It will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Union parlor rooms B and C.

“Essentially, what (the forum) does is put (diversity in the workplace) on people’s radar and makes them think a little bit more about what it means to be a part of a small population of people within these colleges,” she said.

The forum will focus on strengthening participation of underrepresented groups in graduate education and making them comfortable and accepted in the professional realm, said Theodore Caldwell, director of the Diversity Programs Office in the College of Engineering.

“The challenges that we face in the next decade (or) two … are too big to not have the input and expertise of a diverse group of individuals,” he said. “There aren’t enough Caucasian males in the world to pursue this — we have to have input and participation from underrepresented minorities.”

Three scholarships have been given to students in the past, and this year, two $250 scholarships will be awarded, Lane said.

Today, minority students must cope with being one of only a few minorities in their classroom and in the workforce, Caldwell said.

“When you look to your right or your left, you’re not going to see, necessarily, individuals that look like you,” he said. “But that’s OK. Someone has to be the trail blazer, someone has to be the first and so if that is your role, so be it.”

MSU not only holds forums for students of minority backgrounds but for faculty as well, said Kent Workman, the director of student affairs in Lyman Briggs College.

“We work with the learning assistants, the (teaching assistants) and the faculty to make the classroom a comfortable setting,” he said. “We make sure that the faculty and TAs are trained in not making the common mistakes of asking someone to represent their race or asking inappropriate questions.”

Although racial curiosity and lack of understanding can be interpreted as ignorance, students of diversity will have to focus on what they can learn and what people can learn from them, Caldwell said.