Affirmative action to be discussed by former U.S. Labor Department official

A former U.S. Department of Labor official will address the policies of affirmative action and equal opportunity in an interactive JMU Office of Affirmative Action seminar tomorrow.

Guest speaker Shirley Wilcher is scheduled to present "Taking Account of Race: The Law and Politics of Diversity" in which she will discuss strategies for hiring and clearing up misconceptions often associated with affirmative action, according to Affirmative Action officer James Wadley.

"There is a lot of controversy about affirmative action. Discussion will help us understand its (affirmative action) importance and clear up any misconceptions," Wadley said.

The majority of those in attendance are in the position to hire new employees, according to Wadley.
Affirmative action and equal opportunity representatives from the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Maryland are scheduled to attend and interact in the seminar, Wadley said.

Director of Equal Opportunity Programs at UVa. Karen Holt plans to attend the seminar, according to Wadley.

"I am always interested in people working in this field," Holt said. "It is good to know what people in Washington are doing."

The Office of Affirmative Action holds one event each semester aiming to gather over 100 people each time, according to Wadley. He said that the interactive seminar, which began as a presentation, grew quickly into a half-day workshop.

"It's hard to get people to attend events, but the response has been great," Wadley said.

Assistant Professor of Communication Studies John Stone will introduce Wilcher at the seminar.
"I think the whole idea of diversity is important to everybody and the university," Stone said.
"Vigilance is the best way to guard against misunderstanding," he said.

According to Stone, the seminar asks involvement from those who attend and appeals to all people concerned with equality. Stone said, "I'd like a better understanding of where she's (Wilcher) coming from. She has such a diverse background; I want to make sure I can learn as much as possible from her."

According to Wadley, the seminar is only a portion of the programs the Office of Affirmative Action is conducting. "We are working with Howard University on a program and are using grants from the Department of Biology to attract minority students from junior colleges to JMU," Wadley said.
"These programs will undoubtedly have an impact on campus," he said.

According to Wadley, the seminar should raise awareness of the importance of employing more minorities and women. "The event is very unique because I don't know of many universities where faculty members will voluntarily come together," he said.

"It speaks well of the people here," Wadley said.

The seminar will be held tomorrow from 7:30 to 9:15 a.m. in the Shenandoah room in Chandler Hall. To register or for more information, contact James Wadley at x8-6991 or wadleyjo.