Frequently Asked Questions
In this document...
Are there any other organizations geared toward Black students?
There is a campus-wide Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA) that hosts several professional, academic, and social events throughout the year. A number of other graduate programs also support their own Black student organizations. For example, Kelley School of Business has the Black MBA Association (BMBAA) and the School of Education has the Multicultural Education Students Association (MESA). All of the graduate student organizations maintain heavily utilized listservs and many jointly-sponsored programs and events occur throughout the year. Many graduate students are also involved as mentors and participants in organizations run by undergraduate Black students and a number of community organizations are geared toward the Black community and provide a great deal of support for their members as students.
Is there a strong Black Alumni network?
The quick answer is, YES!. There are several events hosted by IU minority alumni to address concerns minority students may have about law school and the job search. The BLSA Alumni Advisory board is composed of Black IU Alums committed to the well-being of Black students here at IU. Career Services utilizes the network to put students in touch with Black mentors in various fields of interest and to develop a useful schedule of professional development workshops. Black alumni also work with BLSA on recruitment and retention initiatives and show their support with regard to educating the student body about academic skill development and professional opportunities. They are all extremely warm and friendly and always open to meeting new BLSA members. They also have a strong presence on campus; visiting during both Alumni meetings and other events throughout the year. They love to share their experiences with professors, their 'could/would/shouldas', and even their outlines with the student community! Off campus, the networks are strong in a diverse group of cities including New York, D.C., Atlanta, Houston, and Chicago. You will soon be able to email many of them through their own website, but in the meantime direct your questions to the Advisory Board Chairperson: Brian Edge, brian_edge@discovery.com
How does the law school recognize, implement or support efforts to address the law school's diversity?
The BLSA Alumni Advisory Board has been thriving since its establishment in 2003. The board members are Black IU Alum who the school consults on such critical issues as recruitment, retention, networking and placement of the Black student population. Diversity is a major component of the school's Strategic Plan and all operational elements work to ensure the issue is ingrained in their approach to how IU functions. The law school also welcomes sponsorships for a number of diverse scholarships and their Equal Opportunity Fellowships (EOFs) have aided a great number of current and former BLSA students in securing their legal education. In addition, the Admissions office works tirelessly at breaking down the barriers to entry for high-quality prospective minority students and focusing their recruitment efforts around effective and opportunity-creating initiatives.
Is there a faculty/student committee for diversity in admissions and faculty appointments?
While there is no one committee designated to diversity within the law school, the charge of, what was most recently, the Community Life Committee includes coordination of diversity programming.
There is also no committee on diverse faculty hiring, but the Faculty Appointment committee prioritizes the issue in their review of all interested and recruited candidates.
The BLSA Alumni Advisory Board also plays an important role in the recruitment of Black faculty and students, as well as in ensuring that diversity remain a prioritized value for the law school