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University Diversity

ORU Hosts First CCCDA

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Click Photo to Enlarge Dr. Mary Alice Trent-Williams: "Diversity is the music of God."

Click Photo to Enlarge Guest speaker Dr. Herma Williams, Associate Provost, Gordon College in Wenham, Mass.

Click Photo to Enlarge Guest speaker Dr. Pete Manjares, Associate Provost for Diversity Leadership at Biola University in La Mirada, Calif.

Click Photo to Enlarge Dr. Trent-Williams interacts with students in one of her classes at ORU.

What is the CCCDA? It stands for Conference on Christianity, Culture and Diversity in America. And Oral Roberts University is hosting the first event of its kind Nov. 11 and 12 at the Hilton Tulsa Southern Hills in Tulsa, Okla.

Who should attend? Faculty, students, alumni, and anyone interested in issues of diversity in terms of race, gender, religion, culture, age, and the physically challenged-- from a Christian worldview.

"It was a mandate from God," explained conference creator Dr. Mary Alice Trent-Williams, associate professor of English at ORU. "As Christian educators, we need to be relevant as we minister to all people--explore and expand in all challenges."

Dr. Trent-Williams said putting together the conference was a challenge, starting with the budget: $0. But through seed-faith and prayer, she added, much has been accomplished. "It was the vision of university founder Oral Roberts to raise up students and send them into every person's world," she continued. "This conference fits right in with the mission of the university."

This initial celebration of diversity is truly a national event, with participants signed up to come from a number of cities and states, from Washington, D.C., to California. Inquiries from Canada and Africa may even turn the conference into an international audience of scholars. Two plenary speakers internationally known for their leadership in the realm of diversity include Dr. Herma Williams and Dr. Pete Manjares. They will join other delegates whose research papers highlight the themes of diversity.

"I hope (the attendees) walk away with some initiatives to take back to their universities," disclosed Trent-Williams. "How we deal with diversity and incorporate it across the board on campus and in curriculum--from the administrators, faculty, students, to staff."

The two-day Tulsa event, Nov. 11 and 12, includes discussions, meals, and snacks. Early registration has been extended through the end of October, with a special rate of $80 for ORU faculty, students, and alumni. For more information or to register online, go to www.oru.edu/cccda.

"I see the Holy Spirit at work here," Trent-Williams concluded. "I hope God would have an encounter with each of us, so people won't leave the way they came."

The CCCDA is supported by the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C.