Diversity, for Mary Jane Berman, is not simply black and white.
As the director for the Center for American and World Cultures, Berman is coordinating a forum where Miami University students will have an opportunity to discuss a different type of diversity: religious diversity.
The Forum and Discussion on Religious Climate and Diversity will take place at 4:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 26, in the Shriver Center Heritage Room and coordinators hope it will raise awareness of issues pertinent to religious diversity and the climate on Miami's campus.
Berman explained that religion is not often included in discussions of diversity on Miami's campus - it seems that when people think about diversity, they tend to think in terms of race and ethnicity.
"Miami is, in some ways, more diverse then we thought, and in some ways less diverse then we thought," Berman said. "We are more varied then we think we are."
Berman hopes that the forum will expose it what ways Miami is diverse with respect to faith and that it will help to distill certain assumptions that are made about Miami and the diversity of its campus.
Berman said that a stronger interfaith understanding, through forums such as these, would eliminate many feelings and incidences of intolerance.
Seven different presentations will cover topics such separation of church and state, religious harassment and discrimination, religion in the classroom, interfaith understanding, promotion of diversity and respect, as well as diversity and tolerance on campus.
John P. Forren, assistant professor of political science, will deliver a presentation on the legalities of religious diversity and climate and said that the forum should be viewed as an opportunity for students to express their feelings.
"We need to draw attention in the university to issues of religious intolerance," Forren said. "Tolerance and understanding come from awareness."
Leslie Morrow, interim coordinator of GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) services, and also co-coordinator of the forum, will discuss the results of a survey that was distributed over the summer and into this semester to Miami student organizations, staff and faculty inquiring how they feel toward the religious climate on campus.
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In addition, Denise Krallman, director of institutional research at Miami, will present two surveys conducted by national organizations on religious climate at Miami.
"We are bringing to light (through the forum) some incidences of prejudicial discrimination that need to be discussed, explored and resolved," Berman said.
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