Karen Froelich, associate professor of marketing and management, and Canan Bilen-Green, professor of industrial and manufacturing engineering and director of the FORWARD project, had their proposal for a conference session accepted. Their session, “Creating a More Inclusive Academic Workplace,” will be included in the general program at the 2011 Annual Conference of the Higher Learning Commission scheduled for April 8-12 in downtown Chicago. The commission received more than 375 proposals for the 150 slots available in this year’s conference program.

Froelich and Bilen-Green’s presentation will focus on NDSU’s National Science Foundation funded initiatives to broaden participation of women throughout the academic ranks by improving campus climate, enhancing recruitment, increasing retention and advancement and opening leadership opportunities. As part of the session, participants will be invited to identify barriers to and ideas for creating a more inclusive workplace on their campuses.