1982

Ethics of the 80's
Selected because of the critical need for all of us to examine the impact of the daily decisions which we make in our personal and professional endeavors. The conference reflects on our beliefs that there is a critical need to address ethical issues and that the discussion of personal and professional ethics it should always be an issue of importance for a civilized people.

1984

Conference on Aging
The Oklahoma Department of Human Resources awarded the Center a $8,500 grant to design, develop and present a statewide conference on Aging.
The following issues were addressed: New directions for Area Agencies on Aging; Priorities and issues of older Americans Act; Lifelong learning; physical, mental, emotional health issues that impact on the elderly; Inter-generational issues.

Coping with College
One of the Southwest Center’s most popular continuing programs. It helped high school and college students deal with—and beat—the usual freshman fears and frustrations by providing the background, skills, and strategies that lead to academic success. It provided a prelude to the college experience that prepares students for their academic careers.

Issues that Impact on the Community and the Quality of Life
This symposium was preceded by two months of planning, meetings with corporate executives and city planners, agency heads, a city councilman, and a police chief.

Sounds of Science
Published and disseminated to over thirty schools, colleges, universities, and school systems throughout America. The U.S. Department of Education, through the Women’s Educational Equity Act, has supported the development of two middle school curriculum supplements, MATHCO, and Sounds of Science. Workshops and in service training sessions were available using these and other topics and materials.

Centerboard: The Journal of the Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies was a publication devoted to the advancement of human relations studies and the enhancement of human development and potential. Centerboard explored the issues, questions and developments affected human interaction from interdisciplinary perspectives and reports on the status, needs, and direction of human relations studies. In addition, the journal reports on past and up-coming Southwest Center’s activities, announces or reviews related events and publications, and cited outstanding progress or contributions made in the field of human relations. The journal encouraged research and provided a vehicle for the dissemination of information and the exchange of ideas. The journal seeks high-quality articles that provide insight on issues of human interaction.

1985

The Future of Black America (Jamaica)

1987

The State of American Indian Economic Development in Oklahoma
A statewide conference for Indian and non-Indian Leadership in the Public and Private sectors of Oklahoma. The center has been committed to addressing critical human relations issues, and the American Indian economic development in oklahoma was perhaps the key economic and human relations issues across our state at time. The conference and the “Report on the Economic Impact of American Indians in the State of Oklahoma—provides important baseline information on selected characteristics of the economic activities of American Indians in Oklahoma, and assesses the economic impact which is created by presence of American Indian populations with the state” are part of a larger program the Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies implemented to assess the status of minorities in the state of Oklahoma.

To assist the Southwest Center in this program, there were four separate task forces. These four task forces were assisting the center in planning and implementation of a series of statewide conferences and related activities.
These programs were designed to help focus attention on the status of each of the four ethnic populations; to highlight the strength and contributions of these groups to the development of the state; to provide a baseline of significant information and insights; and to provide a framework for helping to identify recommendations to achieve a positive future for these groups in the state of Oklahoma.

1990

Oklahoma Statewide Housing Survey
Completion of the Oklahoma Statewide Housing Survey, a 23-item survey which was mailed to a geographically stratified random sample of 5,000 households selected from the Oklahoma Tax Files. This comprehensive survey was the first of its kind nationally and was funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, through a sub-contract with the Oklahoma Human Rights Commission. The survey assessed attitudes, knowledge, and practices relating to fair housing in Oklahoma. Survey results have been used by the Oklahoma Human Rights Commission in constructing effective educational outreach and enforcement program for the state.

Exploring Multicultural Education II
A statewide conference, co-sponsored by the National Conference of Christians & Jews and the Oklahoma City Human Rights Commission. The 46 persons who attended represented public school systems, higher education institutions and state and local human rights and community relations commissions throughout the state. In addition, county, regional, and state level officials were in attendance.

Making it Happen: A Regional Conference for Building Better Communities
The fourth in series of conferences begun in the 1987, and implemented in co-sponsorship with the Oklahoma Human Rights Commission. The initial three conference programs were designed for commissioners of state and local human rights and community relations commissions in Oklahoma. The 1990 conference was built upon these earlier efforts and the southwest Center’s work in the area of Fair Housing assessment. Designed as a regional conference targeted to state in the southwest region, this conference addressed to the following client systems: State and local Human Rights and Community Relations Commissions; Municipal and Mayoral Staffs; Police Departments; county, regional, and state level officials; federal equal employment opportunity and Department of Justice personnel; Public School system and higher education personnel; and private sector personnel officers and equal employment staff. It addressed a range of critical topics relating to improving the quality of life and building better communities: Fair housing, media images of minorities, affirmative action, handicapped access and the American Disabilities Act, hate group activities; police/community relations, and housing and employment discrimination.

1991

Beyond the Bounds: A Statewide Conference on Campus Racial Harassment Policy
A statewide conference on campus racial harassment policy. Purpose: there has been a resurgence of racial and ethnic harassment across American colleges and universities, including those in Oklahoma. This harassment has taken various forms, from criminal acts (assault and battery, vandalism, destruction of property) to anonymous, malicious intimidation. It is most often directed toward persons whose race or ethnicity is readily identifiable. In response to this situation, the University of Oklahoma adopted a racial and ethnic h harassment policy in December of 1990. This policy prohibits racial and ethnic harassment and sets forth sanctions and procedures for complaints against students or student organizations, faculty or staff, and campus visitors or guests. The purpose of this conference was to provide information in the following areas: what is racial harassment; what is a racial harassment policy; what process or steps are needed to develop a racial harassment policy; what legal, tactical, and practical aspects need to be considers; who needs to be involved in the process; who can and cannot be accomplished by a campus racial harassment policy; and how does a racial harassment policy fit within the context of a larger institutional cultural diversity plan.

Understanding and Managing Diversity in the Workplace
A two-day workshop targeted to large employers in an 8-state area
The conference was developed with in the context of demographic projections indicating that by the year 2000 women will make up about 47 percent of the work force, minorities will hold 26 percent of all jobs, and only 32 percent of the new labor force entrants will be white males.

Critical Diversity Issues in Higher Education (Baltimore, Dallas, San Diego)
A series of three different workshops targeted nationally (Managing Diversity in the University/College Workplace, Developing and Implementing Multicultural Curriculum, and Racial Harassment Policy.) A series of more in-depth and intensive treatment than it is possible within the NCORE agenda, a special series of three workshops is being offered as a supplement to the NCORE, providing an opportunity for more detailed treatment in three critical topics.

Understanding and Managing Diversity in the Workplace
A two-day workshop–Norman, Oklahoma. To better understand today’s changing workplace and to better prepare for the workplace of tomorrow, it is essential that managers and employees receive training that will enable them to respond positively to increasing diversity in the work force. Companies who do value diversity will not only benefit internally, but will position themselves to better serve their changing consumer markets.

Improving the Quality of Community Life: A Regional Conference on Building Better Communities
Major emphasis of the program is given to developing effective community responses to the specific needs of women, families, and children; meeting the needs of people with disabilities; improving the quality of life for elderly members of our communities; community responses to gang violence; and strategies for building effective community-wide coalitions and improving community outreach and dialogue.

1992

Understanding and Managing Diversity in the Workplace (Kansas City, Missouri)
(For description, see above)

In collaboration with the National Institute Against Prejudice and Violence, located at the University of Maryland at Baltimore, the Southwest Center has developed a proposal for a National Symposium on Urban Civil Disorder in the 1990's: Root Causes and Institutional Responses. This symposium was designed to develop and distribute essential and comprehensive factual and analytical information absent from most of the public and media dialogue on urban civil disorder. This proposal was under consideration by several national and California foundations.

Series of Video Conferences: Through the Black Issues in Higher Education

• March 1990 – Men of Color: Absence in Academia
• April 1990 – The Black Athlete: Winners or Losers in Academia
• February 1991 – The Rise in Campus Racism: Causes and Solution
• March 1991 – Recruiting and Retaining Minority Students
• November 1991 – Diversity in Higher Education
• November 1992 – Enhancing Race Relations on Campus: New Challenges and Opportunities
• November 1993 – We Can Get Along: A Blueprint for Campus Unity

NCORE (Annual National Conference on Race & Ethnicity in American Higher Education)
Begun in 1988, to address changing national demographics and their projected impacts on all aspects of higher education in the decades to come. When the conference series first began, it carried with it an air of “discovery” about what was happening on college and university campuses and the profound demographic and attitudinal changes occurring in society at-large. It has developed into the leading and most comprehensive national forum on multicultural issues in higher education, focusing on the complex task of creating and sustaining comprehensive institutional change designed to improve racial and ethnic relations on campus and expand opportunities for educational access and success by culturally diverse, traditionally underrepresented population. Each year the five-day conference includes a series of plenary sessions featuring significant keynote addresses, a group of indepth major workshops focusing on critical issues and concerns, approximately 120 different workshops built through a national call for presentation, and unique performances and cultural events. Together, these program elements provides a range of policy, planning, programmatic, research and/or theoretical perspectives from around the country and highlight exemplary working models and approaches capable of being adapted or replicated in other institutional and regional settings. This solid programming continues to provide the most significant national forum for discussion, dialogue, and exchange of information, as higher education institutions search for effective strategies to enhance social development, education, positive communication, and cross-cultural understanding in culturally diverse settings.

Now the NCORE program is more diversified, and offers more options–conference sessions treat an extremely broad array of subject-matters relating to cultural diversity in higher education. It continues to build greater ethnic diversity of sessions and presenters, with a particular focus on African American, American Indian, Asian/Pacific Islander and Latino issues and presenters. The airing of divergent views, approaches, and models is essential to a leading national forum positioned on the cutting edge of institutional and societal change around issues of race and ethnicity. We must allow necessary and essential controversies to be dealt with in constructive ways.

The Southwest Center for Human Relations Studies
Public and Community Services division