Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

September 26, 2003

Diversity conversations resume Oct. 6

by Anne Krapfl
The lasting impact of a 1954 Supreme Court ruling that ended segregation in education will be the focus of the first President's Conversation on Diversity Monday, Oct. 6. On its 50th anniversary, the Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka court case is the focus of a year-long campus observance.

The diversity conversation series launched a year ago resumes next month with a free lunch (noon to 12:50 p.m.) and discussion (1 to 2 p.m.) in the Memorial Union Great Hall and Sun Room. All staff, students and faculty are invited to participate.

Between now and Oct. 6, ISU students equipped with video cameras will be around campus, asking staff, faculty and students to respond to questions regarding segregation in education, what they know about the Brown vs. Board case and the impact it has had on their lives, and other issues related generally to segregation. Those video clips will be edited into a longer video that will be shown to initiate an audience discussion on Oct. 6.

"We started some good conversations with this series last year and we picked up some good ideas on other things we need to talk about as a campus community," said vice president for student affairs Tom Hill, a member of the planning committee. "We'll try to suggest a topical idea for each of the discussions this year. That isn't to say there won't be some general conversations about diversity."

Faculty and staff who will eat lunch as part of the diversity conversation are asked to pre-register either online through AccessPlus or by calling the Office of Training and Development, 4-1070. Students should register for lunch through the GSB office, 4-1585.

The Oct. 6 event is the first of four diversity conversations scheduled this year. The others are planned for Nov. 19, Feb. 5, 2004, and March 23.