Diversity
The School of Educational Policy and Leadership is committed to building a diverse faculty, staff, and student community, and to developing initiatives that support social uplift, embrace human diversity and eliminate discrimination based on race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion and disability. Toward this end, our diversity funds were used to support our activities. We continue to sponsor the diversity film series, speakers, programs, recruitment and activities that support school, college and university diversity efforts. Our goals are to ensure that the School of Educational Policy and Leadership has a regional, national and international reputation as a multi-racial and multi-cultural inclusive community that advances academic research and scholarship.
EPL Diversity Goals
- Enhance faculty and student Diversity
- Encourage teaching, research and service that impacts and influences our global community
- Encourage our graduates to be leaders and collaborators in a diverse multiracial and multiethnic world as they work in educational, community, social, cultural, and employment, settings
Diversity Board
The School of Educational Policy and Leadership Diversity Board is located on the first floor of Ramseyer Hall and is updated weekly. The Diversity Board advertises campus events related to diversity and inclusion. Finally, to encourage support for the uplift of women, minorities, and the LGBT community, the Diversity Board advertises minority-, women-, and LGBT-owned business in Columbus.
Diversity Speakers Series
The Diversity Speaker Series is an opportunity for local, state, and national leaders to share with faculty, students, and staff, their unique perspective on the current educational climate, policies, and transformations specific to the changing demographics of America’s P-12 and higher education students. Previous speakers have included Ohio State Senator Ray Miller, Executive Director of the Alliance for Adequate School Funding, Deborah Delisle, Superintendent of Public Instruction and Chancellor Eric Fingerhut from the Ohio Board of Regents. Our goal is to work with our leaders in a way that informs and advances the educational opportunities for all students.
On May 17th, 2011, we presented Adrian Allison, the Associate Superintendent for the newly created Center for Education Reform and Strategic Initiatives at ODE, which focuses on urban initiatives, innovative high school and middle school reforms, and research and best practices that positively influence student achievement. Mr. Allison spoke on “The Future of Public Education in Ohio in Unquiet Times” to students, faculty and staff from several Colleges within Ohio State University. The diversity speaker series will continue in the Spring of 2012.
Diversity Film Series
In the month of February, we present the Diversity Film Series. The 2011 Diversity Series was focused on presenting ways in which social positions such as race, class, and gender are used to create social inequity in education, housing, and social mobility.
On February 14th, 2011, we presented Race: The Power of an Illusion (2003). The film problematizes the social construct of race and how institutional policies create racial stratification and inequality. This film shows how benefits quietly and often invisibly accrue to white people, not necessarily because of merit or hard work, but because of the racialized nature of our laws, courts, customs, and perhaps most pertinently, housing. On February 21st, 2011, we presented Waging a Living, a 2005 documentary film that addresses the issue of the American dream and whether or not hard work will invariably improve your condition. Examining the lives of four Americans in California and the Northeast who work full-time jobs but are still having trouble making ends meet. Finally, on February 28th, 2011, we presented Precious, a film about an overweight, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction. The diversity film series will continue in the Winter of 2012.
Annual Graduate Student Diversity Luncheon
We hold an Annual Graduate Student Diversity Luncheon to welcome new students of diversity to the School of Educational Policy and Leadership. This was a casual lunch with graduate students to learn more about the school, college, university, and community.
EHE Minority Graduate Student Council
The purpose of this student-run organization is to promote academic, professional, service and social programs for the University community, communities of color, the College of Education and Human Ecology community and for Minority education graduate students in particular. The Minority Council meets bi-monthly for social events and academic development seminars. For more information, contact the current Minority Council president, Nicole Leach, at leach.194@osu.edu.
Multicultural Courses Offered Through the School of Educational Policy and Leadership
Please note: All course numbers will change for semesters
- EPL 708 - Admin. Of Service-Learning Programs
- EPL 802 - Comparative Perspectives on Education & Democratization
- EPL 834 - An Interpretive History of African American Ed: 1950-Present
- EPL 839 - Women in Higher Education
- EPL 849 - Feminist Perspective of Women and Girls in Education
- EPL 853 - Women, Technology, and Education
- EPL 863 - An Interpretive History of African American Education1700-1950
- EPL 870 - Internationalizing Colleges and Universities
- EPL 887 - Diversity in Higher Education
- EPL 904 - Women: Leadership and Empowerment
- EPL 909 - Cultural Processes in Education
- EPL 953 - School and Community Relations
- EPL 961 - Social and Political Contexts of Education
Diversity Coordinator
Beverly Gordon
Office: 139B Ramseyer Hall
Phone: (614) 688-4259
Fax: (614) 292-7900
Email: gordon.3@osu.edu
Dr. Gordon is an associate professor of Curriculum Studies and African American History in the section Cultural Foundations, Technology, and Qualitative Inquiry.