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Underrepresented Racial, Ethnic, and Ability Groups (UREAG) Committee
Mission and Goals

 

The mandate of the Under-Represented Racial, Ethnic and Ability Groups Committee is to:

  1. Continue efforts to remove barriers to participation in the CIES, at CIES Annual Conferences, and in access to publication of professional articles.
  2. Continue efforts to increase the participation of under-represented racial, ethnic and ability groups in all CIES policies, programs and activities.
  3. Sponsor panels at the CIES Annual Conference on topics relevant to under-represented racial, ethnic and ability groups.
  4. Formally submit written recommendations to the CIES Board of Directors and liaise with CIES Committees to further the implementation of these recommendations.
  5. Prepare formal Terms of Reference for the CIES Committee for possible inclusion in the CIES By-Laws.

 

The UREAG Committee will focus on continuing the efforts of last year while focusing on a plan of action to institutionalize the short-term goals the Board approved over the previous years.
The following activities outline the efforts of the committee for the year:

  1. An annual panel to be included in the program with a different theme around a concept of a Global Village; Future topics which will include different groups could include: progress on literacy, access to education, brain drain, and adult education.
  2. A reception following the annual panel discussion has been planned. All Board members are especially encouraged to come.
  3. For continuity, the Chair of the UREAG Committee should be appointed for at least two years and a Vice Chair should be named to follow the Chair.
  4. To ensure an increase in participation, UREAG Committee members annually should provide lists of organizations to be sent letters of invitation to participate in CIES from the CIES President and UREAG Chair.
  5. To ensure greater representation of UREAG members throughout the organization, efforts should be made to include UREAG members on each CIES committee. Each CIES committee should annually be reviewed to ensure that they have included UREAG members.

The following recommendations we are continuing to pursue, and in the coming year special task forces will be established to carrying out these goals.

Goals Recommended for CIES Board Approval

  1. Establish linkages with networks in Africa by sharing newsletters, intellectual collaborative connections, and resources.
  2. As CIES is considering increasing funding for student participation, efforts should be made to ensure that UREAG students are included, particularly at HBCUs and colleges and universities that have a large concentration of Native Americans, Hispanic/Latino serving colleges, and students with disabilities. Each of us should look at our campuses for possibilities.
  3. Encourage Fulbright scholars and other visiting scholars in the US, e.g., Humphrey Fellows, to attend the CIES annual meeting.
  4. Increase HBCU involvement through Ford Foundation and IIE Grant and other African American organizations by inviting participants to attend conference.
  5. Develop specific, targeted program to attract individuals with disabilities, Hispanic/Latino, and Native Americans:

 

The UREAG Committee welcomes suggestions and ideas from the Board as well as from the general membership to address the issues outlined in this report.

Underrepresented Racial, Ethnic, and Ability groups (UREAG) Committee Recommendations

 At the recommendation of Kingsley Banya, past chair, the UREAG Committee will undertake tasks this year to focus on long-term objectives that primarily included strategies to increase the representation of a broader range of groups. While the committee awaits the approval of the Board on the long-term recommendations to include a broader, more inclusive membership, the committee has already begun approaching organizations and implementing strategies that will help achieve the goals. Goals to be Continued Annually: 

  1.  An annual panel to be included in the program with a different theme around a concept of a Global Village. Future topics which would include different groups could include" progress on literacy, access to education, brain drain, and adult education.
  2. A Roundtable session which is annually scheduled for every committee. The committee highly recommends that the program committee set this session at a time that is conductive for the total UREAG membership to attend.
  3. A major conference speaker is one of the primary avenues through which the CIES can demonstrate its commitment to different groups. It is also a way to draw previously uninterested groups into attending the annual conference.
  4. A reception following the annual panel discussion would be a welcoming and embracing event for all UREAG members and also for all CIES members.
  5. For continuity, the Chair of the UREAG Committee should be appointed for at least two years and a Vice Chair should be named to follow the Chair.
  6. To ensure an increase in participation, UREAG Committee members annually should provide lists of organizations to be sent letters of invitation to participate in CIES from the CIES President and UREAG Chair.
  7. To ensure greater representation of UREAG members throughout the organization, efforts should be made to include UREAG members on each CIES committee. Each CIES committee should annually be reviewed to ensure that they have included UREAG members.




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