Miami Presents: Affirmative Action - Past and Present Perspectives

The issue of affirmative action in college admissions was at the center of national discourse this past summer. Decisions handed down by the United States Supreme Court in the cases of Students for Fair College Admissions vs. President and Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair College Admissions vs. the University of North Carolina struck down traditional practices of affirmative action in the college admission process. Miami alums Dr. Walter Kimbrough '91 and Dr. Ronald Crutcher '69 will share their perspectives on the topic as former presidents of PWIs and HBCUs, and discuss the current landscape of higher education and the possibilities for future affirmative action policies in higher education.  
 
Dr. Ronald A. Crutcher '69, a national leader in higher education and a distinguished classical musician, was the President of the University of Richmond from 2015-2021. Dr. Crutcher is President Emeritus and university professor at Wheaton College in Massachusetts. Prior to Wheaton, he was Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at Miami University of Ohio. He writes and speaks widely on the value of liberal education, the democratic purposes of higher education, diversity and inclusion, and free expression on college campuses. Dr. Crutcher’s thematic memoir, I Had No Idea You Were Black: Navigating Race on the Road to Leadership, was published in February 2021. In August 2021, he was named a Senior Fellow at the Aspen Institute. Currently, he is a professor at the University of Richmond.

Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough '91 has been recognized for his research and writings on HBCUs and African-American men in college. He has enjoyed a fulfilling career in student affairs, serving at Emory University, Georgia State University, Old Dominion University, and Albany State University. In October of 2004, at the age of 37, he was named the 12th president of Philander Smith College. In 2012, he became the 7th president of Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and served for ten years. Kimbrough served as the interim executive director of the Black Men’s Research Institute at Morehouse College during the 2022-23 academic year. He was also named executive in residence for the University of Southern California Race and Equity Center. In early 2022, he was appointed by President Joseph Biden to the President’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs. He is the author of the book, Black Greek 101: The Culture, Customs and Challenges of Black Fraternities and Sororities.

This virtual event is free to attend, but registration is required.  Questions?  Please reach out to Seth Seward at sewardsg@miamioh.edu.