Forum to Focus on Language, Diversity and Literacy

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As organizations, businesses and industries strive to diversify their workforces and populations, issues of language and literacy related to diversity come to the forefront. A panel of scholars will address these issues during a symposium on “Language, Diversity and Literacy” from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, in Giffels Auditorium in Old Main on the University of Arkansas campus.

 Four scholars of language and diversity will lead the forum. Beverly Moss, director of the Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing at The Ohio State University, examines the black church sermon as a literacy event in her scholarship. Victor Villanueva, professor of English at Washington State University, is the winner of two national awards for his book Bootstraps: From an American Academic of Color. Zee Edgell, a Creole from Belize and the author of three novels about growing up in her native country, is on the creative writing faculty at Kent State University. Paul Kei Matsuda, associate professor of English at Arizona State University, is a specialist in writing in a second language.

 Following presentations by these four experts, the symposium will feature responses by student panelists and a question-and-answer session. The public is welcome to the event, and teachers, administrators and organizational managers charged with leading diversity initiatives are particularly encouraged to attend. For additional information, contact David Jolliffe at djollif@uark.edu or Dolly Hayde at dhayde@uark.edu.