These sessions have been designed to be of particular interest to presidents, senior officers, and trustees.  While these leaders play a key leadership role in their organizations, the promotion of diversity requires a team effort by people at all levels.  Thus, this session should also be of benefit to a wide range of others, including diversity officers, faculty, staff and students, who are interested in hearing and interacting with these institutional leaders as they share their experience, knowledge and perspectives.

PART I—Academic and Business Perspectives on Diversity: College and University Presidents and Corporate Executives Share Their Experiences in Promoting Diversity in Their Organizations

As a result of court rulings and legislation against affirmative action, the academic world appears to have become more cautious and hesitant in promoting diversity programs; whereas, the business world has continued to support such programs.  Against this contextual background, a select panel of college and university presidents and corporate executives will discuss and compare their experiences in promoting diversity in their organizations.  Among the issues they will address are the following:

• Why have so many corporate leaders and their companies continued to support diversity programs? Are their reasons different from those of college and university leaders?

• Can diversity programs in colleges and universities better prepare students to deal more effectively with diversity in the world of work?

• What constraints have court rulings and legislation against affirmative action placed on colleges and universities that are not faced in the business world? Are there legally-permissible, but still effective, approaches for promoting diversity in both the academic and business worlds?

• What strategies can be employed by academic leaders to gain the support of faculty, staff and students for diversity programs, and how do they compare with strategies employed by corporate leaders in promoting such programs?

Eugene Campbell, Vice President, Community Relations and Minority Business
Development, Walt Disney World—Orlando, Florida

Yolanda T. Moses, Ph.D., Former President of the City College of New York, New York; President, American Association for Higher Education, currently Assoc. Vice Chancellor Diversity, UC Riverside—Riverside, California
(Coordinator/Moderator)

Roy H. Saigo, Ph.D., President Emeritus, St. Cloud State University-St. Cloud, Minnesota; Former President, University of Alabama-Montgomery—Montgomery, Alabama

Mike Streeter, President/Executive Director,
Workforce Diversity Network, Inc.—Rochester, New York

Bob H. Suzuki, Ph.D., President Emeritus, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona—Los Angels, California (Coordinator/Moderator)

Other Panelists will be invited.

PART II—Does Barack Obamas’ Candidacy Presage a Post-ethnic Era in America?  What Would its Implications be for Social Policy, for Affirmative Action, and Diversity Programs?

In a recent article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, UC Berkeley historian, David Hollinger, suggests that the Barack Obama candidacy challenges not only the dynamics of American politics, but also current social policy regarding race-based programs.  He states that, “In their support for Hillary Rodham Clinton over Barack Obama, prominent black leaders have made it clear that black skin color itself is not as big a deal in American politics as it once was.”  The Obama phenomenon, he suggests, may presage a post-ethnic era in American society and lead to social policy that considers not only race, but other factors, such as socioeconomic status, as well.

In this session, we have asked Professor Hollinger to summarize his provocative thesis as the basis for discussion by a distinguished panel of college and university presidents and corporate executives.  The panel will address such issues as:

• What will be the long-term social and educational ramifications of the Obama candidacy on American society?

• If we are, indeed, entering a post-ethnic era, what would be the implications for social policy regarding affirmative action and diversity programs?

• What changes should be made in such programs?

• What would be the social and educational ramifications of not only a post-ethnic America, but also the increasing contact of Americans with people of diverse cultures due to the growing impact of immigration and globalization?

The discussion of these and other issues should stimulate a lively, interesting and important conversation among our panelists and session attendees.

Eugene Campbell, Vice President, Community Relations and Minority Business
Development, Walt Disney World—Orlando, Florida

Yolanda T. Moses, Ph.D., Former President of the City College of New York, New York; President, American Association for Higher Education, currently Assoc. Vice Chancellor Diversity, UC Riverside—Riverside, California
(Coordinator/Moderator)

Roy H. Saigo, Ph.D., President Emeritus, St. Cloud State University-St. Cloud, Minnesota; Former President, University of Alabama-Montgomery—Montgomery, Alabama

Bob H. Suzuki, Ph.D., President Emeritus, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona—Los Angels, California (Coordinator/Moderator)

Other Panelists will be invited.