The cultural organizations of Washington College include:
The Society shall strive to achieve its Mission through the following objectives:
Dr. Austin Lobo
E-mail: alobo2@washcoll.edu
The W.E.B. DuBois Society is a student organization formed to promote the social, academic, and professional advancement of African American men in the Washington College community and beyond.
The W.E.B. DuBois Society was founded by Nana Afari-Armah, Amin Barnes, Dr. Kevin Brien, Jason Brown, Dr. Austin Lobo, Stephen Reaves, and Mark Stevens on Thursday, September 11, 2003. The vision for this organization is for it to be a premier student organization for African American males. The Mission of the organization is the social, academic, and professional advancement of African American men in the college community and beyond.
To date, the DuBois Society has taken on numerous projects. On April 27, 2004, the society defended its mission and purpose before the Student Government Association in order to receive recognition and funding from the college. The Society also plans to host a speakers bureau or open forum where members from the college community and beyond will have the opportunity to share their ideas about how the black male is perceived in higher education and the adversity faced in attaining a degree on a predominately white male and female campus.
The first meeting of the W.E.B. DuBois Society began with a "meeting of the minds" where the seven founders discussed ways in which they could improve the academic and social experience of African American male students at Washington College. Moreover, it was their hope to be able to develop a sense of community; provide leadership training skills; and develop a forum for discussion of issues too often overlooked in the college experience.
In accordance with its purpose, the Society will promote the following kinds of activities:
Membership in the Society is open to all students in good standing at Washington College who are committed to supporting the social, academic and professional advancement of African-American men.
A brotherhood of equals is the spirit under which this group is constituted, so there will be no formally designated executive board while the group membership is small in number. Instead, every effort will be made to reach consensus on matters of importance to the Society. Thus in effect, there will be a board of the whole brotherhood. If and when the need arises, a board will be established through selections made by members of the Society. The only formal official position will be a member specially selected and designated as a representative to act as a liaison with other clubs and constituencies within the College and community. The club will have an advisor chosen from among the Faculty of the College.
Members of the Society are not precluded from being active in other student groups and clubs, but are in fact encouraged to pursue endeavors that provide enlightenment and awareness of their surrounding community.
One of the main functions of the Society is to provide an open environment and supportive atmosphere in which members can share private matters and concerns. Thus, members are required to maintain confidentiality concerning all personal issues discussed in the group's meetings.
The Society will develop and maintain a web site that provides access to information and articles in keeping with its mission statement.
Committees may be established by vote of the membership when deemed practical and beneficial to the accomplishment of the Society's goals.
Amendment to this constitution requires consensus amongst members following deliberations under the supervision of the Faculty Advisor. Following the adoption of a provisional amendment, additional discussion and a second vote are necessary for ratification. However, a grace period of at least 6 weeks must elapse before the second vote is taken.
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