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Diversity Conference
In 2001 a handful of Colby students decided that, amid all the attention to diversity at colleges like Colby, one missing element was a forthright, student-initiated conversation about race, ethnicity, sexuality, social class, and cultural differences. They organized the first annual Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Diversity Conference. The fifth annual Diversity Conference was held in March 2005, with students participating in discussions, lectures, and performances. Over the years speakers at Colby’s student-run diversity conferences have included actor and activist Danny Glover, performer Sarah Jones, professor and author Cornel West, and Chicago author Alex Kotlowitz.
 
Supporting Diversity
Colby has a range of scholarship funds and programs to ensure broad access to a Colby education regardless of ability to pay.
  •  The Ralph J. Bunche Scholars Program was established in 1979 to support students of color who demonstrate leadership potential. Each year 10 to 15 students enroll as Bunche Scholars.
  • Colby has worked with The Posse Foundation since 2002 to enroll about 10 students per class from New York City high schools.
  •  Davis United World College Scholars are graduates of the United World College (UWC) secondary schools. The Davis UWC Scholars program has brought an average of about 25 students per year from around the world to Colby.
  • The Fleet Charitable Scholarship benefits students of color.
  • The Nelson Mandela/David and Marina Ottaway Scholarship Fund benefits African-American students.
  • The Earl J. Sayer ’35 Scholarship Fund benefits students of Arabic descent.
  • There are eight named scholarship funds for high-need students from New York City.
  • The David K. Kline Financial Aid Fund benefits students from Africa.
  •  The Oak Foundation International Scholarship Fund benefits students from Zimbabwe or Denmark or students whose families have been victims of political oppression or torture.
  • The Neskowin South American Scholarship benefits students from Spanish-speaking South America.