Diversity, Social Justice, and Equity to be Addressed at University Symposium

Diversity, Social Justice and Equity to be Addressed at University SymposiumMembers of the community and Cal State San Marcos staff and faculty will be able to engage in important dialogue at the the 2nd Annual Social Justice and Equity Symposium, hosted by CSUSM's Social Justice and Equity Project on Friday, April 10, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Last year's event drew over 175 attendees.This day-long conference will address themes related to social justice and equity at CSUSM and in the local community. Sessions have been designed so participants can actively contribute to the discussion and find solutions to social justice and equity issues. Sessions include: Calling Racism Out, Building Support for Anti-racism; Opportunity Recognition: Re-visioning Social Justice and Equity; and, What's Your Facebook Status?Poet and community activist Stacy D. Bernaugh will deliver the keynote address. Bernaugh is the founder and CEO of the Greenhouse Communication Initiative, a non-profit organization dedicated to developing and improving the writing, performance, communication, and leadership skills of all people. As a public intellectual taking action against social injustice and increasing cultural competence in education, Bernaugh has worked with teachers, administrators, and community leaders for the past 10 years to improve the social and political lives of all marginalized groups. He has been awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Award and the Monterey Bay Links Vision Award for community service and an unwavering commitment to social justice and diversity.Registration is $20 for members of the community and CSUSM staff and faculty, $5 for students. Lunch is included.For more information or to register for the Social Justice and Equity Forum, please contact CSUSM Extended Learning at (760) 750-4020 or online at www.csusm.edu/el/conferences/sjesymposium.html.About the Social Justice and Equity ProjectThe Social Justice and Equity Project promotes academic excellence by advancing social justice and equity through mutually beneficial collaboration among university and community constituencies. The project is organized around three overlapping areas: academic programs, research, and knowledge diffusion; student life and engagement; and community connections.Striving to surmount boundaries that sometimes act to separate parts of the university into silos, the project supports collaboration so that activities in one area reinforce activities of other areas, creating synergistic effects and outcomes.  The themes guiding the project's activities are collaboration, communication and curricular innovation.