Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 14, 1991 TAG: 9102150528
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: W-11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MARY JO SHANNON SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Jeter, a 1983 graduate of Salem High School and a 1987 graduate of the University of Virginia, recently was named director of "Common Ground: Building on the Strength of Diversity," a new program sponsored by the American Association of University Students and funded by a grant from the Shell Oil Co.
The Common Ground program is designed to support cultural understanding and coordinate diversity-awareness programs on college campuses. Pilot programs will be run on 10 campuses in Philadelphia and Houston during the next year, after which the program will be expanded to include more than 200 campuses in the United States and Canada.
The program is administered under direction of the American Association of University Students, a non-profit, non-partisan student research organization devoted to advocacy of student interests in issues of higher education. AAUS membership consists of 286 large liberal-arts colleges and research universities.
"Common Ground conducts workshops and seminars for students on member campuses when requested to do so," Jeter said.
"The students define the type of program they wish - whatever their particular schools deem important. This may be for one evening, a weekend or even a weeklong conference."
The AAUS also has two annual conferences - one in November in Philadelphia and one Feb. 21-24 in Houston - to which student representatives are invited.
Prior to accepting the position with AAUS, Jeter worked for the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges in Washington as spokeswoman for all inquiries to the Thurgood Marshall Black Education Fund. She also assisted in legislative policy making for 35 historically black colleges.
Besides her accomplishments in the work place, Jeter is an outstanding athlete.
While a student at UVa, where she majored in Latin studies, she twice was named the Atlantic Coast Conference shot put champion, in 1986 and 1987. She also was the ACC discus champion in 1986 and was All-ACC for 1984-87, complementing her accomplishments at Salem High School, where she was the 1983 AAA state high school discus champion and all-state track and field member. She also was named the 1983 Salem Athlete of the Year.
In a telephone interview from her home in Philadelphia, Jeter said she misses the small-town atmosphere of Salem, where her mother, Edith Jeter, still lives. She does not, however, anticipate returning to the valley in the immediate future.
She hopes to pursue a doctorate in international community development and go into policy making.
by CNB