Indiana State University Newsroom

The Office of Diversity at Indiana State University has awarded $4,500 in funding for events that promote diversity on the ISU campus.

"Funds are offered on a competitive basis to assist with the cost of events that further the purpose of this office, which is to make diversity more visible," Mary Ferguson, director of the office, said.

"We also encourage collaboration among departments and organizations within the university and the community," Ferguson said. "One of the ways you get more visibility is to get more people involved."

She cited the recent campus observance of Hispanic Heritage Month as an excellent example of collaboration.

It involved students and faculty not only from the department of languages, literature and linguistics but also the department of English and the interior design program in the department of family and consumer sciences. Events took place in Holmstedt Hall and Cunningham Memorial Library.

Organizations that received funding for their events include the Hispanic Student Association for Hispanic Global Night, the Korean Student Association for Korean Thanksgiving Day and the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance for the Miss Gay ISU pageant.

Events still to come that received financial support from the Diversity Office include:

• International Student Idol, sponsored by the International Student Organization - 7 p.m. Nov. 8, Hulman Memorial Student Union, Dede I
• Indian Global Night, sponsored by the Indian Student Association - 5 p.m. Nov. 14, Terre Haute South Vigo High School
• Wall of Hate, Union Board Diversity Committee - Nov. 16, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., Hulman Memorial Student Union, Dede I
• Diversity in Science Speaker, Rusty Gonser, associate professor of biology - spring 2009

The Office of Diversity awards funds three times per year: in the fall, spring and summer. To achieve maximum efficiency and environmental responsibility, applications for funding must be made online at http://indstate.edu/diversity.

The application deadline for spring semester 2010 funding is Jan. 10 while the deadline for summer 2010 funding is May 9.

To ensure awareness of diversity events on the Indiana State campus, the office has also worked with the Office of Communications and Marketing to develop a campus-wide diversity calendar. The calendar is available by going to http://calendar.indstate.edu and clicking on the "Diversity Events" category.

Photo: http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/Events/Hispanic-Global-Night-2009/DSC7100/689209332_dBGim-L.jpg - Hispanic Global Night, which took place Oct. 17 at Hulman Memorial Student Union, was among programs funded this fall by the Indiana State University Office of Diversity. (ISU/Gurinder Singh)

Contact: Mary Ferguson, director, Office of Diversity, Indiana State University, 812-237-2877 or mary.ferguson@indstate.edu

Writer: Dave Taylor, media relations director, Office of Communications and Marketing, Indiana State University, 812-237-3743 or dave.taylor@indstate.edu