The University Record, January 9, 1996
Yolanda Moses will keynote conference on women of color
By Jane R. Elgass
“Women of Color in the University and the Community It Serves” is the focus of a Jan. 12 research conference that will explore the experiences of women of color employed by and studying at the University, as well as women of color among U-M alumnae and in the broader community in southeastern Michigan.
The free, public conference will be held 8 a.m.-6 p.m. on the fourth floor of the Rackham Building.
The conference is designed to:
Encourage researchers to conduct work that focuses on women of color on campus.
Enhance the visibility of scholars doing research on women of color.
Enhance networking among students, faculty and staff concerned about the experiences of women of color on campus.
The keynote address will be delivered at 4 p.m. by Yolanda Moses, president of City College, City University of New York, and president of the American Anthropological Association. She will speak on “Women of Color in the Academy from the Perspective of Dr. M.L. King’s Legacy.” Her presentation is in collaboration with the Department of Anthropology.
Moses joined City College in 1993, bringing with her many years of experience in higher education administration, faculty development and curriculum reform.
She is affiliated with numerous national and international associations concerned with higher education and community and regional development. She chairs the United Negro College Fund Advisory Board for Service Learning.
Moses also is the author of many articles, monographs and papers on issues related to cultural change in the United States and in the Caribbean, cultural change in higher education and cultural diversity and public policy issues.
While a consultant and researcher for the Association of American Colleges (AAC), she published a ground-breaking monograph, “Black Women in Academe,” and also was a member of the AAC’s National Panel on Liberal Learning in the Major, which resulted in two significant publications.
Moses also served the Ford Foundation as one of four consultants nationally to evaluate diversity programs in colleges and universities, and is a diversity consultant for several associations and a school district.
In addition to Moses’ talk, the all-day conference will feature sessions that explore the status and experiences of women of color at all levels at the University. Session topics include:
Student’s Expectations and Outcomes
Community-Based Research
Staff and Faculty Issues and Experiences
The U-M Community: Faculty, Staff, Students and Alumnae
Presentations titles include: “The Life Paths of Black Women from the U-M Graduating Classes of 1967-73;” “Racism, Sexism and Mental Health: The Stressful Impact on the Work Lives of African American Women and the U-M and in the Community It Serves;” “Improving Retention of Students of Color through Research;” “Women of Color in Academic Medicine;” “The Research Faculty Track at the University of Michigan;” “Women of Color in the College of Engineering 1986-95;” “Cultural Violence: Language in the Latino Community;” and “The NJIDKA HIV Intervention Program: Empowering African American Women.”
The conference is sponsored by the Women of Color in the Academy Project, which is a joint effort of the Center for the Education of Women and the Women’s Studies Program.
The Project includes research, advocacy and administrative initiatives focusing on areas of concern to women of color in university settings.
Support is provided by the Office of the Vice Provost for Academic and Multicultural Affairs and the Office of the Vice President for Research.
For information on the conference or the Project, call the Women’s Studies Program office, 763-2047.
(Editor’s Note: This event is one of many being held across the campus in January and early February commemorating Martin Luther King. See pages 7-10 for information on the other programs.)
