Men and Women of Color Summit registration opens
Mississippi State's Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion is encouraging interested members of the campus and surrounding communities to begin registering for the 2015 Men and Women of Color Summit.
Registration for the Aug. 27 and 28 event is free to all and may be completed at https://www.oidi.msstate.edu/summit.
Now in its fourth year, the summit is designed to engage minority students with faculty, staff, administrators, alumni and others interested in dialogue about critical issues related to academic and professional success.
"Reframing the Dialogue around Men and Women of Color: Academic Success in Higher Education" is this year's theme for the program taking place just off campus in The Mill at MSU conference center on Russell Street, opening soon.
"Low retention rates for students of color is an issue that institutions are facing nationwide. We are proud that Mississippi State is taking a proactive approach to eliminate barriers to success," said NaToya Sanders, OIDI recruitment, retention and program specialist.
Students who attend the summit will have the opportunity to "gain knowledge on how to be academically successful and foster success post-graduation, while also forming a network with other students and potential mentors," added Samantha E. Jones, a recent MSU political science/pre-law graduate and former Women of Color Summit committee chair from Hernando.
Speakers will include MSU electrical engineering alumnus Albert Williams, president of Chevron Pipe Line Co.; Lori Harper, vice president of supply-chain management at Ingalls Shipbuilding; and Anique Hameed of Dove's "My Black is Beautiful" campaign. For more information, see www.oidi.msstate.edu/summit/speakers.php.
Additionally, MSU and non-MSU undergraduate students will participate in a "Three-Minute Oratory Challenge," expressing their thoughts on issues relevant to minority females and males in postsecondary education.
The Thursday-Friday schedule includes:
Aug. 27
-- 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Birth-12 Pathways Mini Summit. Kindergarten-12th grade administrators, teachers and community leaders will discuss issues that impact students prior to entering higher education.
-- 6-8 p.m., Empowerment Dinner
Aug. 28
-- Men and Women of Color Summit, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
In addition to the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, other 2015 summit sponsors include MSU's Office of the President and Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President.
For more details, contact Sanders at 662-325-2493 or thill@oidi.msstate.edu. Also, join the summit conversation via Twitter at hashtag #msumoc15.
Discover more about Mississippi's flagship research university at www.msstate.edu or www.meridian.msstate.edu, facebook.com/msstate, instagram.com/msstate and twitter.com/msstate using the hashtag #WeRingTrue.
Sasha Steinberg | Public Affairs
