Author: Marche Fleming-Randle

The Kansas Board of Regents’ Michael Tilford Conference on Diversity and Multiculturalism Program Committee seeking submissions for the annual Tilford Conference Oct. 6 and 7 at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. The theme for the conference is “After Brown v. Board, No Turning Back: The Future of Diversity and Multiculturalism.” Notices of acceptance or decline will be sent by Aug. 1.

Proposals will be accepted until 5 p.m. July 1.

The Michael Tilford Conference on Diversity and Multiculturalism Oct. 6-7 at Washburn University.This year’s conference theme is “After Brown vs. Board, No Turning Back: The Future of Diversity and Multiculturalism.”

The conference is sponsored by Kansas Board of Regents University’s and Washburn University.  Conference attendance is free for Wichita State students, faculty and staff.

Dr. Marche Fleming-Randle, vice president and chief diversity officer at Wichita State, will be inducted into the Black Educators Hall of Fame at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26 at the Rhatigan Student Center.

Fleming-Randle is the first African American female vice president for Military and Veterans Affairs at WSU. Her research and academic interests include mental health, child and youth programs, educational leadership and diversity. She is an educator, author, motivational speaker, and public intellectual.

The event is sponsored by the Art That Touches Your Heart foundation and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col Larry Burks Sr., director for the Military and Veteran Center at Wichita State, received recognition for his military service and his work with the greater Wichita community at two  Martin Luther King Jr. Day (MLK) community celebrations Jan. 17.

The African Americans Renewing Interest in Spirituals Ensemble Ensemble (ARISE) recognized Burks with their Sankofa Award honoring his military service and his volunteer work and activism.

The Greater Wichita Ministerial League honored Burks with their Spirit of Unity Award recipient, which is awarded to individuals who participate in making the local community a better place while representing the vision and dreams of MLK.

Dr. Marché Fleming-Randle, vice president and chief diversity officer at Wichita State University, has been appointed to the Wichita Citizen’s Review Board.

​The Wichita Citizen’s Review Board assists the Wichita Police Department with community outreach and advises the Police Department about community concerns. The board serves to provide assistance in policy development, education and communications related to racial and other biased-based policing. The board also will conduct reviews of post discipline findings of the Professional Standards Bureau in alleged officer misconduct matters upon the request of the chief of police. There are no more than 13 members who serve on the board, and members are appointed by the city manager.

Purpose

The City of Wichita maintains a number of citizen advisory boards and commissions. The purpose of these groups is to pay specialized attention to certain areas affecting our community and to make recommendations to better inform city council decisions. These groups range from library operations to urban planning. There are also six district advisory boards which make recommendations to city council and city staff on a number of wide ranging issues.

Listen to poetry and drums, share your thought, and read your creative pieces at t an evening of cultural sharing at 7 p.m. Oct. 7 at 209 Hubbard Hall.

The theme of teh event is ethnic studies:

• What does ethnic studies mean to you?
• Is your ethnic or cultural identify important?
• Should we study ethnic studies at WSU?

For those who prefer to partcipate virtually, a Zoom option is available: meeting ID, 916 2168 2753; passcode, 072896.

The Michael Tilford Conference on Diversity and Multiculturalism will take place 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Lawrence Campus in Lawrence, Kansas. The event provides an opportunity for faculty, staff and administrators at the Kansas Board of Regents’ institutions to approach diversity in higher education by examining the challenges and opportunities in Kansas. The 2021 event will include the following presenters:

• Dr. Jody Fiorini, Wichita State University associate professor and Department Head, Counseling, Educational Leadership, Educational and School Psychology, will present “Women with Disabilities: Invisibility within a Sexist and Ableist Society.”
• Dr. Marche Fleming-Randle, Wichita State University Military and Veterans Affairs vice president and chief diversity officer, will present “The Gumbo Analysis of Diversity and Equity and Inclusion.”
• Dr. Kevin Harrison, community engagement coordinator for military and veterans affairs, will present  “A Name for the Pain.”

U.S. Army Capt. Scot Mullis is the next Wichita State University Army Reserve Officers’ Training (ROTC) military department chair and assistant professor.

Mullis has been an APMS with Wichita State ROTC since September of 2020. He is a 2010 graduate from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor’s Degree in history and he is currently pursuing his Master of Arts in education.