An extraordinary meeting of minds will take place at Denison University as the college presents a higher education symposium in recognition of William G. Bowen and Mary Ellen Bowen, both 1955 graduates of Denison, and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. "The Bowen Symposium: Equity and Excellence in Liberal Arts Education" will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday (Oct. 11) in Denison University's Herrick Hall Auditorium.

Participants include William G. Bowen, president emeritus of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, former president of Princeton University and a life trustee of Denison University; Michael S. McPherson, president of The Spencer Foundation and former president of Macalester College; Sylvia Hurtado, professor and director of the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA; and Deborah Bial, president of The Posse Foundation. Dr. Bial is a newly named recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship "genius grant," which recognizes uncommon creativity and achievement. Dale T. Knobel, president of Denison University, will moderate the symposium.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will focus on issues of equity and excellence in higher education, with a special emphasis on undergraduate liberal arts education. Bowen's pioneering research in recent years has brought these matters to the fore in the national dialogue on higher education. Participants will explore what happens at the point of admission to disadvantaged students who, coming from a variety of backgrounds, face special challenges in higher education. What are the forces that lower the likelihood of these students staying in college and graduating? How can colleges and universities become more inclusive by creating conditions that empower these students, once enrolled, to stay in college and graduate? The event will be of special interest to educators, policymakers, parents and others who have a stake in the success or failure of higher education in America today.

This symposium recognizes with gratitude The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which created the William G. Bowen and Mary Ellen Bowen Endowed Fund at Denison University on the occasion of William Bowen's retirement from the Foundation last year. The $3 million fund supports academic excellence at Denison by endowing a student-research scholarships and a named professorship. The first holder of Denison's William G. Bowen Distinguished Professorship will be announced at the symposium.

Based in New York, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is a private philanthropic institution that makes grants on a selective basis to institutions of higher education, independent libraries, centers for advanced study, museums, art conservation and performing arts organizations.

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Calendar Listing:

CALENDAR LISTING: Denison University, Granville -- "The Bowen Symposium: Equity and Excellence in Liberal Arts Education;" 4:30 p.m., Thursday (Oct. 11), Herrick Hall Auditorium (500 West Loop). Free and open to the public. Contact (740) 587-6611 to confirm information, or e-mail frazellm@denison.edu

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575