Event Held at Blakeman's Jewelry Focused on Diversity Efforts and Goals

University of Arkansas alumni, friends, students, faculty and staff gathered at Blakeman’s Fine Jewelry on Thursday, Nov. 18, in Rogers to learn about efforts related to enhancing diversity on campus. The 60-person crowd was addressed by Chancellor Dave Gearhart and Charles Robinson, vice provost for diversity. The event was co-hosted by Don Blakeman.

“Diversity is about empowering students to help themselves,” said Robinson.

Robinson and his team have implemented many programs on campus for current students to experience new cultures abroad and for prospective students from underrepresented populations to have a new outlook on education.

A few programs that are offered on campus and across the state are College Access Initiative, an ACT prep course, the Razorback Bridge program and scholarships, and the African and African American studies program within the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences.

Many students, including those from underrepresented groups, do not gain admission into colleges and universities because of poor performance on the ACT. The College Access Initiative program prepares students to take the ACT earlier, which allows time to retest and increase their chances of getting into the school of their choice. The Razorback Bridge program allows students, accompanied by faculty, to visit high schools in underrepresented areas to educate students about the university and share the benefits gained through higher education. The African and African American studies program, which increases its enrollment every year, launched a study abroad opportunity for students to visit Ghana this past summer.

“My professor told me to experience Africa, not through American eyes but through African eyes,” said Kabrina Amey, a senior. “It was a very positive experience.”

The university’s diversity programs aim to not only increase diversity on campus but to also increase the student body population overall; to make learning opportunities available for underrepresented students; to provide students with well-deserved and much-needed scholarship support; and to provide access to the University of Arkansas for qualified students across the state and beyond.