UK announces grant program to improve diversity, inclusion

The University of Kentucky, which is trying to improve diversity at all levels, has announced a new grant program for students and faculty. The Inclusive Excellence Program will fund grants of up to $25,000 for new and collaborative programming for student and university groups.

The program is being funded through student fees.

“This is exciting and it takes us somewhere we’ve never been,” said Terry Allen, UK’s interim vice president for Institutional Diversity.

Allen organized a series of small group meetings Thursday between members of the UK Board of Trustees and students to talk about student experiences with diversity on campus. Students shared both positive and negative stories about UK.

One idea presented during those discussions, for example, was to set up meetings between Greek organizations and different religious organizations, such as the UK Muslim Student Association, to improve communication and cultural understanding.

A call for proposals will be available Nov. 1. Completed proposals and applications must be submitted electronically to tammy.arnold@uky.edu by Dec. 1. For more information, call the Office for Institutional Diversity at 859-257-9293.

This story was originally published October 20, 2016 at 5:29 PM with the headline "UK announces grant program to improve diversity, inclusion."