea that we are living in a post-racial society is really a myth.”"

http://diverseeducation.com/article/13861/becoming-a-force-for-diversity-and-inclusion.html

PG&E Receives High Marks for Diversity Efforts; New York Times, 4/6/10

New York Times; PG&E Receives High Marks for Diversity Efforts:

"Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has been recognized for its strong diversity practices by DiversityInc, a leading publication on diversity and business, for the second year in a row.
DiversityInc included PG&E on its list of top 10 companies nationwide for supplier diversity. The publication also ranked the company second on its list of top regional utilities, up one spot from the previous year. Additionally, for the first time PG&E ranked third among the top 10 companies for Latinos, based on its long-term commitment to hiring, retaining, compensating and promoting Latinos in the workforce and management.

"PG&E strongly supports the economic health of communities in which we live and work as a major purchaser of goods and services," said Des Bell, PG&E's senior vice president of shared services and chief procurement officer. "Since 1981, our supplier diversity program has provided thousands of diverse businesses with opportunities to supply products to PG&E. It's an honor to receive this recognition as we continue our efforts to integrate even more diverse suppliers into our supply chain."

According to Bell, PG&E had to overcome a challenging economic climate in 2009 to expand its base of diverse suppliers. By the end of last year, the company spent more than $900 million, or 25.6 percent of PG&E's procurement funds, on products and services from businesses owned by minorities, women and service-disabled veterans.

While diversity and inclusion have long been hallmarks of PG&E's heritage, the company deepened its commitment in recent years by appointing a chief diversity officer, providing training to all members of its leadership team, and increasing its focus on identifying, developing and recruiting diverse talent.

"Diversity is one of PG&E's core values and is integral to our business strategy. It allows us to better anticipate, understand and satisfy the needs of the 15 million Californians we serve," said Bill Harper, PG&E's vice president and chief diversity officer. "These rankings recognize our dedication to foster diversity and support the diverse communities the company serves."

For more information on PG&E's diversity and inclusion commitment or to learn how to apply to become a certified diverse supplier, visit www.pge.com/about/company/diversityinclusion/.

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Launched in 1997, DiversityInc is the leading business publication connecting diversity and the bottom line, with 1 million unique monthly visitors. DiversityInc.com includes the largest diversity job board in the nation. DiversityInc also produces events and conducts benchmarking, custom research and consulting."

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