Dr. Steven Oliver appears on the KET program "Connections" hosted by Renee Shaw

From KET

"Dr. Steven Oliver, assistant vice president of the Office for Institutional Diversity at the University of Kentucky and Rev. D. Anthony Everett, head of Nia Community of Faith, discuss community engagement exercises they've devised to engage African American men and the larger community about incarceration, education, family and fatherhood, and other issues."

Link to video on KET's website

 

2012 BOXES & WALL STREET: OCCUPY CAMPUS!

The University of Kentucky's CATalyst Coalition is excited to invite you to the 3rd annual Boxes & Walls Interactive Museum. Where we challenge all to think out of the BOX and tear down WALLS. This year's theme is Boxes & Wall Street: Occupy Campus.

Boxes and Walls is built by UK students, for the UK community. The experience personalizes oppression and the importance of cultural understanding and social identity. This years' experience brings together the African Student Association, CCO/ Education & Advocacy, Delta Phi Mu Sorority, Inc., International Student Council, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth Majestic Unity, NAACP, Education Abroad Peer Ambassadors, VIP Center & many more to make a culturally enriched experience.

Thinking Out of Boxes...
All students involved seek to educate against oppressive behaviors and stereotypes. Participants will have the opportunity to see firsthand how different groups of underrepresented students and their advocates feel in our society and within our campus community. The museum challenges participants to think critically about their contribution to diversity and cultural awareness. Participants leave with a better understanding of various cultures and demographics of our student population. Furthermore, Boxes & Walls also highlights student groups that are taking a stand against social injustice!

Tearing Down Wall Street...
The Occupy Movement is an international protest movement primarily directed against economic and social inequality. Our slogan "Occupy Campus" for this year's Boxes & Walls aims to draw attention to oppression, underrepresented students and the educational missions of student organizations across campus. Our goal is to create personal opportunity for the student body, faculty, and staff to experience how these organizations feel in society and in our campus community. Simply, we want to create working relationships across campus and bridge all gaps that discourage collaboration.

The museum will start in the Center for Student Involvement (CSI) - 106 Student Center on April 13th, 16th and 17th, with tours running from 4:00-7:00 PM
(Shows will start every 30 minutes, with the last showing starting at 6:00PM).

For more information please contact: Charise Stargell, Overall Chair or Kristina Murray Co-Chair at boxesandwalls2012@gmail.com

Flyer for the event can be downloaded in pdf format HERE

 

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Cultural Center and the Violence Intervention & Prevention Center will present a very timely lecture by Don McPherson, Anti-Violence Activist & College Football Hall of Famer. McPherson's presentation entitled YOU THROW LIKE A GIRL: A College Football Hall of Famer & Heisman Trophy's Take on What It Means to be a REAL Man is scheduled for Thursday, April 12th at 7:00pm in the UK Student Center, Room 230. Don McPherson's visit to UK is additionally supported by UK Athletics, Office of Institutional Diversity, Residence Life and Student Affairs.

More about Don McPherson:
For more than 20 years, Don McPherson has used the power and appeal of sport to address complex social issues. McPherson has paralleled a highly decorated football career with cutting-edge work on vital and contemporary issues that impact the lives of every American. With testimony before the U.S. Congress, appearances on CNN and other national news outlets, the Oprah Winfrey Show and lectures across North America, McPherson has reached more than 1 million people. The University of Kentucky is proud to host a lecture with the former Heisman runner-up and College Football Hall of Famer focusing on the powerful role men can play in ending power-based personal violence.

 

Student Activities Board produces "It Gets Better" video

For more information about the video or the Dan Savage event, please visit the Student Activities Board website.

 

“First Thursday” promotes collaboration and student success in the new year

To ring in the New Year, and a one-year anniversary, the inaugural “First Thursday” of 2012 was held to further inform and inspire those working toward student success and retention. One year ago, “First Thursday: The 411 on Student Success” was instituted as a gathering of staff from departments around the University to focus on recruiting and retaining students, as well as aiding in their overall success. It would also serve as a time to pause and take stock of the good and effective measures already being taken, and share information that could lead to a more collaborative effort toward reaching our goals.

During the monthly meetings, different initiatives and programs geared toward student success are spotlighted, and invited to educate those in attendance on their methodology and achievements. In January, The Center for Academic Resources & Enrichment Services, along with UK Academic Enhancement,  gave informative presentations on their respective programs, and how they are not only reaching out to students, but how they are also collaborating with other University of Kentucky programs to better serve them.

Below are links to the presentations given and contacts if you have any further questions.

CARES Powerpoint Presentation

UK Academic Enhancement Presentation

"see impact." Alum Finds Passion Through Teach for America Program
Follow link to story at UKNow

Mashburn Scholars Program:

Dougie Allen, Malik Wilson, and Dr. Steven Oliver Jamal Mashburn established the Jamal Mashburn Scholarship because of his desire to help young people who have talent and want an education. Many students from historically underrepresented groups in higher education have the necessary skills and abilities to attend college but many do not adequately prepare for college while in high school. Also, due to limited financial resources, many of these students do not view admission to the University of Kentucky as a viable or attainable option.

The University of Kentucky'sOffice for Institutional Diversity, in collaboration with Fayette County Public Schools, UK Athletics, UK Development Office, and UK Office of Community Engagement implements the Mashburn Scholarship Program. The program is designed to encourage participants, while in high school to take courses and engage activities that will prepare them specifically for coursework at the University of Kentucky. This fall the Mashburn Scholarship Program will have eight students attending UK and three students attending high schools in Lexington. The recipient of the 2011 Mashburn Scholarship is Ernest "Malik" Wilson. Congratulations!

 

Relaxed Admission Requirements for COM Major

If you are considering a major in COMMUNICATION (and even if you're not), this message is for you!

What can you do with a COMMUNICATION degree? To be honest, LOTS. We have several tracks to prepare you for a career in business (corporate communication), in the health industry (health communication), in "people" professions (interpersonal communication), and media fields (mass communication).

Not only that, check out the top ten skills sought most by employers of college graduates:

1. Communication Skills (the ability to listen, write, and speak effectively)
2. Analytical/Research Skills
3. Computer Literacy
4. Flexibility/Adaptability
5. Interpersonal Communication Skills
6. Leadership Skills
7. Multicultural Sensitivity
8. Organizational Skills
9. Problem-Solving/Reasoning Skills
10. Teamwork Skills

These are exactly the skills you will develop in the process of earning your degree in COMMUNICATION at the University of Kentucky!

To declare COMMUNICATION as your major, come to 310 LCLI or 107 Grehan Hall to fill out the form. Regardless of what may have been the case in the past, you only need a 2.0 overall GPA to be admitted. We would love to have you join us!

For more information, contact Deanna.Sellnow@uky.edu. I would be happy to visit with you and help you with the paperwork.

 

Student National Medical Association Conference

In their efforts to recruit and retain a diverse student body in the health colleges, the Health Center Student Diversity Services office is sponsoring eight pre-medical students to attend the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) regional conference in Nashville, TN this weekend Sept. 30-Oct. 2, 2011. This is a joint collaboration with the UK College of Medicine's SNMA chapter who wanted to bring minority undergraduate students to the conference with them to both encourage and support their pursuit of attending medical school. These eight students attending are primarily members of the Minority Association of Pre-health Students (MAPS) in which the Office Director, Kairise Conwell, serves as the advisor. MAPS sessions at the conference will feature presentations such as MCAT preparation, Preparing Yourself for Medical School and Mock Interviews. Attending this conference allows the MAPS students the opportunity to be able to network with not only the UK medical students attending the conference but also with Physicians speakers, Medical School Administrators and other students from across Region X SNMA and MAPS chapters!

 

Whitney Young Scholars Program:

2011 Whitney Young Scholars This summer in collaboration with the Lincoln Foundation, The University of Kentucky’s Office for Institutional Diversity will be hosting 22 high school juniors from the Louisville area for two weeks during the summer as part of the Whitney Young Scholars Program. This experience is designed to provide scholars with a rich academic learning environment, exposure to college level work and campus life. As part of the experience students will take an intense course entitled “Introduction to African American Literature”, taught by Dr. Rynetta Davis of the UK English Department. We are excited for the opportunity to share information about the campus, bolster college readiness, and encourage students to consider UK as a viable choice for their post secondary education.

 

University of Kentucky earns national diversity award for its 2010 Homecoming Celebration

St. Louis, MO - Diversity has long been an integral part of many events at the annual NACA National Conventions, and during the Association’s 2011 convention, diversity awards were presented to individuals and campus programs within the Association that have moved NACA’s diversity initiatives forward through various activities and programs.

One of those awards, the 2011 NACA Outstanding Diversity Achievement Campus Program Award, was presented to the University of Kentucky for its 2010 U.K. Homecoming Celebration.

NACA, the National Association for Campus Activities, is a membership-based association that links the higher education and entertainment communities in a business and learning partnership, creating educational and business opportunities for students and professional members.

The NACA Outstanding Diversity Achievement Campus Program Award is presented to an institution for a program that fosters meaningful relationships between diverse student groups, challenges stereotypical perceptions of diverse populations, helps students learn to communicate effectively with people of varied backgrounds and generates awareness and appreciation of diverse cultures.

The University of Kentucky Homecoming Coalition is a student-led coalition formed to unify the U.K. community through programmatic efforts, bringing forward a celebration of tradition, spirit and university values.

U.K.’s annual Homecoming Celebration is hosted by the U.K. Alumni Association and the U.K. Student Homecoming Coalition. The coalition is comprised of representatives from the Student Activities Board, the Black Student Union, the Center for Community Outreach, DanceBlue, the Inter Greek Programming Assembly and the National Pan-Hellenic Council. These groups have historically planned events for Homecoming Week for students and community alike, but had never come together to collectively plan.

The group formed in February 2010, and began work to streamline the planning and promotion of Homecoming week - Oct. 16-24, 2010. According to University of Kentucky President Lee Todd, “the coalition has had additional fruitful conversation in regard to what are treasured U.K. Homecoming traditions in the eyes of the students and how collaboration among student organizations benefits the greater good.”

The NACA National Convention is an annual gathering of more than 2,100 event bookers and campus activities professionals from NACA member colleges and universities who come together to network, book talent, receive training and develop the services that they are able to offer the student body at their home colleges and universities.

Other diversity-related activities taking place during the Convention included:

- HBCU Connections, a program designed to introduce delegates from Historically Black Colleges and Universities to programs, services and resources available to them through NACA, while also allowing them to network with other delegates;

- Diversity Mix & Mingle - LGBTQIA, a social networking event designed specifically for delegates who affiliate themselves with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual, questioning, intersex and ally interests;

- Educational exhibits built around the theme “Everyone is Cultural” to share information about the history of NACA diversity initiatives; and

- Coffee and Conversations Exchange, a morning opportunity for interested delegates to exchange ideas about diversity issues over morning coffee.

NACA’s entertainment showcases have always featured ethnically diverse artists performing in equally diverse genres, ranges from hip-hop and jazz to country music and comedy. A special entertainment component of the Convention is the NBC Universal Stand-Up for Diversity showcase, which features seven comedians from various ethnic and racial backgrounds. All were selected through the annual NBC Stand-Up for Diversity Talent Search and will tour the U.S. throughout 2011.

Established in 1960, the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) has evolved into the nation’s largest collegiate organization for campus activities. Its membership is composed of over 950 member colleges and universities nationwide, and nearly 550 associate members doing business in the college market. Associate members include talent agencies and performers representing almost 7,500 artists and specialty product items.

For more information, visit NACA at www.naca.org; follow NACA on Twitter at @TheNACA.

- News release courtesy of NACA

Jamal Mashburn Scholarship Program

The Jamal Mashburn Scholarship Program, established by the former UK Basketball great, allows the youth of Fayette County to obtain an opportunity early in their educational endeavors, and creates an incentive for them to reach their goals. With the purpose of helping these students achieve success, the scholarship not only provides financial support for prospective University of Kentucky students, it also gives them access to mentoring services, and a monitoring system that will assess the needs of each individual.

Jamal Mashburn Scholarship Program from Wildcat Student TV on Vimeo.