The Ohio State University

onCampus

• Help
• Buckeye Link
• Map
• Find People
• Webmail
• Search

  Search Ohio State Go

Stewart’s work on diversity leaves lasting legacy at OSU

Posted on | February 3, 2010 | 1,324 views |

Mac Stewart has been a committed advocate for students — especially those who are socioeconomically deprived — since he came to Ohio State as a student more than 40 years ago.

Stewart has announced his retirement from his position as vice provost for Minority Affairs, effective March 31.

“Mac’s contributions to our university are extensive and significant,” Executive Vice President and Provost Joe Alutto said. “His legacy at Ohio State will include our vastly improved retention among African American students, the expansion of recruitment efforts designed to diversify our student body and the enhancement of scholarship opportunities for underrepresented groups.”

After receiving his PhD in education at Ohio State in 1973, Stewart set out on a career that extended his efforts far beyond his job description to help Ohio State students grow both professionally and personally.

Early in his career, Stewart worked with then-Vice President John Mount to develop minority programs in what was called the University College. Later, as dean of that college, he worked not only to recruit a diverse student body but also to help all students succeed. While researching freshmen retention rates in 2001, he noticed that only 68 percent of African American males continued in college to graduation.

Stewart immediately set about solving the problem. He created and monitored the African American Male Resource Center, which by the 2006-07 academic year had raised the retention rate to 91.6 percent.

Stewart’s expertise and commitment to student success has made him a sought-after participant on a number of boards. He was an editorial board member of the Journal of Multicultural Counselors and Development and has served the Negro Educational Review in several capacities: editor in chief, editorial board chair and editorial board member. As a consultant, he has served numerous organizations, from the US Department of Education, the Ohio Board of Regents and the Columbus and Dayton public school systems to external evaluation teams for major universities.

Beyond academia, Stewart has served on a wide range of boards, including Children’s Hospital, Buckeye Boys Ranch, Mary McCleod Bethune Center, Mount Carmel College of Nursing and the Columbus Academy.

“As Mac prepares to leave us, I want to take this opportunity to express our thanks for his tireless service to this institution and — above all — for his unwavering commitment to diversity and equality,” Alutto said.

— With reports from the Ohio State Univeristy Alumni Association, which presented Stewart with its 2009 Josephine Sitterle Failer Award for volunteer service to students.

Valerie Lee to lead minority affairs

Joe Alutto knew it wouldn’t be easy to replace someone with the extensive experience Mac Stewart brought to the Office of Minority Affairs.

So he turned to a respected educator and administrator who has chaired two departments and won two of the university’s most prestigious awards.

Valerie Lee, professor of English, will take over as interim vice provost for Minority Affairs April 1, pending approval by the Board of Trustees.

“I am deeply appreciative of having Valerie in this leadership position,” Alutto said, “and I look forward to working with her in her new role as we move forward with the important work of diversity at The Ohio State University.”

Lee has been at Ohio State since 1991 and was promoted to full professor in 1998. She was elected chair of the Department of Women’s Studies from 2000-02, then elected chair of the Department of English in 2002, where she served until this past October.

In addition, she chaired the University Diversity Council for several years, chaired the University Senate’s Faculty Compensation and Benefits Committee and served on the senate’s Diversity Committee as well as more than 50 other university committees. She also is a past president of the national Association of Departments of English.

All of this service earned her the Faculty Award for Distinguished University Service in 2006.

She has taught all levels of undergraduate and graduate courses and won the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1993.

Her scholarly work has been published in two monographs, one textbook and scores of book chapters and journals, particularly on black women’s literary studies, critical race feminism, multi-cultural pedagogies, law and literature, 20th century American literature and folklore.

Comments