The President’s Commission on the Status of Minorities (PCSM) has extended its membership nomination deadline to May 13, chair Brenda Seiton said at the group’s April 22 meeting in 400 Administration.

Nomination letters and forms will be mailed to deans and department heads, and Seiton encouraged current PCSM faculty members to nominate their peers. She also said the group still is accepting essays from all students for PCSM’s annual writing contest and that she has given specific departments information about the contest.

Seiton said the group needs to focus on creating a project timeline for its diversity study during the upcoming summer, so that its proposed spring 2003 diversity issues conference can be planned.

Vera Dixon Rorie said President Bill Chace has approved Emory’s participation in the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s National Campus Diversity Project and asked her to be the contact person for the project. The project will examine 15 colleges and universities that are doing exemplary jobs of recruiting, admitting, retaining and promoting the achievement of undergraduate minority students.

From the data collected, project leaders intend to create a practice model for other universities to consult for attracting and retaining minority students. Representatives from the study were scheduled to visit Emory April 25 to meet with administrators, faculty, staff and students, including PCSM members.

This was the last scheduled PCSM meeting of the school year. Regular meetings will resume in September.

If you have a question or concern for PCSM, e-mail Brenda Seiton at bseiton@medadm.emory.edu.