Diversity Advisory Board Makes Great Strides
By Kiley Cogis
Founded in 1995, George Mason's Diversity Advisory Board (DAB) was established to help the university identify and address the challenges common to minority students who make up one-fourth of the university's student population. Initially called the Minority Advisory Board, the name was changed by the board in 2001.
"The Diversity Advisory Board is a melting pot of ethnicity, and the new name better captures its mission and ethnicity of the board," explains DAB Chair William A. Young III.
The DAB's membership includes 62 CEOs, presidents, vice presidents, and senior-level executives. Their efforts benefit the George Mason University community by encouraging and motivating students from diverse backgrounds to become dedicated and productive leaders.
"The DAB has opened access for the university to the minority business community," says Taris Mullins, director of partnership development and the university's liaison to the DAB. Mullins adds that President Alan Merten and Provost Peter Stearns have been very active in keeping the DAB cognizant of the university's Master Plan. "Each has formally addressed the DAB, and sometimes Dr. Merten will drop by early morning meetings for informal remarks."
The DAB addresses a number of issues through its subcommittees, which include Diversity Programs, K12, Scholarship, and Student Professional Development. Within Student Professional Development, programs such as the Minority Internship Program (MINT) and the E-Mentoring Program target students at George Mason. MINT, through a partnership with Career Services, seeks to help students find internships related to their career and academic goals. E-Mentoring, through a similar partnership with the Office of Diversity Programs and Services, is anticipated to launch in September 2002. The E-Mentoring Program will match students with mentors from various companies to discuss their career options and academic growth via e-mail.
Charles Chen, DAB vice chair and a member of the Scholarship Subcommittee, has worked with the DAB for approximately six years. Currently, the subcommittee has helped raise private funds and pledges and are nearly halfway to reaching the DAB's $1 million scholarship endowment goal for Mason students.
"We have already awarded five students with scholarships," says Chen. "Through our efforts, we are helping George Mason students who want to obtain a college education but may not have all the financial resources."
The Scholarship Subcommittee also sponsors an annual golf tournament. W. James Green, chair of the subcommittee, says, "The golf tournament has been very successful in generating scholarship and operational dollars for the Diversity Advisory Board. It's a tremendous partnership and networking event, too!" |
