The Sixth Annual Colorado Women of Color in Higher Education Conference will be held at the University of Colorado at Â鶹¹ÙÍø March 11-12 at the University Memorial Center.
This is the first time that the conference, titled "Coming Together in Struggle and Celebration," has been hosted by CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø. It is open to men and women. More than 400 students, staff, faculty and community members from around the state are expected to attend.
"Everyone is welcome," said Gina Kozik-Rosabal, director of CU's Women's Resource Center. "We are glad to have the opportunity to bring diverse communities together to get a better understanding of differences across groups and to share specific skills and strategies that can be implemented in our work with students."
Two notable speakers will be sharing their experiences with conference participants. Rebecca Walker is considered one of the nation's most audible voices of the young women's movement and was recently named by TIME Magazine as one of the future leaders of America.
A Yale University graduate, Walker founded Third Wave Direct Action Corp., a national non-profit organization devoted to cultivating leadership and activism skills in young women. Walker has a broad-based appeal and speaks on a variety of issues including international feminism, body image and sexual orientation.
Xeturah Woodley is best known in the Denver area for her artistic work in "Invisible Legacies of Resistance: Women of Color Regaining Her Story," a spectacular mosaic of poetry, music and slides that depict the political and social struggles and accomplishments of Women of Color.
The conference will be held in conjunction with International Women's Week, sponsored by the International Women's Alliance at CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø. The two groups are coordinating activities to maximize opportunities for participants.
Melissa Bassett, a senior in anthropology, is coordinator of the Women of Color conference. She says the sessions are valuable learning experiences.
"As a woman of color on a predominantly white campus, it is frequently challenging to find a sense of community and support. One of the aspects of the conference I am looking forward to is having so many different women from various cultures and backgrounds coming together to bring all of our experiences together and to celebrate who we are."
A key component of the conference is its multigenerational approach. The workshops focus on interactive dialogue with students, staff, faculty and community members of all ages acting as facilitators and panelists.
The conference is sponsored by the Women's Resource Center, the President's Office, the Office of the Chancellor at CU-Â鶹¹ÙÍø, the Vice Chancellor's Office for Student Affairs, Women's Studies, Ethnic Studies, Disability Services, the Cultural Unity Student Center and the Chancellor's Office at CU-Denver.
Registration forms will be accepted until the first day of the conference. Meals cannot be guaranteed for those registering after March 8. The registration cost for non-students is $55 and $20 for students with an I.D. For more information contact the Women's Resource Center at (303) 492-5713 or visit the office in the UMC, room 412.
Enclosed is a conference agenda.
Women of Color in Higher Education Conference Schedule of Events
University Memorial Center
Thursday, March 11th
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Registration & Breakfast 2nd Floor
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Welcoming & Opening Glenn Miller
Session I
10:00 AM - 11:45 AM American Indian Women UMC 159B
10:00 AM - 11:45 AM Fundraising for Social Change UMC 158A
10:00 AM - 11:45 AM Getting to the Other Side UMC 217
10:00 AM - 11:45 AM Keeping Our Voices Strong UMC 425
10:00 AM - 11:45 AM Making Your Curriculum Diverse UMC 215
10:00 AM - 11:45 AM Role of Male Feminism UMC 158B
10:00 AM - 11:45 AM Speaking Your Own Language UMC 159A
10:00 AM - 11:45 AM Strategies for Success UMC 230
12:00 PM - 2:00 PM Lunch with Cultural Event Glen Miller
Session II
2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Afro-Robics Univ. Club
2:00 PM - 3:45 PM Alma de la Raza Project UMC 158A
2:00 PM - 3:45 PM Coloring Outside the Lines UMC 158B
2:00 PM - 3:45 PM Conjure Womyn UMC 425
2:00 PM - 3:45 PM The High Cost of Apathy UMC 159A
2:00 PM - 3:45 PM Plain Talk on Tenure & Promotion UMC 159B
2:00 PM - 3:45 PM Salsa & Merengue Workshop UMC 157A
2:00 PM - 3:45 PM Weaving Our Own Healing UMC 423
2:00 PM - 3:45 PM Film: "Women in Iran" Forum Rm
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM Reconvene & Debrief Forum Rm
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Dinner on Your Own/ Networking Time
7:30 PM - 10:00 PM Keynote Speaker: Rebecca Walker Glen Miller
Friday, March 12th
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Opening & Breakfast Glen Miller
Session III
9:00 AM - 10:45 AM Advanced Wkshp: Unlearning Oppression UMC 158A
9:00 AM - 10:45 AM Anti-Racism Workshop by White Women UMC 425
9:00 AM - 10:45 AM Challenges Facing Students of Color UMC 230
9:00 AM - 10:45 AM Collaborations & Confrontations UMC 158
9:00 AM - 10:45 AM Habits Are Forming UMC 423
9:00 AM - 10:45 AM Roundtable Discussion Cultural Appropriation UMC 422
9:00 AM - 10:45 AM Student Resistance: Gender & Race Bias UMC 159A
10:00 AM- 10:45 AM Poetry Reading UMC 305
Session IV
11:00 AM -12:45 PM Activism Session UMC 158A
11:00 AM -12:45 PM Creating & Occupying Our Own Space UMC 423
11:00 AM -12:45 PM Redefining Feminism as Women of Color UMC 422
11:00 AM -12:45 PM Starpower UMC 217
11:00 AM -12:45 PM Strategies to Meet Challenges UMC 230
11:30 AM -12:45 PM Afro-Robics UMC 159A
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Lunch with Cultural Event Glen Miller