March 08, 2007

Case Western Reserve University to co-sponsor statewide diversity conference

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Keynote speaker: Tim Wise

The 12th annual State of the State Conference on equity, opportunity, and diversity will be held in Cleveland March 15 and 16. The day-and-a-half long conference is designed to be a broad and diverse conversation. Representatives from institutions and organizations across the spectrum—education, state and local government, judiciary, health care, private corporations, and non-profits—will join together to exchange information, ideas, and strategies.

Case Western Reserve University is a co-sponsor of the event. Kathryn Hall, the university's assistant vice president for institutional diversity and equity, is one of the statewide co-chairs for the conference. In addition, John Clochesy, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing's Independence Foundation Professor of Nursing Education, will lead a presentation entitled "Recognizing and Eliminating Micro Inequities" on March 15 from 10:15 to 11:30 a.m.

The conference will provide an opportunity for Ohioans to come together to discuss how individuals and institutions across the state are reacting to and preparing for changes and challenges in such areas as affirmative action, sexual orientation, healthcare, religion, harassment, supplier diversity, law enforcement, and media.

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson will welcome conference attendees. Speakers include:

  • Shanta Driver, the national director of the United for Equality and Affirmative Action Legal Defense Fund
  • The March 15 luncheon keynote address will be delivered by Tim Wise, who will speak on "Rationalizing the Irrational." He is the director of the newly-formed Association for White Anti-Racist Education in Nashville, Tenn. Wise is familiar to audiences across the country, including the campus community. He spoke at the university in November 2004.
  • Luke Visconti, a partner and co-founder of DiversityInc, the magazine and DiversityInc.com.

The conference will be held at the Ritz-Carlton Cleveland, 1515 West 3rd St. The fee is $125 per person in advance (March 5 deadline--$150 after), which includes breakfasts, lunches and a networking reception. To learn more or register, visit the conference Web site at http://iis.stat.wright.edu/sos/.

For more information contact Kimyette Finley, 216.368.0521.

Posted by: Heidi Cool, March 8, 2007 10:42 AM | News Topics: Ethics, HeadlinesMain, Lectures/Speakers, Provost Initiatives, Public Policy/Politics

Case Western Reserve University is committed to the free exchange of ideas, reasoned debate and intellectual dialogue. Speakers and scholars with a diversity of opinions and perspectives are invited to the campus to provide the community with important points of view, some of which may be deemed controversial. The views and opinions of those invited to speak on the campus do not necessarily reflect the views of the university administration or any other segment of the university community.