Nov. 30: Spelman Kicks-off #GivingTuesday With the Ronda Stryker and William Johnston Challenge

Spelman Kicks-off #GivingTuesday With the Ronda Stryker and William Johnston Challenge

Trustee Ronda Stryker and her husband, William Johnston, created a $2 million matching fund to support Spelman’s annual fundraising efforts.

As a kick-off to the College’s annual #GivingTuesday campaign, the gift will match each dollar of the first $2 million in contributions to the Annual Fund through June 30, 2021.

The Annual Fund is crucial to funding operational needs, academic programs, technology and equipment for virtual learning, and more. Each of these serve as an integral part of upholding the Spelman experience.

Spelman invites everyone to share how they are giving back on #GivingTuesday by posting an #UNselfie on your social media and tagging @SpelmanCollege. To participate print the UNselfie Template PDF, write down why and how you're giving back, and snap your #UNselfie with your message.

Gifts to the Annual Fund, an unrestricted fund, support Spelman’s strong legacy of graduating Black women committed to transformative change.

UC Hastings Launches Accelerated J.D. Program With Spelman College

Kameelah Sims-Traylor, C’2019, is well on her way to becoming a criminal defense attorney, and, eventually, an international investigative journalist.

Sims-Traylor is among the inaugural cohort of the UC Hastings California Scholars Program.

Launched in fall 2019, the scholars program is a new outreach initiative designed to elevate a pipeline to enrollment and financially support students from historically Black colleges and universities.

Under the "3+3" program, students will spend their first three years at Spelman and the following three years at UC Hastings Law in San Francisco. The program allows students to obtain their bachelor’s degree and a Juris Doctorate in six years rather than the typical seven.

"I feel very fortunate and grateful to be part of this inaugural year of the scholarship," said Sims-Traylor. "As a kid, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer. Of all of my childhood dream jobs, the desire to be an attorney, remained. I plan to practice criminal defense law and continue my mission for positive institutional change."

Wintermester Deadlines, Dec. 1 and Dec. 4, 2020

Today, Monday, Nov. 30, 2020, is the last day for students to register for Wintermester courses that begin Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020.

Wintermester is an opportunity for students to pick up an extra class - getting ahead or catching up - during the winter break, Dec. 1, 2020, through Jan. 29, 2021.

Registration is open through Friday, Dec. 4, 2020 for courses that begin in January 2021.

Students interested in coding can benefit from SAVC 109 – Creative Coding. In this course, students will develop coding and algorithmic thinking skills, which will enable them to integrate coding into their own projects. The course will also examine why and how artists use code in a wide range of mediums and cultural contexts.

Those interested in investigating the complex relationship between our environment, gender and health can register for SCWS 300 – Women’s Health and Environment. In this course, students will explore how exposure to toxins in air, water, food, homes, personal care products and workplaces has an impact on health.

Registration is open to current Spelman students, as well as those in the Atlanta University Consortium Center.

Spelman President Emerita Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

The Atlanta Business Chronicle's Women Who Mean Business Lifetime Achievement Award was granted to Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D., president emerita of Spelman and chair of the Westside Future Fund board.

The Women Who Mean Business Awards acknowledge leaders who have made significant advancements in their careers while making a difference in their communities.

A scholar, teacher, author, administrator and race relations expert, Dr. Tatum served as the ninth president of Spelman from 2002-2015.

During her term, the Gordon-Zeto Fund for International Initiatives was established, scholarship support doubled, and opportunities for faculty research and development increased significantly.

Earlier this summer, Dr. Tatum’s book, "Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race," which was re-released in 2017, ranked No. 4 on the paperback nonfiction, and No. 6 on the combined print and e-book nonfiction New York Times best sellers lists.

Alumna to Launch Virtual #BlackTechPolicy Event

Fallon Wilson, Ph.D., C’2005, co-founder of #BlackTechFutures Research Institute, will host the first ever #BlackTechPolicy Week beginning Tuesday, Dec. 1 through Dec. 5, 2020.

The virtual event will explore the challenges and opportunities municipalities and organizations encounter when building equitable tech policies, and the impact of these policies on Black lives.

"By placing the value of Black futures at the center of technological development and advancement, #BlackTechPolicy Week will serve as the birthing ground for innovative policies and strategic networking," said Dr. Wilson. "Our goal is to unite scholars, practitioners, and community activists in a dialogue—a movement—to grow tech equity at the hyper-local level."

#BlackTechPolicy Week, which is funded in part by a Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Knowledge Challenge award, includes four panels that are free and open to the public. Participants will hear directly from Black tech leaders in multiple sectors. Presenters include top technologists, politicians, entrepreneurs, community organizers and medical professionals.

To register and learn more about the institute, visit blacktechfutures.com.