Race, Diversity & Campus Climate
About the Conference
Race, Diversity, and Campus Climate is the focus of a major conference to be held April 10, 2008 at the Illini Union on the University of Illinois Urbana- Champaign campus. This conference builds on and extends the theme of the inaugural conference held in 2006 which focused on “Documenting the Differences Racial and Ethnic Diversity Makes: Uncovering, Discussing, and Transforming the University”. The goal of the Race, Diversity, and Campus Climate conference is to present information the University of Illinois and similar universities can use to make the campus more diverse and inclusive. We are particularly interested in issues related to campus climate and diversity scholarship. This year’s theme can be in interpreted in a number of ways, but must focus on forms of inquiry that impact research and practice in higher education, while advancing the commitment to the practice of democracy and equality within a changing multiracial U.S. society.
The major objectives of this conference include:
- Providing an interactive atmosphere whereby participants are able to recognize and respect the pluralistic nature of race and ethnicity;
- Initiating a dialogue around issues of racial and ethnic diversity on the Urbana-Champaign campus;
- Determining and understanding how racial and ethnic diversity differs depending on institutional context;
- Discussing how to foster an environment where racial and ethnic diversity issues can be addressed by colleagues;