Colorado State’s Diversity Conference Features Julianne Malveaux

The Eighth Annual Diversity Conference invites the Colorado State University community and public to explore "Diversity in the 21st Century: Is it Still Relevant?" Sept. 23-25.

The conference welcomes keynote speaker Julianne Malveaux, president of Bennet College for Woman, for a talk on "Education or Extinction."  Malveaux will speak at 7 p.m. Tues., Sept. 23 in the Main Ballroom of the Lory Student Center.

Malveaux is a celebrated writer and columnist. Her writing focuses on race, culture and gender issues. Her writing appears regularly in USA Today and Black Issues in Higher Education as well as CNN and Black Entertainment Television.

Malveaux will focus on how institutions of higher education must grapple with how to define diversity as they prepare individuals for today’s society. She’ll discuss if there is still a need for organizations to focus on the value and enhancement of diversity. Finally, Malveaux will examine if the tools that were used to advance diversity in the last century are still relevant, legal and appropriate.

Malveaux’s keynote address is part of the Monfort Professors in Residence program. The program was created to provide leadership enrichment opportunities to the students of Colorado State University.

The conference offers two dialogues that will focus on the Commitment to Excellence. This will allow for discussion on the importance of value and commitment in today’s world. The dialogues will be held at 2:30 p.m. in the Lory Student Center on the following days.

Sept. 24: Definition of Value

Sept. 25:  Maintaining the Commitment.

The conference also offers workshops that will allow people to interact and communicate about a number of global issues pertaining to race and gender issues. The workshops will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday and run throughout the three-day event.

Also part of the conference is "Interconnections: Buddhist Views on the Self, Beings, and Global Harmony" from 4:30 – 6 p.m. Sept. 25 in Lory Student Center North Ballroom. Zen Master Jian Hu of Chung Tai Zen Center will discuss how modern technology and the internet have effectively created a global community that transcends physical boundaries. He will explore how we have been interrelated by our actions since ancient times. He also will explain this world view and how it brings insights on attaining global harmony. For more information please visit

lamar.colostate.edu/~zenclub/comingevents.htm.

The conference ends with an evening of dance and fashion hosted by El Centro Student Services in the Lory Student Center from 7-9 p.m. The event is focused on youth talent. A variety of individual and group performances will be showcased including Salsa, Hip-Hop and a Latina fashion show.

For more information on the events, visit www.diversity.colostate.edu.

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