The
Black Faculty and Staff Association of Johns Hopkins,
in conjunction with colleagues from other campuses across
the nation, will host an upcoming conference called Fixing
the Academy: Tapping Black Excellence on White Campuses.
Featuring panels, presentations of scholarly papers and
workshops, it will be held on April 13 and 14 at the
Applied Physics Laboratory. The deadline for registration
is Friday, March 30.
The aim of the conference is to bring together black
faculty, students and staff from predominantly white
institutions to ask new questions and explore new ways to
maximize the potential for black achievement on
predominantly white campuses that will be appropriately
recognized, valued and rewarded.
Due to the changing demographics in higher education,
gaps in educational and professional attainments among
African-Americans still present a major challenge,
according to the BFSA. The transformation of institutions
of higher education into more responsive educational
environments will be highlighted.
In a letter to the Johns Hopkins community in which he
urged departments to support staff members wishing to
attend the conference, President William R. Brody wrote,
"We expect actions and recommendations that stem from this
conference will assist us as we strive to address the
dissatisfaction with the climate along racial lines, which
was revealed by the recent diversity climate survey at
Johns Hopkins."
The Rev. Dr. Floyd H. Flake, president of Wilberforce
University and a former member of the U.S. House of
Representatives, will be the keynote speaker. Additional
presenters are Anita Jenious, Vanderbilt University;
Christopher Lester, Georgetown University; Roland Smith,
Rice University; Levi Watkins, Johns Hopkins; and Alma
Clayton-Pederson, Office of Education and Institutional
Renewal for the Association of American Colleges &
Universities.
Workshops include "Negotiating Your Worth: Black
Excellence as a Bargaining Chip," "What Becomes of the
Affirmative Action Baby? Challenging Assumptions of What
You Bring to the Table," "After What You Put Me Through,
Why Give? Rethinking the Power of Black Alumni" and "What
We Do and Don't Do to Support One Another."
Attendees will also have the opportunity to
participate in focus groups to outline strategies and
tactics in furthering the goal of black achievement in
higher education.
The registration fee, which includes breakfasts,
lunches and a reception, is $100 for students and $150 for
faculty, staff and others. For detailed conference
information, go to the BFSA Web site at
www.jhu.edu/bfsa.
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