Diversity, Opportunity, and American Achievement
Educating One-Third of a Nation VI
October 16-18, 1997, Miami, Florida

The American Council on Education (ACE), the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), and the Ford Foundation Campus Diversity Initiative will collaborate in planning the sixth biannual "Educating One-Third of a Nation" conference traditionally sponsored by ACE. This will be a national conference on diversity and improving minority participation in postsecondary education.

Responding to recent circuit court decisions and state policies that threaten to undermine higher education's progress in addressing the effects of past exclusions, the conference will focus on "Diversity, Opportunity and American Achievement." "Our goal is to make the conference a landmark event for higher education leaders who know that engaging diversity is a source of excellence in higher education," leaders of the three organizations asserted.

Conference planners point to emerging evidence that multidimensional diversity efforts-addressing access, mentoring, interracial dialogue, and inclusive curricula-are proving educationally effective for both minority and majority students.

This conference will:

• identify and promote innovative programs that improve access and achievement for students of color;
• foster institutional change by focusing on diversity in the curriculum, student life, teaching, and employment;
• encourage greater collaboration among higher education, K-12 education, and business on education reform;
• help colleges and universities identify and better articulate the benefits of diversity for all students using the context of their institutional missions and societal needs; and
• help institutions analyze and undergird their diversity and affirmative action policies and practices.

Following the release of its landmark study One-Third of a Nation in 1988, ACE has held five major conferences on "Educating One-Third of a Nation." The conferences have become a premier resource for those concerned with minority access and success in higher education. The Ford Foundation established its Campus Diversity Initiative in 1991, providing resources to nearly 250 campuses for work on faculty study, curriculum change, and institutional planning. Through its American Commitments project and more recently its Diversity Works project, AAC&U has taken a leading role in articulating the educational purposes of engaging diversity while helping campuses develop curricula and programs that prepare students for the challenges of United States cultural and democratic pluralism.

For additional information on the conference or to receive a call for proposals, contact: Office of Minorities in Higher Education, American Council on Education, 202/939-9395; Lachone_Fuquay@ACE.NCHE.EDU.

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