Oakland University conference to spotlight inclusion and diversity in honors education

ROCHESTER, Mich. - Feb. 10, 2016 - PRLog -- With an emphasis on promoting inclusivity and diversity in honors education, the Oakland University Honors College is hosting the inaugural Honors Inclusion Conference March 9-11.

The conference, which takes place on OU’s campus, is geared toward university faculty, admissions officers, academic advisers, honors program staff, graduate students, high school teachers and others interested in enhancing inclusivity in honors education nationwide.

Keynote presenters include former Interim Dean of OU’s School of Education and Human Services, Dr. Robert Maxfield, and OU assistant professor of higher education, Dr. V. Thandi Sulé. Dr. Maxfield’s presentation will focus on “Inclusive Education” and Dr. Sulé will speak about “The Benefits of Diversity in College.”

The conference will also mark the launch of the National Society for Minorities in Honors (NSFMIH), an organization dedicated to promoting equity and diversity in honors education. While discussion of diversity in honors programs has occurred, the NSFMIH aims uniquely to explore issues of inclusion in honors education across a range of circumstances, and to do so regularly. The organization seeks to explore how the pursuit of educational excellence can be made available to all, how it can be developed, encouraged and supported for all, and how honors education can take a key role in social inclusion.

OU Honors College Dean Graeme Harper spearheaded the conference, which he sees as a key opportunity for attendees to discuss and network among peers to support diversity and inclusion in honors education.

“Diversity involves everyone,” Dr. Harper said. “Honors education has to be about supporting anyone who seeks to pursue educational excellence, and we need to develop better ways of doing that, of understanding how to overcome obstacles to doing that, and of developing educational partnerships and collaborations that assist us in doing that.”

The conference begins at noon on Wednesday, March 9 and concludes at noon on Friday, March 11. Participants can attend all or part of the conference, which will be held in Oak View Hall, home of OU’s Honors College. There will also be networking opportunities on the evenings of March 9 and 10.

Registration is $25 for students and $100 for others. To learn more, or to register, visit the conference website (http://wwwp.oakland.edu/hc/national-society-for-minoritie...).