The President's Commission on Diversity Fall Open Forum will take place 4-6 p.m. Oct. 8 in the Morris Dailey Auditorium.

The President’s Commission on Diversity Fall Open Forum will take place 4-6 p.m. Oct. 8 in the Morris Dailey Auditorium.

Media Contact: Pat Harris, 408-924-1748

San Jose, CA—Everyone is invited to discuss how to foster a welcoming community at San Jose State.

The President’s Commission on Diversity Fall Open Forum will take place 4-6 p.m. Oct. 8 in the Morris Dailey Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public, and will be streamed live on the SJSU home page.

Judge LaDoris Cordell (retired) will serve as moderator. Cordell was chair of the Special Task Force on Racial Discrimination, which was appointed by President Qayoumi in January to review all of the facts and make recommendations addressing an alleged hate crime that occurred last fall in a campus residence hall.

In April, the task force submitted more than 50 recommendations and in May, the President’s Commission on Diversity completed an action plan based on those recommendations.

The Oct. 8 forum, the first event of the new academic year on this topic, will bring the campus community together to discuss recent activity, including the consolidation of more than 50 recommendations into 22 action items as well as the Commission on Diversity’s role advising the president and overseeing implementation of the action plan.

Speakers will include President Qayoumi and the commission chairs: Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Renee Barnett and Provost Andrew Hale Feinstein. Representatives from Housing Services, Faculty Affairs, Human Resources, Student Academic Success Services, and the Center for Faculty Development will also be on hand to discuss work underway in specific units.

San Jose State — Silicon Valley’s largest institution of higher learning with 30,000 students and 3,740 employees — is part of the California State University system. SJSU’s 154-acre downtown campus anchors the nation’s 10th largest city.