(NAME-MCE) Neag School receives multicultural award

[Bill Howe]

  From the UCONN Advance -
http://www.advance.uconn.edu/2008/081103/08110306.htm
Neag School receives multicultural award by Janice Palmer - November 3, 2008



The Neag School of Education's efforts to infuse multicultural values into
its programs and school culture were recognized with an award during the New
England Conference on Multicultural Education on Oct. 8.

The conference is the oldest and largest event of its kind in the region.
Educators and staff from educational organizations and state agencies
attended the day-long forum to work on ways to close the achievement gap and
eliminate discrimination in schools.

During the awards ceremony, Richard Schwab, dean of the Neag School, was
presented with the 2008 Multicultural Program of the Year Award.

The School was nominated for the honor by Jack Hasegawa, head of the Sheff
Office at the Connecticut State Department of Education, and was supported
by Mitchell Sakofs, dean of the School of Education at Central Connecticut
State University.

In his nomination letter, Hasegawa wrote, "The Neag School of Education is
an outstanding example of an educational program's infusion of multicultural
values in every facet of its life and work."

He praised the School for its commitment to closing the achievement gap
through its new Institute for Urban School Improvement, for the variety of
professional development opportunities and conferences the School sponsors,
and for its research and service projects that contribute to improving urban
education.

Schwab commended the School's faculty, staff, leadership team, and students
"for all their efforts to ensure that all students, regardless of their
backgrounds, have the opportunity to experience a meaningful education and
have access to achieving the American dream."

In concurrence with the University's diversity initiative in 2007, Schwab
established an Advisory Council on Diversity with faculty, staff, and
student representatives.

The group worked with the entire School population to set strategic goals
for increasing the School's faculty and student diversity, while also
increasing multicultural understanding and awareness through courses,
curricula, and events, and increasing efforts to recruit and retain students
and faculty of color.