The ConnecT

A Newsletter from the Task force on Diversity

ECU School of Allied Health Sciences

Volume 2, Issue 1March 2001

Inside This Issue
1 / Task Force Educational Activities in Development
3 / Local and National Diversity Resources Available
4 / Committee on the Status of Women: What is it?
5 / Interdisciplinary Funding Opportunity
6 / School of Allied Health has new Resource for Students!
7 / Culture & Diversity Perspectives from HIMA Students

The Connect 1

Interdisciplinary Funding Opportunity

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) recognizes the value of supporting the infusion of multiculturalism into our clinical, educational, and professional programs; and the activities of allied/related associations and organizations. For the sixth consecutive year, ASHA has allocated funding for projects on multicultural activities.

$50,000 is available with up to $20,000 awarded for a single grant. It is expected that the average individual award given will be between $7,000 and $10,000. Applications must be postmarked by June 4, 2001. Proposals receiving funding will be announced by September, 2001.

Who is eligible?

This RFP competition is open to clinical/school-based speech, language, and hearing programs; university programs, state associations, allied and

related professional organizations, and ASHA's Special Interest Divisions.

What kinds of projects will be funded?

Proposals must have a multicultural focus. Multicultural is defined to include issues dealing with race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, and disability.

The ASHA Executive Board has identified Focused Initiative: Culturally/Linguistically Diverse Populations as one of three Focused Initiatives for the years 2001- 2003. This initiative was developed in recognition of the significant role of multiculturalism in the professions of speech-language pathology and audiology and in response to the demographic and caseload changes related to culturally/linguistically diverse populations. These changes require the acquisition of knowledge and skills by ASHA members to meet the needs of these culturally/linguistically diverse groups, the provision of additional and improved services to these populations, and an ASHA membership that reflects the culturally diverse groups in society. Priority will be given to proposals that respond to this initiative and assist with achieving the desired outcomes of: increasing the number of racial (American Indian or Alaska Native, Black or African American, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander) and ethnic (Hispanic or Latino) minority members of ASHA; and providing all ASHA members with access to resources developed to facilitate the acquisition of cultural competency for increasing and improving service delivery to multicultural populations.

Projects may focus on:

  • developing direct consumer outreach campaigns targeted to multicultural populations;
  • developing resource materials for education programs which provide different strategies for assisting and supporting culturally and/or linguistically diverse students;
  • increasing the number of bilingual practitioners;
  • identifying the role of interpreters/translators in service delivery;
  • developing assessment tools and methods appropriate for multicultural populations;
  • infusing multiculturalism in the areas of professional education, training, and research;
  • developing comprehensive information pieces on communication development and disorders targeted to multicultural populations for use in the media, by service providers, and/or consumers; developing education materials for employers and/or consumers concerning multicultural sensitivity;
  • increasing the participation of multicultural populations within the governance structure of associations and other organizations, and in the design and implementation of all activities and programs sponsored by these organizations;
  • addressing the clinical, educational, and social implications for speakers of Ebonics or other dialects;
  • meeting the professional and educational training needs of students with disabilities who are enrolled in communication sciences and disorders programs; and
  • increasing student/faculty awareness and sensitivity related to cultural and linguistic diversity.

Projects must be compatible with ASHA's goals and objectives, have a clear high-quality plan for meeting its objectives; be able to be completed, including evaluation, within 12 months of initiation of the project; and be adaptable by other clinical/school-based programs, university programs, state associations, and associated and related professional organizations for their own use. Proposals should also describe what will happen to

the project once ASHA funding has ended.

Please Note: ASHA retains the first right of refusal for marketing and/or future dissemination of any products developed from or during the funded project. Additional information and an application packet can be obtained via fax-on-demand (dial 1-877-541-5035 and request document number 0772) or downloaded from the ASHA web site at

Please contact a member of CSDI if you are interested in working on this grant. ASHA is the national association for the professions of speech-language pathology & audiology. ASHA accredits the master’s program in CSDI.

The School of Medicine has the Academic Support and Counseling Center (ASCC) and their services are open to students in the Division of Health Sciences as a student in the School of Allied Health Sciences!

The ASCC offers a variety of resources for your students. Students may make appointments either in person or by telephone Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 PM. ASCC is located in the Brody Medical Sciences Building (2N-64) and offers academic support, individual personal counseling, and workshops which augment educational growth and personal development for medical, allied health, and nursing students. Staff consists of masters and doctoral level mental health professionals who are available to all allied health students. Any information disclosed during this client-counselor relationship is confidential and will not be revealed without student permission.

ASCC is offering several workshops throughout the semester which include:

  • Time Management for the Health Science Student
  • Learning and Study Skills
  • Stress Management
  • Test Taking Strategies
  • Persistence or Perfectionism: Learning to Define Appropriate Goals To Reduce Student Burn Out

You will be getting a letter from David A. Emmerling, FAD, Assistant Dean for Student Development, Director, ASCC in the near future describing the available services. Many support services will take place IN THE BELK BUILDING for the students’ convenience! Please feel free to contact ASCC now at 816-2500 for more information and watch your mail for more!

Multicultural Literature Conference to be held on Campus!

A Convergence of Cultures: A Multicultural Children's Literature

Conference will take place March 9,

8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Mendenhall Student Center. Noted authors Pat Mora (The Night the Moon Fell) and Maya Ajmera (Children from Australia to Zimbabwe and others) will be among the speakers. Both authors will sign books. Please register by February 19. The cost is $25. Public school teacher

renewal credit of .5 is available.

For more information, please contact Carolyn Willis at Joyner Library, 252-328-6076 or program is sponsored by the Joyner Library Center for Children's

Literature, the School of Education, the School of Human and Environmental Sciences, and the Ledonia Wright Multicultural Center.


What do HIMA students have to say about Diversity?

An interview with HIMA junior students: Kristy Daniel; Melissa Silver; Blain Tekesteberhan; and Yolanda Whichard.

By Paul Bell, MS, RHIA, CTR Department of Health Information Management

“Partners in Diversity”

This phrase embodies the commitment that each of us makes towards working together in order to create a stronger and more diverse school of allied health sciences. A conversation with HIMA junior students, Kristy Daniel, Melissa Silver, Blain Tekesteberhan, and Yolanda Whichard, demonstrated that not only are they partners in diversity, but that they are committed to expanding the circle of partners in our health information management program and in our school. In addition to sharing a common interest in the Health Information Management Program, they share something else in common. They all come from diverse cultural, ethnic and racial heritages. Despite their differences, a common theme emerged from our discussion together. It is that we all derive strength and comfort from being able to accept and be accepted by each other. Let me share some of our conversation in order to demonstrate what I mean.

How are your cultural backgrounds different?

During this ice breaking part of our conversation we learned facts about each other that we hadn’t known before. For example, Kristy and Yolanda are both African American but we also learned that Kristy claims Puerto Rican heritage as part of her background. Melissa is a Native American from the Haliwa-Saponi tribe and is very active in the national Native American student organization. Blain, who is from Eritrea in East Africa, described how something that we take for granted, like our names, differs from one culture to another. For example, in Eritrean culture an individual’s family name is really his/her father’s first name. So, Blain’s father’s first name is Tekesteberhan!! Mr. Bell is from New York, enough said. We know how different er. “diverse” New Yorkers are!!!!!

Why did you decide to enter the HIM profession and how did you hear about it?

Although all four students share an interest in HIM, each came to this career via a different route. Yolanda heard about HIM from a family member and then decided to come to ECU to study in the program. Kristi originally thought she would like to be a nurse and Melissa had considered being a physician assistant. However, they both decided to change their majors to health information management so that they could work in health care without being exposed to “ bodily fluids“. This is a common theme shared not only by these students but by most of the students who do decide to major in HIM. They have a desire to work in the business side of health care instead of the clinical care arena. Blain’s reasons for selecting this major had an added twist. She is interested in telemedicine and had worked for a company involved in the development of telemedicine in Eritrea before she came to the U.S. She could not find a major program of study exclusively in telemedicine and so found health information management because of the link between health information documentation and the use of telemedicine technologies. All four students chose health information management because this profession would allow them to “combine their two chief interests of business and health care “

Did you face any obstacles as a minority student during the program application process? Are you experiencing any obstacles now?

All four students stated that the biggest application obstacle is actually finding out about health information management as an allied health career option. However, they were unanimous in saying that once they made contact with one of the faculty for advisement, the application process went smoothly and could not say that they experienced any obstacles because of their racial, ethnic or cultural background. In fact, all four reported that the biggest obstacles were passing the statistics and anatomy and physiology prerequisites in order to satisfy the HIM admission requirements.

What have been your experiences with racism or bigotry when dealing with others?

Kristy and Yolanda reported that they have not personally experienced bigotry or racism while here at ECU. However, Melissa and Blain were able to recount instances where ignorance about diversity was responsible for insensitive stereotyping by others. For example, Melissa shared how others would react to learning that she is Native American by asking, “ But are you pure blooded Indian” or “impossible, there are no Indians east of the Mississippi!” Blain told us that often when students learn that she is from east Africa they are incredulous because she does not have black skin or “kinky” hair. In addition, when some have learned that she grew up in the area of Ethiopia and Eritrea they are astounded that she is healthy and well nourished. Blain also shared how on one occasion while showing photos of her homeland to some acquaintances one person blurted out, “oh, look you do have cars and houses”.

All four students believe that while most acts of bigotry and prejudice are the result of ignorance and stereotypical beliefs, such episodes hurt because they remind the recipients that they are living as outsiders in a dominant culture. Melissa summed it up so well when she told me, “Mr. Bell I like Greenville and I am enjoying my educational experience at ECU but every time I leave my town and my people, I leave my comfort zone.” We all have a comfort zone that consists of those who are like us; who share the same language, culture and or religious beliefs. At the end of our conversation these four students told me that they wanted to “expand” this conversation to include all the other HIM students. Of course!!! The way to widen the comfort zone is to include everyone into the dialogue about differences, for it is only through recognizing our differences that we can begin to feel comfortable with each other. These four students showed me how essential it is to expand our “comfort zone” by including others who are different from us. Mutual acceptance and respect is the key to widening our personal “comfort zones. Thank you Kristy, Melissa, Yolanda, and Blain for your insights.

The Connect 1

Resources for Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Students, Faculty and Staff’

East Carolina University is committed to education opportunity and does not discriminate against applicants, students, or employees based on race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, or disability.

-ECU UNDERGRADUATE CATALOG 2000 - 2001

B-GLAD is the Student/Faculty/Staff group at East Carolina University for Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, and supportive straight people (Allies for Diversity) founded April 20, 1994. B-GLAD stands for Bisexuals, Gays, Lesbians, and Allies for Diversity. The Purposes of B-GLAD are: to provide outreach, support, information, and resources for gay, lesbian, and bisexual students, faculty, staff, and their friends; to provide information and resources for the campus as a whole on issues regarding sexuality and sexual orientation; to educate the ECU community on issues of homophobia and heterosexism in all their forms; and to provide a social outlet for members and their friends.

B-GLAD has weekly meetings for students who need support or want to be involved with the group. The meetings this semester are Wednesdays at 7:30pm in Room 14 (Basement Level) of Mendenhall Student Center. The group also has other social events on occasion during the semester. These events and other updates are listed on their web site. As part of their educational mission, B-GLAD provides student panels to speak to classes or organizations on topics of sexual orientation. The format and content can be varied to meet your needs. Email Dawn (), the Panels Coordinator, or call her at 561-8138 (leave message) for more information.

B-GLAD ECU
c/o Office of Student Leadership Development
109 Mendenhall Student Center, ECU
Greenville, NC 27858

Campus Phone: (252) 328-2692

The Safe Zone Program at East Carolina University is designed to create opportunities for our Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Students to contact volunteers from the ECU faculty and staff in an open and honest environment. This allows the faculty and staff to provide a higher level of personalized service to students, improving the quality of the interaction for both the faculty or staff member, and the student. This program and web site are currently sponsored by the Safe Zone Committee, a group made up of faculty, staff and students from East Carolina University with support from the ECU Center for Counseling and Student Development.

The Safe Zone Program is a volunteer program for ECU faculty and staff developed from the example of other colleges and universities. Faculty and staff who volunteer will go through an afternoon of training and then receive resource materials and Safe Zone Card(s) to post. These cards will let students know that they can be open about being a gay, lesbian or bisexual without risk. This is not to say that only people in the Safe Zone program can help gay, lesbian, or bisexual students, but it does open the door for students who might have concerns or special needs. This is a program for faculty and staff of any race, color, gender, sexual orientation, or background, who are open to supporting gay, lesbian and bisexual students.

Gay, lesbian and bisexual students often face the tough decision of being honest about who they are or facing possible negative reactions by some faculty and staff. When a student cannot be honest about their lives, they might not get the support they need for their education that others might. For example, in a class where a faculty member only allows excused absences such as a sick family member, it is important for a gay, lesbian or bisexual student to be able to share that their roommate is really their significant other, who was ill. Students that feel they have been discriminated against or harassed need faculty and staff they can ask to point them in the right direction for help.

If you are interested in being part of the Safe Zone Program, fill out their online application on their website. They will be offering training sessions later in the spring semester and this summer.

The ECU Women's Studies Program

By Dr. Marie Farr

In the 1960s, scholars in a variety of disciplines noticed the absence of women and women's issues in university course materials and realized the need to examine women's concerns by means of an interdisciplinary approach. Thus, Women's Studies was born. In 1985, the ECU Women's Studies Program, under the College of Arts and Sciences, began offering an undergraduate minor. A few years later, a nine s.h. graduate minor was added; and today, students may take a Women's Studies B.A. with courses drawn from nearly a dozen fields, including those from the schools of Social Work, Human Environmental Science, Art, etc.