Arizona Bill Would Ban Race-conscious Organizations on Public Campuses

Arizona Bill Would Ban Race-conscious Organizations on Public Campuses: Students attending Arizona’s public schools, community colleges and universities may be restricted from operating race-based organizations on campus following a proposal recently approved by a state legislative panel.

According to media reports, the measure would prohibit the operation of student groups such as the Black Business Students Association (BBSA) at Arizona State University, Native Americans United at Northern Arizona University and other organizations “based in whole or in part on race-based criteria.” Critics of the measure say it threatens diversity-related initiatives and attacks necessary minority student-led organizations. However, Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Scottsdale, a supporter of the new measure, says groups that incorporate ethnic or racial identity are “self-defeating” and “self-destructive” for students.

The measure would also prohibit Arizona public schools from including any courses, classes, or school-sponsored activities deemed contradictory to the values of American democracy or Western civilization. According to various reports, the new proposal stems from a conflict involving an ethnic-studies course in the Tucson area, which some critics have referred to as “separatist” and “unpatriotic.”

Hispanic-Serving Institutions Win Grants To Spur Economic Growth

Hispanic-Serving Institutions Win Grants To Spur Economic Growth: Colleges will receive much-needed funds from a Labor Department program, which works closely with businesses to fill work force gaps.

For some Hispanic-serving institutions, the key to winning grants at the federal level is building strong local relationships that foster partnerships and “out-ofthe- box” thinking about new and innovative services.

The trend is evident at seven HSIs that just won grants of $500,000 to $2 million from the U.S. Department of Labor for expanded work force development efforts. These community colleges are among several dozen new winners of Community-Based Job Training Grants designed to spur employment and local economic growth.

PBIs Make Gains in Washington

PBIs Make Gains in Washington: After years of lobbying for more federal aid and visibility, predominantly Black colleges and universities — many of them located in northern cities — are gaining a greater foothold in Washington.

These colleges, which enroll large numbers of Black students but are not historically Black institutions, will divide $15 million over two years through a new grant competition expected to be formally open for applications soon. Approved under the College Cost Reduction Act, the competitive grants can provide predominantly Black institutions, or PBIs, with a minimum grant of at least $250,000.

“We’ve got a foot in the door. That’s significant,” says Dr. Edison Jackson, president of Medgar Evers College in New York, who long has argued for aid to PBIs. With a Black enrollment of about 94 percent, Jackson’s college would qualify for the new funds.

When I Grow Up, I Want to … Pay Off Student Loans

When I Grow Up, I Want to … Pay Off Student Loans: Sharde Jennings dreams of being a lawyer, but the $65,000 in student loans she acquired to complete her bachelor’s degree has her contemplating teaching or any job that has a loan-forgiveness program. For an increasing number of students like Jennings, their right-out-of-college career choices are being dictated by their loan situation.

College students are graduating with record levels of debt as they’ve come to increasingly rely on student loans to meet their college expenses. The pressure to start repaying these loans is prompting many of them to consider loan forgiveness programs.

Life Expectancy Drops for Some U.S. Women - washingtonpost.com

Life Expectancy Drops for Some U.S. Women - washingtonpost.com: For the first time since the Spanish influenza of 1918, life expectancy is falling for a significant number of American women.

n nearly 1,000 counties that together are home to about 12 percent of the nation's women, life expectancy is now shorter than it was in the early 1980s, according to a study published today.

The downward trend is evident in places in the Deep South, Appalachia, the lower Midwest and in one county in Maine. It is not limited to one race or ethnicity but it is more common in rural and low-income areas. The most dramatic change occurred in two areas in southwestern Virginia (Radford City and Pulaski County), where women's life expectancy has decreased by more than five years since 1983.

The trend appears to be driven by increases in death from diabetes, lung cancer, emphysema and kidney failure. It reflects the long-term consequences of smoking, a habit that women took up in large numbers decades after men did, and the slowing of the historic decline in heart disease deaths.

First Female Dean of Temple University’s Law School Talks of New Plans

First Female Dean of Temple University’s Law School Talks of New Plans: JoAnne Epps was recently named the new dean of Temple University’s Beasley School of Law. Epps, a longtime professor at Temple who graduated from Yale University’s law school, is a stalwart academician in the areas of evidence, criminal procedure and trial advocacy. The trial advocacy program at Temple is ranked No. 2 in the nation.

When Dean Epps assumes her post on July 1, she will become the first female dean of Temple’s law school and one of the few African-American female deans at a major law school in the United States. There are four African-American women serving as deans of programs that are members of the American Association of Law Schools.

New Report Highlights Schools That Make Minority Student Success a Priority

New Report Highlights Schools That Make Minority Student Success a Priority: The causes of poor college graduation rates among low-income, first-generation and minority students have pervaded the pages of academic publication for years, while the instances in which African-American students have outperformed their White counterparts in the same area have gone largely undocumented.

According to a new report released by Education Sector, an independent education policy think tank, there are currently 62 colleges and universities where the six-year graduation rates for Black undergraduate students outpace that of their White peers.

Typically, Black students graduate at a lower rate than White students at the same institution. And although Ivy League institutions like Dartmouth and Yale universities have achieved virtual parity as it relates to Black and White graduation rates through selective admissions, others such as Florida State University have worked diligently to develop effective retaining resources and initiatives that empower minority and low-income students to persist.

Ethnic Fraud?

Tribal scholars say some faculty are falsely claiming American Indian heritage to boost their job prospects.

By Mary Annette Pember

For American Indian scholars, securing a job in higher education can sometimes be as simple as checking a box. Most of the country’s colleges and universities do not require proof of tribal enrollment from faculty or staff who identify themselves as American Indians. Students looking to receive financial aid, however, must submit proof that they are members of federally recognized tribes. The question of American Indian identity can be an incendiary one. What does it mean to be an American Indian? Who are the “real” Indians? How are they identified? A recent surge of interest in personal genealogy has made the already complicated question even more troublesome. Many families hand down tales of American Indian ancestry, and the Internet is making it easier for average Americans to discover the truth for themselves. In the 2005 New York Times column, “The Newest Indians,” Jack Hitt suggests that the sudden spike in citizens claiming tribal heritage is a symptom of “ethnic shopping.” The term refers to individuals who wish to change identities and simply don new ethnicities that are more personally comfortable or interesting. But why are American Indians so often the ethnicity of choice among ethnic shoppers?

U-Md. Officials Approve Minor in Latino Studies - washingtonpost.com

U-Md. Officials Approve Minor in Latino Studies - washingtonpost.com: Undergraduates at the University of Maryland at College Park can now graduate with a minor in U.S. Latino studies after school officials yesterday approved the first such minor at a major university in the Washington region.

Students and faculty members, some of whom have been promoting U.S. Latino studies at Maryland's flagship public university for a decade, said they were delighted by the move but said more needs to be done to meet the needs of historically underserved Latino students.

'This is a great first step in a series of bigger steps that need to happen,' said Angel David Nieves, an assistant professor who has been working for years on creating a full U.S. Latino studies program at the university. 'We need to move on and . . . develop the funding necessary to bring the major and the graduate certificate on line.'

Latino studies focuses on the history, culture, literature and the social fabric of Latino communities in the United States. No college or university in the mid-Atlantic region has a U.S. Latino studies program, in part because of historical obstacles that include a lack of funding and debate about whether such content studies constitute legitimate scholarship.

Education Week: Black-White Gap Widens Faster for High Achievers

Education Week: Black-White Gap Widens Faster for High Achievers: New research into what is commonly called the black-white “achievement gap” suggests that the students who lose the most ground academically in U.S. public schools may be the brightest African-American children.

As black students move through elementary and middle school, these studies show, the test-score gaps that separate them from their better-performing white counterparts grow fastest among the most able students and the most slowly for those who start out with below-average academic skills.

“We care about achievement gaps because of their implications for labor-market and socioeconomic-status issues down the line,” said Lindsay C. Page, a Harvard University researcher, commenting on the studies. “It’s disconcerting if the gap is growing particularly high among high-achieving black and white students.”

Disconcerting, but not surprising, said researchers who have studied achievement gaps. Studies have long shown, for instance, that African-American students are underrepresented among the top scorers on standardized tests, such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Fewer studies, though, have traced the growth of those gaps among high and low achievers.

AT&T Giving $100 Million to Fight Dropouts - New York Times

AT&T Giving $100 Million to Fight Dropouts - New York Times: AT&T plans to announce a $100 million gift on Thursday intended to address the problem of high school dropouts and to improve the skills of the nation’s work force.

The gift, which will be distributed over four years, is among the largest corporate donations on record, but it is the second $100 million donation announced by a company this year. Last month, Goldman, Sachs & Company announced it would spend at least the same amount over 10 years to advance women’s business education in the developing world.

“We view it like any other investment we make,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and chief executive of AT&T Mobility, the company’s wireless operations. “It’s an investment in our future as well as the communities in which we work.”

A recent report by America’s Promise Alliance, a nonprofit started by former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, found that roughly one-third of American high school students, or about 1.2 million people, leave school before graduating.

Additionally, the unemployment rate among Americans with less than a high school education in March was 60 percent higher than among those who completed high school, according to AT&T.

Black Players Drop to 8.2 Percent of Major Leaguers

Black Players Drop to 8.2 Percent of Major Leaguers: Major League Baseball received its best grade for racial diversity in hiring, even as the percentage of Black players dropped again last year.

MLB received its first A- for race Tuesday from Richard Lapchick, director of the University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports. Its grade was B in last year's study.

Among major leaguers, though, just 8.2 percent were Black players, down from 8.4 percent in 2006 and the lowest level in at least two decades.

'I'm very disappointed by that fact,' said Rachel Robinson, the widow of Jackie Robinson. 'Competition from other sports is certainly a big factor, but they're many factors. We've got to work on it in terms of getting younger children playing, into the game, and getting communities behind the programs, like the RBI programs and the academies.'

Lapchick released the study on Jackie Robinson Day, the 61st anniversary of when Robinson broke the major league color barrier.

The percentage of Black pitchers remained at 3 percent last year.

'Baseball has probably lost a whole generation here,' Lapchick said. 'African-Americans just aren't playing it at this point. They're going to have to increase their efforts.'

Hispanic-Serving Institutions Win Grants To Spur Economic Growth

Hispanic-Serving Institutions Win Grants To Spur Economic Growth: Colleges will receive much-needed funds from a Labor Department program, which works closely with businesses to fill work force gaps.

For some Hispanic-serving institutions, the key to winning grants at the federal level is building strong local relationships that foster partnerships and “out-ofthe- box” thinking about new and innovative services.

The trend is evident at seven HSIs that just won grants of $500,000 to $2 million from the U.S. Department of Labor for expanded work force development efforts. These community colleges are among several dozen new winners of Community-Based Job Training Grants designed to spur employment and local economic growth.

Gene activity may explain cancer's racial divide

Prostate and breast cancer are more deadly for African Americans than for whites. Now it seems that differences in the activity of key genes may be partly to blame.

Black men in the US are around 60% more likely to develop prostate cancer than their white counterparts, and are more than twice as likely to die from the disease.

In large part, these differences are thought to be due to socioeconomic factors such as access to healthcare. But at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) in San Diego on 15 April, Tiffany Wallace of the US National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, argued that biological differences between the tumours of blacks and whites are also involved.

Wallace and her colleagues used "gene chips" to scan for gene activity in prostate tumours removed from 33 African-American and 36 white patients. There were significant differences between blacks and whites for the activity of more than 160 genes, many of which were involved in regulating the immune system.

These differences could simply reflect greater inflammation in the tumours of African Americans. But given that some of the genes are involved in the production of interferons, one of the body's defences against viruses, the higher incidence of prostate cancer in African Americans could be due to a higher rate of infection with an unknown cancer-causing virus. To test this possibility, the researchers are now looking for viral genes in prostate tumour samples.

Book Lets Latino Dropouts in Rural Areas Tell Their Stories

A new book, Latino Dropouts in Rural America: Realities and Possibilities, allows former high school students from rural communities in Idaho to tell their own stories about why they left school.

It is co-authored by Mary E. Gardiner of the University of Idaho at Boise; Carolyn Hondo, assistant principal and Yolanda Sapien, English as a Second Language teacher, both of Burley High School in Burley and was published in March by State University of New York (SUNY) Press.

Gardiner is professor of educational leadership at the university and is the author of Parent-School Collaboration: Feminist Organizational Structures and School Leadership and the coauthor (with Ernestine Enomoto and Margaret Grogan) of Coloring outside the Lines: Mentoring Women into School Leadership, both also published by SUNY Press.

Hondo was one of Gardiner's students in her multicultural diversity and educational leadership class. She completed a paper on high-school dropout rates, followed by her doctoral dissertation on the subject.

Judging the Moral Character of Black and Hispanic Children

Judging the Moral Character of Black and Hispanic Children: Examining the academic achievement disparities in K-12 education between Black and Hispanic students compared to White and Asian students is not a science, however the study of moral and ethical disparities that exist between the same groups could be groundbreaking and controversial.

In suburban Washington, D.C., the Fairfax County School Board (VA.), one of the nation’s largest school systems, was scheduled to vote Thursday night on whether to accept a staff report that concludes that Black and Hispanic students received lower marks than White and Asian American students because they demonstrate a lack of “sound moral character and ethical judgment,” according to a story in The Washington Post.

The report on student behavior, first presented to the board on March 27, measured the moral-ethical gap by computing the number of third-grade students who received “good” or “outstanding” marks on report cards in areas such as “accepts responsibility,” “listens to and follows directions,” “respects personal and school property,” “complies with established rules,” and “follows through on assignments,” according to The Post.

Addressing Low Representation

Despite 30 years of affirmative action, the faculty profile at the majority of American colleges and universities remains largely White. While first-time Hispanic enrollment in graduate schools increased 5 percent from 1996 to 2006, according to the Council of Graduate Schools, Hispanics still make up a small percentage of minority faculty. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Hispanics made up only 3.4 percent of full-time faculty positions at four-year, degree-granting institutions nationally in 2005.

“We’re helping address the low representation of Latinos in graduate programs as well as the low representation of Latinos in higher education among the faculty ranks,” says Rivera, director of the program. “Our fellows are engaging in community-based initiatives that empower the entire community and strengthen the pipeline.”

One of ENLACE’s first graduates, 38-year-old Michelle DeValdivielso, attempted to obtain her master’s degree a few years before joining the program, but as one of the few women of color enrolled in the senior administration program at National-Louis University, DeValdivielso felt isolated and dropped out. Joining ENLACE in 2001, DeValdivielso had a completely different experience.

Breaking Down Barriers: Women of Color in the Sciences

Breaking Down Barriers: Women of Color in the Sciences: When Angelica Patterson became program manager for the department of environmental science at Barnard College, the undergraduate women’s college of Columbia University, she saw very few fellow women of color in her department.

Now, two years later, “I have noticed a few more faces. I don’t know if it’s because I’m there,” she said. “Those students of color who are interested come to my office.”

Patterson recently convened a panel of prestigious women who work in the sciences to discuss “Breaking Down Barriers: Women and Their Experiences in the Sciences.” The unquestionable consensus was students have to have a support system. “There needs to be people available for students to relate to,” said Patterson.

“It is hard to get reaffirmed. Often you don’t have somebody of similar experience to talk to,” said Dr. Alison Williams, professor of chemistry at Princeton University. “Thank goodness for e-mails and phones, because I have friends and colleagues all over.”

Blacks in Higher Education Meet

Blacks in Higher Education Meet: Houston — “I really feel good” was Dr. Roland Smith’s reaction to a question about the recently held meeting of the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education. Smith is the AABHE’s president and driving force in its restoration after a three-year hiatus.

Many Black higher education professionals doubted that the organization could be revived. This group, as well as its Hispanic counterpart, was a caucus of the now defunct American Association for Higher Education. When that organization folded, the Hispanic group immediately morphed into the now vibrant American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education, which recently held its third consecutive national meeting. The Black caucus however had not met until last Friday.

“We’re not interested in competing with our Hispanic brothers. In fact, we have a history of working with the Hispanic, Asian and other caucuses and expect that to continue,” said Smith.

WOMEN REDEFINING LEADERSHIP

WOMEN REDEFINING LEADERSHIP: From the first female president of the American Council on Education to the first female and Hispanic president of Texas A&M University, women have been appointed to a number of high-profile presidencies over the past year. Yet, according to ACE’s “The American College President” report for 2007, women and people of color still occupy comparatively few presidencies. Furthermore, female presidents are largely concentrated at community colleges and least likely to head research universities. But in the following Q&As, female presidents leading a cross section of institutions are represented and speak candidly, offering words of wisdom regarding leadership skills, professional goals and presidential aspirations.

Study: Dyslexia Differs by Language - washingtonpost.com

Study: Dyslexia Differs by Language - washingtonpost.com: WASHINGTON -- Dyslexia affects different parts of children's brains depending on whether they are raised reading English or Chinese. That finding, reported in Monday's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, means that therapists may need to seek different methods of assisting dyslexic children from different cultures.

'This finding was very surprising to us. We had not ever thought that dyslexics' brains are different for children who read in English and Chinese,' said lead author Li-Hai Tan, a professor of linguistics and brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Hong Kong. 'Our finding yields neurobiological clues to the cause of dyslexia.'

Millions of children worldwide are affected by dyslexia, a language-based learning disability that can include problems in reading, spelling, writing and pronouncing words. The International Dyslexia Association says there is no consensus on the exact number because not all children are screened, but estimates range from 8 percent to 15 percent of students.

Tennessee Higher Education Officials Deny Honor For `Freedom Riders’

Tennessee Higher Education Officials Deny Honor For `Freedom Riders’: The rejection by Tennessee higher education officials of a proposal to award honorary degrees to 13 former Tennessee State University students expelled from the college in 1961 because of the students’ participation in the historic freedom rides has stirred criticism of the action from the college’s president, alumni and some state lawmakers.

“I never imagined the request would be voted down,” said Melvin N. Johnson, president of Tennessee State, referring to the 7-5-1 vote last week by the Tennessee Board of Regents to reject the honorary degree proposal. It was made by Johnson, at the suggestion of several alumni and Nashville civic leaders, including retired Nashville newspaper publisher John Seigenthaler, a top civil rights enforcement official of the Justice Department during the Kennedy administration.

King - About the Show - History.com

King - About the Show - History.com: Forty years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at age 39, a new History™ special, KING, with newsman Tom Brokaw, takes viewers on an unprecedented journey back in time and forward to today. KING goes beyond the legend to delve into the man, the questions, the myths and, most importantly, the relevance of Dr. King's message in today's world.

In a rare television interview, Dr. King's son Martin Luther King III shares his memories and thoughts about his father in the special. In an insightful conversation with Brokaw, he talks about how he carries his father's torch today by leading a new campaign against poverty called "Realizing the Dream." During the interview, he takes Brokaw into the field to show him the devastating poverty still plaguing our nation.

Some of Dr. King's closest confidants draw viewers inside his mind as he led the civil rights movement; and others from public life and entertainment speak about his indelible influence on their lives. Among those interviewed in the special are Andrew Young, Former President Bill Clinton, Harry Belafonte, Chuck D, Forest Whitaker, Rep. John Lewis and many others.

GAO Releases Report on Successful Programs for At-risk Youth

GAO Releases Report on Successful Programs for At-risk Youth: A Government Accountability Office study, “Disconnected Youth,” found that there are a number of common characteristics among programs that successfully reconnect youth who have been disengaged from school and employment.

The GAO studied 39 successful youth programs and found that they share commonalities in four areas: staff and leadership, holistic comprehensive services, program design components and youth empowerment.

According to the study, successful programs have staff and leadership that develop sound relationships with young people and garner community support; provide counseling, health services, child care and housing assistance to their participants; provide a self-paced and hands-on curriculum that offers incentives for attaining educational goals; and empower youth through high expectations, clear rules on behavior, and encourage active participation in the process.

Programs that followed this model were successful in helping disconnected youth become independent adults through education and employment."

Cultivating Student Leaders of Color on Majority Campuses

Cultivating Student Leaders of Color on Majority Campuses: To foster an inclusive leadership environment for women and students of color, student affairs representatives must develop both formal and informal relationships with prospective student leaders to create a welcoming and inclusive environment, said Stephanie Ray, associate dean of students at Georgia Institute of Technology, during a presentation at the American College Personnel Association's annual conference in Atlanta.

“Women and underrepresented students have different challenges than those who’ve traditionally held student leadership positions. As advisors, we need to recognize those challenges and help them think through the process,” Ray said.

African American students at predominately White institutions develop coping skills to deal with the added stress of racial tensions. According to recent research, these students are more likely to cope by avoiding tensions, as opposed to using a communicative effort to deal with the situation.

“Women and underrepresented students need more interaction with faculty and staff [of all colors], and these interactions need to be different. Students respond well when individuals ask questions and show concern,” Ray said.