Holy Cross to Host Higher Education Diversity Conference

The College of the Holy Cross will host a conference on data-driven diversity practices in higher education on Nov. 13 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Hogan Campus Center. The theme of this year’s conference is “Eliminating Opportunity Gaps: Promising Data-Driven Diversity and Inclusion Practices in Higher Education.”

The conference, organized by the New England Higher Education Recruitment Consortium and the Leading for Change Higher Education Diversity Consortium, will bring together university leaders and administrators from across the region to focus on diversity and inclusion practices in higher education with a focus on eliminating opportunity gaps for students, faculty, and staff from under-represented groups.

Keynote remarks will be delivered by Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, a nationally recognized expert on closing opportunity gaps through data-driven diversity and inclusion practices. The conference will also feature presentations and panels by representatives from member institutions.

Hrabowski has served as president of UMBC since 1992. His research and publications focus on science and math education, with special emphasis on minority participation and performance. He chaired the National Academies’ committee that produced the recent report, “Expanding Underrepresented Minority Participation: America’s Science and Technology Talent at the Crossroads.” He was also named by President Obama to chair the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans.

Hrabowski will sign copies of his book “Holding Fast to Dreams: Empowering Youth from the Civil Rights Crusade to STEM Achievement” immediately after the keynote address. Copies of the book will be available for purchase.

Holy Cross is hosting the conference as part of its continuing efforts to support diversity and inclusion. The College recently appointed Amit Taneja to the newly-created position of associate dean for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer.

Funding for the conference is being provided by Holy Cross, New England HERC, and Bridgewater State University and is free for New England HERC and Leading for Change consortia members. Registration is required.

About the New England Higher Education Recruitment Consortium The New England Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (NE HERC) was established in 2006 in order to advance the efforts of its member institutions to recruit and retain outstanding and diverse faculty and staff, and to support dual-career couples. Since 2006, the consortium has grown to over 65 member institutions, and currently features over 2,900 positions. Consortium member institutions share a commitment to hiring the most diverse and talented faculty, staff, and executives.

Nationally, HERC offers the largest database of higher education and related jobs in the world. We are a non-profit consortium of over 700 colleges, universities, hospitals, research labs, government agencies, and related non- and for-profit organizations. HERC provides jobseekers with the most job opportunities and unsurpassed search technology, enabling dual-career couples to find the right jobs within a commutable distance of one another.

For additional information, please visit the New England HERC website.

About the Leading for Change Higher Education Diversity Consortium The Leading for Change Higher Education Diversity Consortium is a voluntary collaboration of higher education institutions from Massachusetts and throughout New England committed to identifying student and employee diversity best practices.

Diversity experts from Bridgewater State University, Emerson College, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bristol Community College, Brandeis University, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst have worked together since 2013 to identify student and employee diversity benchmarks.

Focused on eliminating opportunity gaps on our campuses, the Leading for Change Higher Education Diversity Consortium is identifying data-driven best practices focused on institutional practices, policies and pedagogies that support the success of all students and employees.

For additional information, please visit the Leading for Change website.