Diversity Committee

Submitted by Ken Burhanna

Quarterly Report

4/17/2009

• The committee has just completed review of this year’s diversity scholarship applicants. We received four complete applications this year. All were strong candidates. After deliberation the committee decided to award the 2009-2010 scholarship to Joshua Alvarez. Mr. Alvarez will be starting the MLS program at Kent State University (Columbus) next fall. He is currently attending Case Western Reserve University and will be graduating this spring with a bachelor’s degree in history and religious studies. Mr. Alvarez will be notified shortly.
• During the scholarship review process, we uncovered several potential revisions to the application which could help to streamline future administrations of the scholarship. They are as follows:
        1. Revise the criteria to read “Must be a full-time or part-time student in MLS program as of the following fall term”. We received and have in the past received applications from graduating students. If they were to win the award, the funds aren’t released until July usually, and in that case the student would no longer be in school.
        2. Revise to ask applicants to clearly define their status for the following fall. This will make it clear to us whether or not the student has been admitted to an MLS program or if they have just applied.
        3. Revise prompt for recommendations to ask that reference writers speak directly to the candidate’s commitment to diversity. In the recent review, no recommendations spoke to diversity.
• Final plans are being made for a spring diversity workshop. Beth Tucker, Coordinator of Programming at Purdue University’s Office of International Students and Scholars. The workshop will occur on May 1st at the Main Library at Kent State University.
• Kwabena Sekyere of Miami University has joined the Diversity Committee to complete the term vacated by Angela Gooden, whose family moved to Texas.