- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock /news-archive/tag/mia-phillips/ ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Fri, 29 Mar 2019 21:32:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Outstanding Women of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock: Mia Phillips /news-archive/2019/03/29/outstanding-women-mia-phillips/ Fri, 29 Mar 2019 21:32:11 +0000 /news/?p=73728 ...]]> In honor of Women’s History Month, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is featuring stories about the “Outstanding Women of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” faculty, staff, students, and alumni who are serving as leaders and making a difference for the university and their communities. Dr. Mia Phillips is never one to shy away from confronting issues related to culture and diversity on ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s campus. Instead, she’s building a program to address them head-on. As the director of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s new campus Multicultural Center, Phillips often finds herself at the forefront of many contentious social issues facing not just ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, but the nation as a whole. Above all else though, Phillips’ passion for serving her community, the university, and its students has made her into the person she is today. A native of El Dorado, Phillips came to Little Rock shortly after finishing her bachelor’s degree at the University of Central Arkansas. She enrolled at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as a student, obtaining both a Master of Arts in professional and technical writing and a Ed.D. in higher education. While working toward her master’s degree, she was offered a position as a writing assistant for the chancellor’s office, which kick-started her career in higher education. “I got to do so many wonderful things and meet so many wonderful people,” Phillips said. “I got to move more into overall communications and special projects quickly and experienced working under two chancellors who each brought different things to the office that I was able to learn from.” In 2018, Phillips was presented with a life-changing opportunity: ��Vlog��ý Little Rock was preparing to open its new Multicultural Center and needed a director. Having recently finished her Ed.D., Phillips applied for the position and was selected. “Chancellor Rogerson and my office were incredibly supportive when this opportunity came up. They told me to go for it, so I did and now I’m here,” she said. As director of the Multicultural Center, Phillips has been tasked with building an extremely important program from the ground up. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Multicultural Center opened in October 2018 and seeks to provide culturally responsive programming and education to promote student success, personal growth, and a culture of respect and inclusion on campus. “Because the Multicultural Center is brand new, every day here has been something a little different,” Phillips said. “My primary job so far has been taking care of the infrastructure issues that come with establishing a new program and interacting with students to both let them know about the services and resources we can provide to them as well as asking them what they need as far as support, programming, and training.” Phillips’ interest in higher education began at a young age; her grandmother, Virginia M. Smith, was the first African-American administrator at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. “My grandmother would have to be one of my biggest role models. She mentored so many women throughout her career that even to this day, 40 years later, people are still talking about the impact she had in their lives,” Phillips said. Phillips also credits the women of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s faculty and staff as daily inspirations for her. “Dr. Sandra Robertson served this university for 40 years and was a huge inspiration for me as well. I learned so much from her when I started working in the chancellor’s office,” Phillips said. “I think that our deans, like Dr. Jane Wayland and Dr. Ann Bain, are absolutely amazing. Watching them navigate complex professional spaces and lead ethically and professionally has been very encouraging to watch.” For any woman wishing to become a part of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s community, Phillips offers the following thoughts: “��Vlog��ý Little Rock really is a place where you can do anything. There’s an expert here in any field you can imagine. We have women in leadership who can help you determine the path that’s best for you and how to be successful. You’ll learn a lot from your coursework, but you’ll learn even more from the experiences of the people around you. It’s simply a wonderful place, where you’ll have unique opportunities with wonderful people.”]]> ��Vlog��ý Little Rock accepting nominations for Diversity Council /news-archive/2018/08/27/diversity-nominations/ Mon, 27 Aug 2018 14:07:17 +0000 /news/?p=71612 ...]]> The University of Arkansas at Little Rock is seeking nominations for the Diversity Council.�� The mission of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Diversity Council is to improve diversity, inclusion, equality, and global understanding with the campus community by promoting dialogue, providing information, and fostering respect for all students, faculty, and staff. Nominations are due by Friday, Aug. 31. Between 18 and 22 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty, staff, and students make up the council. Members are appointed by the chancellor for two-year terms and may serve three consecutive terms. The council’s goals include:

Developing strategies to strengthen faculty, staff, and student support and retention
Examining the campus climate with a broad definition of diversity, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, ability, sexual orientation, economic status, and/or religious and spiritual practices
Commenting on policy-related issues, including ways in which current policy strengthens or detracts from the diversity of the composition of the faculty, staff, and student body
Presenting recommendations to the chancellor that includes strategies, individuals responsible for specific actions, timelines for implementation, and measurable outcomes that reflect continuous improvement of campus climate and diversity

Developing strategies to strengthen faculty, staff, and student support and retention
Examining the campus climate with a broad definition of diversity, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, ability, sexual orientation, economic status, and/or religious and spiritual practices
Commenting on policy-related issues, including ways in which current policy strengthens or detracts from the diversity of the composition of the faculty, staff, and student body
Presenting recommendations to the chancellor that includes strategies, individuals responsible for specific actions, timelines for implementation, and measurable outcomes that reflect continuous improvement of campus climate and diversity

The council will hold an education committee responsible for producing educational events, a data committee, which oversees data collection and surveys, as well as a policy committee that reviews institutional policies and makes recommendations about diversity-related policy issues. To nominate a member of the campus community or to self nominate, send a short statement describing why the nominee is a good candidate for the committee to Mia Phillips, communications and special projects coordinator, at mdphillips@ualr.edu. The nomination should include the nominee’s full name, department or unit, and contact information. ]]> ��Vlog��ý Little Rock gospel choir spreads love to the homeless /news-archive/2018/04/30/ua-little-rock-gospel-choir-spreads-love-homeless/ Mon, 30 Apr 2018 16:00:49 +0000 /news/?p=70343 ...]]> Members of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock L. O. V. E. Gospel Choir are excited about the future and longevity of the organization thanks to the foundational structure set in place by its founders and staff advisor. The L. O. V. E. Gospel Choir, or Lifting Our Voices Everywhere, started as an idea several years ago that sparked from conversations amongst graduating student Aliyah Joseph and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumni Kennion Gulley and Jeremy Metcalf. “The three of us grew up in the church and we wanted to create a safe space where we could worship God and provide ministry opportunities through singing for other students, so we often talked about making the choir official, and eventually, gave it a try.” In 2014, the group began the process of formalizing the organization under university standards, but were faced with many setbacks. “A lot of people gave us reasons why we couldn’t do it, so it just didn’t work out the way we wanted it to or when we wanted it to,” Joseph said. Mia Phillips, communications and special projects coordinator in the Office of the Chancellor, caught wind of what the students were trying to do and hopped on board. She played a major role in helping the students to make the choir ��Vlog��ý Little Rock official. The L. O. V. E. Gospel Choir now has 20 members and meets weekly for rehearsals to prepare for performances at area churches and on-campus events. The group also prepares for its own concerts, which are hosted each spring. To help finance their concerts and travel costs, the students host numerous fundraisers throughout the year. On March 28, they hosted the L. O. V. E. Fest in the Donaghey Student Center, selling chili dogs, chips, and other snacks. The students didn’t meet their financial goal during the two-hour event, but they didn’t let that deter them from spreading their love. A postal service employee suggested they give the extra food to the homeless instead of throwing it out. Without hesitation, the students packed up the food while the group’s graphic designer ran to the library to print out notes with messages of encouragement to place in the bags. After loading up the goods, the students drove around and passed out the sacks of food to the needy around the university and in downtown Little Rock. “It was such a humbling experience,” said choir vice president Niambi Talley. “We’re so blessed that we don’t even realize that we take so much for granted. To me it was just a hot dog, but they were so happy just to have that.” Joseph, the choir president, will graduate this semester, and although she will bid the group farewell, she will leave behind a lasting legacy. During the choir’s annual spring concert on April 21, Phillips informed both Joseph and Gulley that she would institute the Joseph-Gulley book scholarship for two outstanding choir members each year. Keifran Melvin and Camille Davis were the first recipients of the award. For more information about the L. O. V. E. Gospel Choir, email lovechoir16@gmail.com.]]>