The Martin Luther King Jr. West Virginia Holiday Commission recognized the West Virginia University Academic Partnership for Minority Teaching Fellows on its Honor Roll of Service Organizations as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday celebration. WVU Executive Officer for Social Justice Jennifer McIntosh and Provost Gerald Lang will be accepting the award at a Saturday (Jan. 18) luncheon in Charleston.
The WVU Academic Partnership was established in September 2001 by the WVU Presidents Office for Social Justice to provide semester-long teaching appointments for WVU minority doctoral students. The teaching fellows served as visiting faculty at one of the four participating colleges: Fairmont State College, Glenville State College, Potomac State College or WVU -Parkersburg. Subsequently, the program extended to West Liberty State College and has plans to expand statewide. Currently, there are 10 doctoral students engaged in the program.
“I was delighted to hear about the Academic Partnership being included on the Honor Roll,”McIntosh said.”It has been especially encouraging to see how higher education leaders are working together in our state on a program that benefits both students enrolled in our state colleges and the teaching fellows from WVU .”
Lang, McIntosh and J. Michael Mullen, chancellor of the Higher Education Policy Commission, have provided key administrative leadership in collaboration with academic leaders of the participating institutions. WVU faculty member Cheryl Torsney serves as the faculty leader and mentor for teaching fellows and facilitates communication between the various partners.
“The original goals of providing students in the state higher education system with a more diverse and highly competent faculty and providing WVU minority doctoral students with a high quality teaching experience are being met,”McIntosh said.
The awards program is one of three principle events sponsored by the West Virginia Holiday Commission. A gala will be held Saturday night featuring a variety of performers and an ecumenical service will be held Monday morning.
The Holiday Commission, which is supported in King holiday events by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, also recognized the West Virginia Attorney General Offices Civil Rights Team Project, the Southern Appalachian Labor School, the Opportunities Industrialization Center of Charleston and the Charleston Economic and Community Development Corporation on the Honor Roll.
“Living the Dream”Awards and awards for statewide school essay and poster contests were also presented during the ceremonies. For a list of winners, go towww.wvmlkholidaycommission.org.
For organizations to be eligible for recognition, they must demonstrate one or more of the principles Dr. King advocated: promote humanitarian and civil rights, assist under-represented communities and groups, promote tolerance and/or resolve conflict in a nonviolent way. In addition, these actions must be performed in an exemplary manner and not as part of the organizations routine duty.