Dr. Mary M. Meares, left, and Dr. George Daniels, right, of the University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa, discussed their school’s diversity initiatives with Dr. Debbie Owens. Over the summer Owens was selected to head up diversity and inclusion initiatives in Murray State’s Arthur J. Bauernfeind College of Business.
During fall break, Dr. Debbie Owens traveled to the University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa where she met with representatives of the College of Communication and Information Sciences (CCIS) to discuss its diversity plan.
The meeting was hosted by members of the college’s Diversity Forum, Dr. George Daniels, assistant dean for administration, College of Communication and Information Sciences, and Dr. Mary M. Meares, associate professor, Department of Communication Studies and chair of the Human Resources Committee.
“I appreciate getting an opportunity to observe firsthand the initiatives that are in place at Alabama,” Owens said. “They’ve provided me with a broader perspective on ways to implement a sustainable diversity plan.”
The college’s diversity initiatives have been nationally recognized by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (AEJMC) and used as a model for the International Mass Communication Training and Research Center. CCIS initiatives include the use of multiple instructors to teach diversity-focused courses and diversity advocacy training for faculty and staff.
Owens said she intends to highlight aspects of UA’s model as examples of “best practices” for innovations in diversity and inclusiveness both within the JMC department and at the collegiate level.
In November, she represented the A. J. Bauernfeind College of Business at the 2018 Diversity and Inclusiveness Summit sponsored by Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) in Phoenix.
