In The Margins

In this episode, your host David Pluviose sits down with Dr. Sandra L. Kurtinitis, president of the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC). Tune in as they discuss CCBC's unique approach to operating and succeeding in spite of COVID-19. From employing measures to stay open and support students throughout the entire pandemic to connecting with community partners to aid at-risk students, Dr. Sandra L. Kurtinitis outlines the many initiatives she and her colleagues are employing as part of their extensive equity agenda.

Listen in to the risk that paid off and how Dr. Sandra L. Kurtinitis's work in the community college sector went from job to passion to career to life's mission.

KEY POINTS:

- COVID-19's effect on community colleges and CCBC in particular

- What is the "tuition-free" initiative?

- Keys to staying open during a pandemic

- The heart, spirit, and dedication of community college staff

- How to combat COVID-19 malaise and incentivize enrollment

- Community partners and student outreach

- Considering the future of the workforce and online learning

QUOTABLES:

"We live our mission, and we love our mission."

"If you walked on our campuses, you would see low-income and minority students. And to me, that is probably the greatest commitment that we made to our equity agenda because we were here for the people who would have been shut out of any opportunity of studying during that year."

OTHER RESOURCES:

From the desk of CCBC President Sandra L. Kurtinitis: http://blog.ccbcmd.edu/kurtinitis

PRODUCTS / RESOURCES:

Visit the Diverse: Issues In Higher Education website: diverseeducation.com

Or follow us on social media:

Twitter: twitter.com/diverseissues

Instagram: instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation

Facebook: facebook.com/DiverseJobs?_rdc=1&_rdr

Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education

In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

In this episode we replay the December 7th Diverse Talk Live! webcast, "Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Minority College Students." In case you missed it, listen in as a panel of experts evaluate and advise on how higher ed institutions can best address the mental health needs of minority students — particularly as they grapple with a myriad of challenges including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and a nationwide flashpoint on systemic racism, punctuated by the recent guilty verdicts of the individuals charged with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery.

Panelists include:

Nahed Barakat, Psy.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Interim Training Director/Coordinator of Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives, University of Denver, Health & Counseling Center

Nathaan Demers, Psy.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist, VP of Clinical Programs & Strategic Partnerships

Amy Gatto, Senior Manager of Higher Ed & Evaluation, Active Minds

KEY POINTS:

- Where does the responsibility start and end for higher ed institutions when it comes to the mental health needs of students?

- How investing in student mental health increases retention and persistence

- What range of support should institutions aim to provide?

- The unique challenges facing students today

- How is mental illness manifested differently in minority students?

- Ensuring appropriate responses to mental health crises

- How to overcome cultural stigmas and barriers around mental health care

QUOTABLES:

"We're talking and teaching people how to think, how to interact, how to support others, how to be global citizens, and maintaining mental health and well-being is essential in that mission."

"We need to elevate well-being and mental health to being a topic that's just as important as your grades and getting a diploma."

OTHER RESOURCES:

Watch this as a webcast at: diverseeducation.com/webinar­s/webinar/15282037/meeting-the-mental-he­alth-needs-of-minority-college-students?utm_campaign=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

Panel Proposes Ways to Meet the Mental Health Needs of Minority Students: diverseeducation.com/student­s/article/15286117/panel-proposes-ways-t­o-meet-the-mental-health-needs-of-minori­ty-students?utm_campaign=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

PRODUCTS / RESOURCES:

Visit the Diverse: Issues In Higher Education website: diverseeducation.com

Or follow us on social media:

Twitter: twitter.com/diverseissues

Instagram: instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation

Facebook: facebook.com/DiverseJobs?_rdc=1&_rdr

Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education

In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

In this episode, your host David Pluviose goes one-on-one with Dean Clarence Lang of Penn State University. Drawing on Dean Lang's decades of experience, they discuss several issues related to the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty. From creating structures of accountability to why a more representative leadership is essential to higher education, listen in as Dean Lang shares his mission, program development, and advice for all institutions looking for sustained progress.

KEY POINTS:

- Dr. Clarence Lang's journey to Penn State

- How do we sustain the kinds of changes that need to occur?

- Will a diverse administration translate into universities functioning differently?

- The challenge of diverse faculty retention

- Mentorship standardization and uniformity

- Helping students navigate the current climate of diversity and COVID-19

QUOTABLES:

"A more representative leadership is essential to higher education functioning differently, but by itself, is not sufficient."

"These issues that we're dealing with, there are no quick solutions. There's no switch that you can flip. This is about planting seeds, building for the longer term. And that really is about constructing pipelines of success from students through faculty."

GUEST RESOURCES:

Learn more about Dr. Clarence Lang and his work at: la.psu.edu/people/czl5859

PRODUCTS / RESOURCES:

Visit the Diverse: Issues In Higher Education website: diverseeducation.com

Or follow us on social media:

Twitter: twitter.com/diverseissues

Instagram: instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation

Facebook: facebook.com/DiverseJobs?_rdc=1&_rdr

Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education

In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

In this episode, we're bringing you a second installment from the University of Alaska Southeast's fall lecture series Evening at Egan. In this discussion, you'll learn about the Alaska Native Success Initiative (ANSI), led by Dr. Pearl Brower and Ronalda Cadiente Brown - UA Senior Advisor for Alaska Native Success, Institutional Diversity, and Student Engagement and UAS Associate Vice Chancellor for Alaska Native Programs, respectively.

Tune in as Dr. Brower and Ms. Cadiente Brown illustrate the principal priorities of ANSI, seeking to improve the participation and success of Alaska Natives through educational achievement statewide, as well as Alaska Native representation and success throughout the University of Alaska system. Working with leaders from Alaska Native corporations, tribal entities, and other southeast organizations, Pearl and Ronalda strive to create spaces where Alaska Native and indigenous students, faculty, and staff feel welcome and heard.

KEY POINTS:

- Pearl and Ronalda's road to higher education

- The drive behind the Alaska Native Success Initiative (ANSI)

- ANSI's five priorities and strategies for the future

- The need for increased indigenous visual representation

- Recruitment and retention of Alaska Native students and faculty

- Connecting and engaging with the community

QUOTABLES:

"The whole system saw a need to put some focus on why Alaska Native students, faculty, and staff were not succeeding within the university system."

"When we talk about Alaska Native student success, or we just talk about Alaska Native success in general, it really translates to success for everyone. The work that we're doing will contribute overall to a healthier university and a healthier Alaska."

GUEST RESOURCES:

Alaska Native Success Initiative (YouTube): youtube.com/watch?v=b2-kR92-Hco

University of Alaska Southeast, Evening at Egan Fall 2021: uas.alaska.edu/eganlecture/index.html

PRODUCTS / RESOURCES:

Visit the Diverse: Issues In Higher Education website: diverseeducation.com

Or follow us on social media:

Twitter: twitter.com/diverseissues

Instagram: instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation

Facebook: facebook.com/DiverseJobs?_rdc=1&_rdr

Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education

In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

In this episode of In The Margins, host Ralph Newell welcomes American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Executive Director Chris Moody. Tune in as they discuss the origin of the ACPA and its ever-evolving work in diversity and inclusion, highlighting ACPA's partnership with Diverse in identifying The Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs annually.

Join the conversation and learn more about Chris Moody and ACPA's transformative diversity work.

KEY POINTS:

• Who is the ACPA?
• Focusing on the staff experience within a university setting
• The strategic imperative for racial justice and decolonization
• Providing members safe spaces to heal and come together, both virtually and physically
• Intent does not equal impact - awareness and accountability
• Does systemic oppression still exist in higher education?

QUOTABLES:

"In the work of higher education, we're supporting student success. You don't talk about supporting staff success a lot. And I think between students and faculty and staff, administrators and professionals sort of get left behind in the conversation."

"The world doesn't need white saviors. Right? Higher Education does not need white people to save the work. What needs to happen, in my opinion, is amplifying the hard work and the labor that's already happened, that's been happening within professionals and communities of color."

GUEST RESOURCES:

Racial and Social Justice Is the Work of College Student Educators

diverseeducation.com/student­s/article/15107744/racial-and-social-jus­tice-is-the-work-of-college-student-educ­ators

Most Promising Places to Work: Student Affairs

diverseeducation.com/awards-honors/mppwsa

PRODUCTS / RESOURCES:

Visit the Diverse: Issues In Higher Education website: diverseeducation.com

Or follow us on social media:

Twitter: twitter.com/diverseissues

Instagram: instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation

Facebook: facebook.com/DiverseJobs?_rdc=1&_rdr

Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education

In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

In this episode of In The Margins, we feature a lecture from the University of Alaska Southeast's (UAS) fall 2021 lecture series—Evening at Egan. Tune in as geoscientist Dr. Wendy Smythe, a Haida woman, speaks about her personal journey in STEM and the importance of traditional knowledge systems in the development of K-12 curriculum.

KEY POINTS:

• Dr. Wendy F. Smythe's academic journey
• How Dr. Smythe's experiences as a Haida woman impact her work
• Tying culture to curriculum - connecting traditional knowledge with science
• How diversity in both ethnicity and discipline increases innovation
• Turning the focus from recruitment to retention of diverse students
• Reimagining science education - what is working and what is not
• Engaging native students in science learning opportunities

QUOTABLES:

"I am the first generation removed from boarding schools. I did not have the experiences of those in my family. So, to them, education is trauma and pain and fear and the loss of culture and language. To me, it's something very different. And we have to acknowledge that when we work with our native students and with our native communities, that trauma is there. We have to acknowledge it, and we have to respect it."

"That's how we all learn. If we can connect to it, we understand why we're learning it. So we started tying that to cultural and traditional use practices within the community."

GUEST RESOURCES:

Science in Our Stories: Connection To Place, Belonging, & Security For Native Students In STEM Ed.: youtube.com/watch?v=z0Lzs-7nAlc

Learn more about Dr. Wendy F. Smythe at cahss.d.umn.edu/faculty-staff/wendy-smythe

University of Alaska Southeast, Evening at Egan Fall 2021: uas.alaska.edu/eganlecture/index.html

PRODUCTS / RESOURCES:

Visit the Diverse: Issues In Higher Education website: diverseeducation.com

Or follow us on social media:

Twitter: twitter.com/diverseissues

Instagram: instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation

Facebook: facebook.com/DiverseJobs?_rdc=1&_rdr

Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education

In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

In this episode of In The Margins, we talk with Jackson State University (JSU) president Thomas K. Hudson about his university's new strategic plan and the critical need for HBCUs in the academic landscape. Tune in as Hudson shares his unconventional path to the presidency and how he plans to elevate JSU not only in research prominence but in academic distinction, excellence, and student success as well. Continuing the historic mission of HBCUs, he propels JSU to become part of the solution to the problems facing society today.

KEY POINTS:

• Thomas Hudson's journey from JSU student to president
• Leadership stability as the key to success
• Reaching R1 status - the highest designation of research in universities
• The JSU recruitment process and who they are attracting
• Historical underfunding, deferred maintenance, and the need for investment in HBCUs
• Balancing JSU's current mission with the historical mission of HBCUs
• Finding opportunity in crisis during the Covid-19 pandemic

QUOTABLES:

"What gets measured gets done, right, and you have to have a measurable goal that you're looking to achieve in order to continue to elevate and get pushed to that successful level." "Jackson State is a place that can take you from where you are and make you who you are meant to be. And we want to continue that journey even to today. That's been our story for 144 years and continues to be that."

GUEST RESOURCES:

To view President Hudson's full video message on the JSU Elevate strategic plan, click here.

To view Jackson State University's strategic plan visit: jsums.edu/strategicplan/

Thomas K. Hudson J.D., twelfth president, Jackson State University: jsums.edu/inauguration/president.htm

PRODUCTS / RESOURCES:

Visit the Diverse: Issues In Higher Education website: diverseeducation.com

Or follow us on social media:

Twitter: twitter.com/diverseissues

Instagram: instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation

Facebook: facebook.com/DiverseJobs?_rdc=1&_rdr

Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education

In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

In this episode of In The Margins, Drs. Donna Y. Ford and James L. Moore III discuss their October 11, 2021 Diverse Op-ed column, "When the 'Gates' are Literally and Figuratively Closed to Gifted and Talented Education for Black Students."

Amid the recent changes to gifted education in New York City, our guests, led by moderator Dr. Jamal Watson, break down what these changes mean, or don't mean, for marginalized students.

KEY POINTS:

• The history of "Gifted and Talented Education" (GATE)
• Exclusionary admission practices - what are they and how are they employed?
• Who are the "gatekeepers"?
• Why eliminating GATE is not the solution
• Reimagining GATE and steps for reform

QUOTABLES:

"You will find in almost every state, that almost every school district, no matter how black and brown it is, no matter how affluent or low income it is, it does not matter. Black students will almost always be the most underrepresented in gifted education."

"The education will change, but the system is still the same. The people are still the same. The racist mindsets are still the same. The classism is still the same. So whatever is put in the place of gifted programs will still be corrupt and it will contribute to inequitable under-representation for mainly black students."

"When you see teachers who look like you, or administrators who look like you, it gives you hope and aspiration. And when we have these minoritized professionals, they are cultural brokers, who are able to identify the strength, the gifts, the assets, the talents in children that white teachers thus far do not see."

GUEST RESOURCES:

When the 'Gates' are Literally and Figuratively Closed to Gifted and Talented Education for Black Students: https://www.diverseeducation.com/opinion­/article/15279732/when-the-gates-are-lit­erally-and-figuratively-closed-to-gifted­-and-talented-education-for-black-studen­ts

PRODUCTS / RESOURCES:

Visit the Diverse: Issues In Higher Education website: diverseeducation.com

Or follow us on social media:

Twitter: twitter.com/diverseissues

Instagram: instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation

Facebook: facebook.com/DiverseJobs?_rdc=1&_rdr

Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education

In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

In this episode, we present the Critical Race Theory (CRT) panel that took place on October 15, 2021 during the 47th American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity (AAAED) National Conference & Annual Meeting—themed Reset, Reflect, and Move toward Justice, Equity, and Inclusive Excellence.

Moderated by your host Dr. Jamal Watson, this discussion breaks down the origins of CRT and its re-emergence as a tool for those who seek to attack diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Panelists include:

Dr. Christopher Metzler, Chair, LEAD Fund

Janai Nelson, Esq., NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc.

Dr. William Harvey, AAAED Distinguished Scholar

Dr. Nicholas Gaffney, Director, Center for African American Studies, Assistant Professor, History University of South Carolina Upstate

Margo R. Foreman M.P.H., Sr. CAAP, Interim Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Iowa State University

KEY POINTS:

• What is critical race theory?
• The intense scrutiny around CRT - why now?
• How the CRT backlash is affecting higher education institutions and their scholars
• Reframing and reshaping the narrative around CRT
• The need for leadership and the role of the federal government

QUOTABLES:

"Critical race theory is so bothersome to so many people because it challenges the historical narrative that we would like to believe - that everybody is treated fairly and equally and always has been."

"Academia is supposed to be a free market of ideas. It's the whole point. It is not to indoctrinate. We're providing people with tools, and they make their own decisions."

PRODUCTS / RESOURCES:

Visit the Diverse: Issues In Higher Education website: diverseeducation.com

Or follow us on social media:

Twitter: twitter.com/diverseissues

Instagram: instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation

Facebook: facebook.com/DiverseJobs?_rdc=1&_rdr

Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education

In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

In this episode of In The Margins, we meet Dr. Quintin Bullock, president of Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC). Continuing our focus on institutions doing transformative work in diversity and inclusion in higher education, host Ralph Newell and Dr. Bullock discuss the importance of leadership and having those critical conversations when it comes to race.

Tune in as Dr. Bullock discusses his new leadership role at CCAC and shares his strategies to ensure that community colleges prioritize equity in their policies, procedures, and practices.

KEY POINTS:

• The role of a Chief Diversity Officer
• Use of critical race theory as a legitimate academic tool
• Job's for the Future's five commitments for community colleges
• Effects of COVID-19 on diversity efforts
• How Dr. Bullock went from dentistry to college president
• Responsibilities of a community college vs. a four-year institution

QUOTABLES:

"One thing that we recognize from the Covid-19 pandemic was that there was clearly a digital divide and the access to adequate equipment and technology in order to succeed in a virtual environment."

"We've come down similar paths. And it is achievable if you work hard and keep your eye on the prize."

PRODUCTS / RESOURCES:

Visit the Diverse: Issues In Higher Education website: diverseeducation.com

Or follow us on social media:

Twitter: twitter.com/diverseissues

Instagram: instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation

Facebook: facebook.com/DiverseJobs?_rdc=1&_rdr

Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education

In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)