College of Communication and Information
Diversity & Inclusion Week: Empowering and Celebrating Yourself and Others
September 19 – 22, 2011
Program Planning Committee: Alice Bowling Wirth (Chair), Beth Cole, Asia Farmer, John Haas, Catherine Luther, Bharat Mehra, Margie Morrison, Chelsea Sanz, Kiah Simmons, Erin Whiteside, Mike Wirth, Courtney Wright
Diversity Festival Committee: Alice Bowling Wirth (Chair), Vanderbilt Brabson, Jondra Darden, Shiela Hawkins, Jacquelyn Mabry, Caitlin Newman, Eva Posner, Lauren Washington, Julian Wright, Victoria Wright, Jim Young
“CCI Diversity and Inclusion Week: Empowering and Celebrating Yourself and Others” is targeted at all members of the CCI community with specific focus on our 1,600 undergraduate majors. The 4-day event offers participants an opportunity to gain diversity skills and knowledge along with a chance to dialogue about diversity and inclusion issues and to share best practices by bringing together leaders and experts from inside and outside the college and university. This year’s Diversity and Inclusion Week theme is “Empowering and Celebrating Yourself and Others” along with daily sub-themes consisting of Exploring Diversity,” “Building Relationships,” “Strengthening Communities on Campus,” and “Expressing Diversity through the Arts.” A keynote speech, a workshop, an open forum, 7 panels and a diversity festival will provide our students, faculty, staff and the UTK community with an inspirational and informative week designed to advance their understanding of and appreciation for diversity and inclusion. The week was made possible through funding from UTK’s Ready for the World Initiative and CCI. The schedule for CCI Diversity and Inclusion Week is as follows.
Monday, September 19 – Exploring Diversity and Inclusion
Morning Session
Topic: “Everybody Has a Story”
Moderator: Courtney Wright, Assistant Professor, School of Communication Studies
Panel:
- Rita Geier, Senior Fellow, Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy and Associate to the Chancellor, University of Tennessee, Knoxille,
- Rob Heller, Professor, School of Journalism and Electronic Media,
- Lieutenant Colonel Danny M. Kelley II, Battalion Commander & Professor of Military Science,
- Mustapha Moussa, UTK Undergraduate
Location: Scripps Convergence Lab -COM 402
Time: 10:10 – 11:10 a.m.
Afternoon Session
Topic: “Understanding Diversity”
Workshop facilitator: Alice Wirth, Lecturer, School of Communication Studies and Director, CCI Diversity Student Leaders Society (DSLS)
Panel:
- Jondra Darden, DSLS
- Asia Farmer, DSLS
- Victoria Kisluk, UTK Undergraduate
- Frank James, III, DSLS,
- Lauren Wilson, DSLS
Location: CCI Auditorium -COM 321
Time: 1:25 – 2:25 p.m.
Diversity & Inclusion Week Keynote
Keynote Speaker: Joetta Clark Diggs, 4-Time Olympian; President, Joetta Sports & Beyond, LLC; Executive Director, Joetta Clark Diggs Sports Foundation
“Determined to Reach Your Destiny”
Location: McClung Museum Auditorium
Reception Time: 6:15 – 7:00 p.m.
Keynote Time: 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, September 20 – Building Relationships
Morning Session
Topic: “Building Spiritual Communities of Acceptance”
Moderator: Dr. Christine Shepardson, Associate Professor, UTK Department of Religious Studies
Panel:
- Jonas Holdeman, member of Rationalists of East Tennessee and Director of Camp Quest of the Smokies,
- Dr. Jeremy McGinnis, Associate Pastor, Park West Church of God,
- Deborah Oleshansky, Director, UT Hillel/Jewish Student Center,
- Nadeem Siddiqi, Member, Muslim Community of Knoxville’s Dawah (Outreach) Committee,
- Rev. Jill Sizemore, Pastor, Metropolitan Community Church of Knoxville
Location: Scripps Convergence Lab – COM 402
Time: 9:40 – 10:55 a.m.
Afternoon Session
Topic: “Negotiating Workplace Differences”
Moderator: John Haas, Director, School of Communication Studies
Panel:
- Jan Brown, Senior Advisor for Diversity & Labor Relations, TVA
- Pat Carson, Compliance Coordinator, Knox County Human Resources Department
- Linda Cox-Collier, Regional Marketing Manager, Mercy Health Partners
- Jennifer Richter, Associate Director, UTK Office of Equity and Diversity
- Fernandez West, Associate Director, UTK Thornton Athletics, Student Life Center
Location: Scripps Convergence Lab – COM 402
Time: 2:10-3:25 p.m.
Evening Session
Topic: “Open Forum on Diversity and Inclusion”
Moderators: Victoria Kisluk, UTK Undergraduate, Julian Wright, (CCI Diversity Student Leaders Society) DSLS
Location: Scripps Convergence Lab – COM 402
Time: 5:05-6:20 p.m.
Wednesday, September 21 – Strengthening Communities on Campus
Morning Session
Topic: “On Campus Stories of Empowerment”
Moderator: Erin Whiteside, Assistant Professor, School of Journalism and Electronic Media
Panel:
- Bryan Hilbert, Testing Coordinator, UTK Office of Disabilities Services
- Annazette Houston, Director, UTK Office of Disability Services,
- Rick Mula, UTK Undergraduate,
- Anton Reece, Director, UTK Student Success Center
Location: Scripps Convergence Lab – COM 402
Time: 9:05-10:05 a.m.
Afternoon Session
Topic: “Freedom Riders: The Journey Continues”
Moderator: Theotis Robinson, Vice President, Equity & Diversity, University of Tennessee
Panel:
- Robert J. Booker, Knoxville News Sentinel Opinion Columnist, Author and Historian,
- Avon Rollins, Sr., Director and CEO, Beck Cultural Exchange Center,
- Jayanni Webster, UTK Undergraduatuate
- Harry Wiersema, Civil Rights Attorney
Location: Scripps Convergence Lab – COM 402
Time: 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Thursday, September 22 – Expressing Diversity through the Arts
Morning Session
Topic: “Diversity and Self Expression: The Body as a Canvas”
Moderator: Asia Farmer, CCI Diversity Student Leaders Society (DSLS)
Panel:
- Dr. Kelly Baker, Lecturer, UTK Department of Religious Studies,
- Derrick Furlow, Jr., Business Entrepreneur and former UT Football Player
- Shiela Hawkins, WUTK-FM
Location: CCI Auditorium – COM 321
Time: 11:10-12:25 p.m.
Afternoon Session
Topic: “Breaking Boundaries through Music”
Moderator: Benny Smith, General Manager, WUTK-FM
Panel:
- Black Atticus, Knoxville Hip Hop artist and slam poet,
- Todd Steed, Local musician, WUOT-FM Jazz Program Director and Host of Studio 865 and Flipside,
- L
ane Shuler, Hip Hop artist and slam poet from Townsend, TN, - Dr. Erin Whiteside, Assistant Professor, School of Journalism and Electronic Media
Location: CCI Auditorium – COM 321
Time: 3:40-4:55 p.m.
Evening Festival
CCI Diversity Festival
An all-campus barbecue with diverse musical, dance, and dramatic performances; games, arts and crafts, CCI student club booths/tables, prizes, WUTK remote and more.
Location: Circle Park
Time: 5:00 – 7:30 p.m.