#Leaders4Diversity Conference

On March 27^th, 2015, The Office of Diversity & Inclusion hosted the #Leaders4Diversity conference. This conference was a one day event focused on empowering students to become leaders within diverse communities.

This event was sponsored by the College of Business Administration, Student Success and Multicultural Initiatives, AHA!, International Programs, SWAT, Center for Academic Readiness and Success, Academic Advising, JTAC/Grassburr, Applied Learning Experience, and  Career Services.

 

 

  

Workshop I (9:40-10:40 AM)

Islamophobia: Causes and Consequences was presented by Dr. Syed Jafri, professor of Economics. In his presentation, he identified the causes of Islamophobia, the fear of those who practice the Islamic faith. In addition, he identified ways to address this phobia with a perspective that will promote understanding in a diverse society.

Leadership Development-Tarleton Style was presented by Dr. Rudy Tarpley, the Department head of Agriculture & Consumer sciences. His presentation provided students with 10 suggestions for an effective leader.


The Wonderful World of LGBTQ Superheroes was presented by students Nichole Kirby, Bertie Gardner, Emily VanKirk, Torri Carrol, and Kaitlin Sullivan. During this panel, students were able to learn about positive representations of celebrities within the LGBTQ community.

Workshop II (10:50 - 11:50 AM)

Competencies and Karaoke: Two Methods of Selecting Diverse Work Teams was presented by Dr. Randy McCamey, Associate professor of Management. In this workshop, students were asked to think critically about building diverse teams through the use of personal strengths.

 

 Why Can’t We All Just Get Along? was presented by Dr. David Franzier, Assistant professor of Agricultural education.  Students were able to use this hands-on workshop to learn about the importance of respecting cultural differences.

 Inspiring Diverse Leadership in Ourselves and Others was presented by Lauren Donnell, Lacie Pence , and Jayna Bhakta, students in the social work program. This presentation incorporated the use of live social media to demonstrate the importance of networking to increase diversity. The presenters also highlighted how students can use diversity when developing organizations to maintain relationships on a college campus.

 Workshop III (1:20 - 2:20 PM)

 Decision Making in College: the Good, the Bad, and the Failed Out was presented by Patrick Byrne, a senior Agricultural Leadership and Development student at Texas Tech University.  This workshop explores the decisions college students face that determine how successful they will be at reaching their goals.

 Believing In What You Can’t See: Achieving Success in the Face of Adversity was presented by Landan Schaffert, a speaker and senior at Coloradio State University. Schaffert is also the National FFA Secretary. With this presentation, students were given information on how to combat challenges to reach their goals. Schaffert connected with students by speaking about a personal challenge he faces- being legally blind.

 The Benefits of Study Abroad was presented by Dr. Marcy Tanter, Associate Professor of English. Dr. Tanter has led a study abroad trip to Scotland and South Korea at Tarleton. Dr. Tanter uses her personal experience to speak about how study abroad enhances tolerance through hands-on education. She also provided students with resources they could utilize to fund study abroad trips.

 Workshop IV ( 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM)

We the People” in the Age of Obergefell v. Hodges was presented by Judd Leach, Associate professor of Business Law and proud Tarleton Ally. Through this workshop, Mr. Leach explored the meaning behind the term “ We the people” in the United States constitution. He explored who exactly the “we” is  by examining the Three-Fifths Compromise and the struggle for women’s suffrage in history. Leach also explored the case of Loving v. Virginia, and introduced participants to the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, a lawsuit focused on the recognition of  same-sex marriage beyond state lines.

Listen and Resolve: Building Trust and Managing Conflict Effectively was presented by Landan Schaffert. In this workshop, students explored managing and preventing conflict when faced with opposing perspectives.

Tolerance, Coexistance, Secularization, Religious Freedom, and the Challenges of Religious Diversity in the Public Square was presented by Dr. Eric Morrow, Assistant Professor of Political science and Interim Head of the Department of Social Sciences. In this workshop, the relationship between religious diversity and its effect on politics were explored. Dr. Morrow stressed that religion is not always tolerated in government.

The keynote speaker for this event was Priscilla Hartman Hedlin. Mrs. Hedlin is known for her blog at http://www.wheelchairmommy.com/. Mrs. Hedlin blogs about her life as a mother to three boys and shares words of encouragement. During the presentation, Mrs. Hedlin presented photos of her three boys and spoke about her choice to stay positive despite being paralyzed in 1999. She spoke of the misconceptions people have about her and told students, “ I don’t have to compare myself to anybody else and neither should you.” You can find more information on Mrs. Hedlin on her website.

 

 

"Her Texas" Diversity Dialogue

“Her Texas provides a wonderful window into the diversity and artistry of Texas women.”– Mimi Swartz, Executive Editor at Texas Monthly, co-author of Power Failure: The Inside Story of the Collapse of Enron

On March 18, 2015,  The Office of Diversity & Inclusion hosted a Diversity Dialogue dedicated to “ Her Texas” in honor of Women’s History Month. Editors Donna Walker-Nixon and Rachel Crawford were in attendance for students to have a discussion about the anthology.“ Her Texas: Story, Image, Poem & Song” was released on March 1^st. It is a collection of poems, songs, stories, paintings and photography from 60 Texas women. At this event, Dr. Marilyn Robitaille, Director of the Office of International Programs, donated a copy of “ Her Texas” to the Tarleton library.

For more information about “ Her Texas” you may go to: http://hertexas.com/

Office of Diversity and Inclusion Presents: Stacey Lannert

The Office of Diversity & Inclusion presented Stacey Lannert on March 4, 2015 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM. Stacey Lannert was convicted for killing her father, the man who raped her for 18 years. Released in 2009, she has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show,  Nancy Grace, 20/20, Larry King Live, Montel Williams and many other programs. In 2011, she published a book entitled “Redemption: A Story of Sisterhood, Survival, and Finding Freedom Behind Bars”.She also founded healingsisters.org, a non-profit website that provides resources for victims of sexual abuse.

 During this powerful speech, Ms. Lannert described the hardships she faced adjusting to life outside of prison. She also spoke of the importance of using the correct terms to identify sexual assault to prevent miscommunication. She informed that audience that 1 in 4 women in America are reported as being victims of sexual assault. "Most women are scared and ashamed to tell anyone about being abused and believe that they are to blame", Ms. Lannert said. It is because of this notion that Ms. Lannert presented on recognizing the signs of a sexual assault victim and ways to effectively comfort them. She also explained that everyone will somehow have a connection to the issue of sexual assault, regardless of gender or socioeconomic class.

Through her presentation, Ms. Lannert highlighted the resources available on campus for students to combat sexual assault. Ms. Lannert explained that speaking to college students was important to her because most women who are raped are college-aged. The students that were in attendance at this event and were very interested in hearing more about what Ms. Lannert had to say during questioning.

If  you have any questions about this event, please feel free to contact the Office of Diversity & Inclusion at diversitytsu@gmail.com or 254-968-9488.

For counseling services, please contact Student Counseling at 254-968-9044.

“ When parts of you are hurting, may you not harm your whole self.” – Stacey Lannert

Women's History Showcase

The Office of Diversity & Inclusion partnered with the Tarleton American Association of University Women to host a Women’s History Showcase on March 2, 2015. The Showcase was held in Ballroom A of the Thompson Student Center from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. The mission of this event was to bring awareness to the accomplishments of women all over the world in honor of Women’s History Month.

This event was attended by students, faculty, administrators and members of the Stephenville community. During the showcase, students were encouraged to interact with the volunteers who chose women they admired and portrayed them. The women represented in the live exhibitions included: Frida Kahlo, Elizabeth Blackwell, Amelia Earhart, Dorothy Pitman Hughes, Gloria Steinem, Rachel Carson, Marion Talbot, Madam C.J. Walker, Mother Teresa, Dolores Huerta, Oveta Culp Hobby, Marie Curie, Doris Day, Aphra Behn, Rosa Parks and Folorunsho Alakija. Students were able to be informed about over 50 women from history as they communicated with volunteers and obtained their autographs along the way. 

 

Many other women were also represented on posterboards where students were able to read about their accomplishments. These women were prioneers in the military, the entertainment industries, the civil rights movement, and the suffrage movement. They included cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, suffragist Susan B. Anthony, activist Malala Yousafzai, musician  Celia Cruz, Selena Quintanilla Perez, political leaders Queen Lili’uokalani, Dilma Rousseff, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, and political prisoners such as Aung San Suu Kyi.

Many students were unaware of the challenges faced by women throughout history and were very surprised by the stories of the women they met. One volunteer, Julie Meyer, exhibited  antique chemistry equipment as she explained her life as Marie Curie. Another volunteer, Elaine K. Smith, represented Oveta Culp Hobby in honor of her mother, who was a member of the Women’s Army Auxilary Corps. Many of these women had deep connections to women’s history and those who came to the showcase from the community were touched by their dedication.

In addition, students were able to participate in a matching game to test their knowledge of women’s history. A drawing was conducted after the event for the winner to receive a free ticket to a business etiquette dinner hosted by Career Services.

 If you have any questions about this event, feel free to contact the Tarleton AAUW at aauwtsu@gmail. com or the Office of Diversity & Inclusion at diversitytsu@gmail.com or
254-968-9488.