Speakers

Soledad O'Brien

Soledad O'Brien is an anchor and special correspondent for CNN: Special Investigations Unit, reporting hour-long documentaries throughout the year and filing in-depth series on the most important ongoing and breaking news stories for all major CNN programs.

O'Brien joined CNN in July 2003 as the co-anchor of the network's flagship morning program, American Morning, and distinguished herself by reporting from the scene on the transformational stories that broke on her watch. Her efforts following Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in Phuket, Thailand, have earned her numerous awards and critical acclaim.

In recent months, O'Brien served as CNN's point person for President George W. Bush's visit to Mexico, delivering a series of eye-opening reports on conditions south of the border that fuel illegal immigration to the United States. She also anchored and reported a highly acclaimed CNN: Special Investigations Unit documentary featuring a never-before-seen look at Martin Luther King Jr.'s private writings, notes and teachings, which represent the foundation of King's life's work as a preacher and human rights activist; and her ongoing initiative titled "Children of the Storm," which provides video cameras to young Hurricane Katrina survivors so that they can tell their stories of trial and triumph in their own words and images.

Monday, March 10, 2008
10:45 am - Noon

Travis Roy

Travis Roy, a young hopeful in the world of hockey, finally realized his lifelong dream - only to see it turn, in an instant, into an unexpected nightmare.

In the fall of 1995 Roy accomplished one of his dream goals by earning a hockey scholarship to Boston University. At twenty-years of age he entered into his first collegiate hockey game. Eleven seconds into his first shift, his life changed forever as he crashed into the boards and cracked his fourth and fifth cervical vertebra, paralyzing him from the neck down.

Despite this ill twist of fate, Roy has continued to persevere and defy the odds. With an intense rehabilitation regime, he has regained some movement in his right arm. While coming to grips with his life as a quadriplegic, he returned to Boston University less than a year after his accident. Four years later, he graduated with a degree in public relations from Boston University's prestigious College of Communication. In the storied history of BU Terriers hockey, Roy's #24 is the only jersey to have been retired.

Join Travis Roy as he speaks on Conquering Life's Hurdles - finding meaning and success in spite of the obstacles.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008
1:45 pm - 3:00 pm

Immigration and Higher Education Panel

Moderator: Tomás Morales, The College of Staten Island, City University of New York
Andre Perry, University of New Orleans
Wendy Erisman, Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP)
Allan Wernick, Esq., Baruch College City University of New York

The matter of immigration has consistently been a defining issue for the United States and one that has been debated for many years. Most recently, among other things, the debate has sounded issues related to access to higher education for undocumented immigrants, admissions, financial aid and student visa programs.

Institutions of higher education have always been on the cutting edge of responding to changing demographics. As society becomes more global, institutions of higher education are enrolling more and more students who have come to the United States, both legally and illegally, to seek better opportunity for themselves and their families.

How have our institutions of higher education changed to respond to a growing immigrant population? What are our responsibilities? How can our policies and practices be modified and enhanced to meet the special needs of a complex documented and undocumented immigrant population? What are legal, political and social barriers that prevent immigrants from attaining a higher education, and putting that education to use?

This panel will provide expertise from legal, scholarly and practical perspectives that will better inform our practice and policies when considering this important issue.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008
10:00 am - 11:30 am

Closing Speaker

Zenobia Lawrence Hikes

Dr. Hikes serves as vice president for student affairs at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). At Virginia Tech she provides leadership oversight for 15 university departments, including, housing and dining programs, the Dean of Students office, career services, student health, and recreational sports. Further, she partners collaboratively with teams university-wide in creating an invigorated college experience.

Student affairs educators must create crisis management plans; provide adequate access to counseling; and offer multitude of other services which help maintain safety and security in the campus community. However, even when these structures are in place, the unexpected can happen.

Dr. Hikes will share her experiences with the tragic shooting that recently occurred on her campus.