McMicken Advisors Recognized for Diversity Efforts

The McMicken College of Arts and Sciences and

Center for Exploratory Studies

Academic Advising staff was named one of three recipients of the Marian Spencer Diversity Ambassador Award.

The award, given by the

UC Diversity Council

, recognizes campus-affiliated individuals and groups whose diversity initiatives have positively impacted the university.

“Our advisors’ commitment to be culturally competent professionals is admirable and necessary. Their interest in continual learning has really helped us to create a more supportive and open environment for our students,” says Tara Stopfel Warden, assistant dean for academic advising.

McMicken’s advising team

have worked diligently to enforce competency and appreciation for diversity. The office played a fundamental role in UC’s first Diversity Conference in 2006. In 2007, Associate Director Carol Tonge Mack developed the Cultural Competence Series in which all A&S advisors took field trips to learn about different cultures, sat in on lectures by faculty about cultural communication, and learned important ways to counsel students of various backgrounds.

Considering A&S advisors work with more than 6,800 students a year, they are great vehicles to educate University of Cincinnati students about diversity.

“This wouldn’t be possible without the support of each advisor,” says Tonge Mack. “They bought into the idea that this is important personally and to better serve our students.”

“Diversity makes common sense and as an educated people it’s foolish not to become culturally competent,” she says.