Indianapolis, Indiana (February 2007)—University College is pleased to announce that Barbara Browning, Director of University College’s Student Support Services, was presented IUPUI’s Joseph T. Taylor Excellence in Diversity Award at the Taylor awards ceremony on February 15.
Browning mentors students struggling with a variety of academic and personal issues in order to prepare them for what lies ahead. “In terms of mentoring,” Browning states, “I feel like I’m always mentoring. I’m always sitting down with the students. It doesn’t have to be formal. We talk about everything. Sometimes it might be financial mentoring. Sometimes academic. Sometimes personal. So I try to do all that. Our whole program tries to do all that.” Browning insists she does not see her achievement as an individual award. “I didn’t look upon it so much as an award for me but an award for what we do here. It’s great to be recognized that you are doing something positive. It was very good that way.”
The Joseph T. Taylor awards were created in honor of the first dean of the IUPUI School of Liberal Arts to honor those who have excelled at one of the following:
- Increased recruitment and/or retention of African American, Hispanic, or Native American faculty, students or staff.
- Enhanced campus climate for diversity through social, cultural, or developmental programs or events.
- Engagement of the IUPUI community in promoting diversity as a value through innovative curriculum, research, programs or events.