REACHING ACROSS DIFFERENCE

A STUDENT-CENTERED DIVERSITY INITIATIVE

“Men hate each other because they fear each other; they fear each other because they do not know each other; they do not know each other because they do not communicate; they do not communicate because they are separate.” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

A collaboration between the Office of Diversity, Student Affairs and the Student Government Association, Reaching Across Difference is a student-led diversity initiative designed to facilitate positive and meaningful interaction among diverse groups of students. This process is achieved by encouraging, recognizing and rewarding student efforts to design, develop and implement initiatives that reach across a wide range of difference and promote an inclusive campus environment.

These initiatives may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Promoting cross-cultural relationship building
• Creating opportunities for meaningful, open and safe dialogue concerning difference
• Recognition of the contributions of various cultures to the ASU campus
• Developing opportunities to personally experience a different culture
• Initiating peer tutoring and mentoring systems

Individual students, student teams or student groups will have the opportunity to apply for a diversity grant to help fund an initiative or series of initiatives that accomplish one or more of the above-listed items. Priority will be given to those initiatives that involve diverse student teams or student groups working together to enhance diversity on the Arkansas State University campus. Additionally, priority also will be given to those initiatives that involve significant efforts to enhance diversity on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, sex, age, disability, economic status, or social background.

The university will formally recognize those grant recipients who have demonstrated excellence through diversity in their leadership, scholarship, creativity and service. Each year, grant recipients will be eligible for the Student Diversity Excellence Award. This award will be given annually to recognize individuals or groups who have demonstrated a significant commitment to enhancing diversity at Arkansas State University.

Award:

The recipient will receive a $1,500 honorarium and an engraved glass plaque during the spring semester of 2007.

Nomination:

Submit a letter of nomination that addresses how the nominee has demonstrated a significant commitment to enhancing diversity through one or more of the above-listed criteria. Additionally, the nomination letter should describe creative models, strategies or best practices used to enhance diversity.

Nomination/Application Process:

Any faculty, staff member, student, or administrator may nominate an individual student, student group or student teams. The nomination must include information on how diversity has been enhanced. The nomination will be forwarded to a screening committee appointed by the Assistant to the President for Diversity Initiatives. Normally, the award recipient will not be eligible for a subsequent award within a three-year period. However, exceptions may be given.

Contents of Nomination Packet:

• Letter of nomination from a student, faculty member, staff member, or administrator describing in detail why the nominee is deserving of the award (maximum of three pages)

• Letters of support (not more than three total) from faculty, students, staff, administrators or alumni

• Description of the activities within the academic calendar year that illustrate the outstanding efforts by the individual student, student group or student team to enhance diversity (three-page limit)

Individual nominations must include a cover sheet with the following information:

Name of Nominee Title/Student College/Department/Office Campus Address Work Telephone E-mail Address

Name of Nominator Title/Student College/Department/Office Campus Address Work Telephone E-mail Address Working relationship to the nominee

Student Group and Student Teams nominations must include a cover sheet with the following information:

Name of Unit Nominated Lead contact person(s) of the unit College/Department/Office Campus Address Work Telephone (lead person) E-mail Address (lead person)

Name of Nominator Title College/Department/Office Campus Address Work Telephone E-mail Address

Deadlines:

The nomination and/or application materials are to be forwarded to the Office of Diversity by March 28, 2007. Recipients of the award will be notified by April 4, 2007.