This Prof Life Podcast: Women of Color in Higher Education

How you begin a semester matters. In this episode of This Prof Life Podcast, I share four practical ways faculty can help set the tone for a successful term.

• Clarity
• Connection
• Strong habits
• Accountability

I also encouraging students to take responsibility for their own success. Offer a listen as extra credit?

Whether you’re teaching the course or taking it, this episode offers a timely reminder that a great semester is built one intentional choice at a time.

Learn more about me at drpatsanders.com 

How can higher education better support BIPOC faculty and staff while strengthening the educational experience for all students?

In this episode, I explore the importance of academic, emotional, mental, and physical support, the role of leadership in creating inclusive environments, and why investing in diverse faculty and staff is an investment in educational excellence.

In this episode you will learn:

• Why retention matters as much as recruitment.
• The four pillars of meaningful support.
• How diverse educators benefit every student.
• Why supporting people strengthens institutions.

When educators thrive, students thrive.

More episodes at https://www.drpatsanders.com/

In this solo episode, Dr. Pat Sanders explores the balance between teaching excellence, equity, and student accountability. She discusses why meaningful learning requires thoughtful preparation, clear expectations, and shared responsibility, while challenging the notion that effective teaching should not be measured solely by student evaluations.

Contact Dr. Pat at [email protected] and include your request in the subject line so your message can be directed appropriately.

To support This Prof Life Podcast and explore the latest episodes, visit drpatsanders.com.

Interested in becoming a podcast sponsor? Email [email protected] to learn about sponsorship opportunities and how your organization can support conversations that amplify the voices of Black women and women of color in higher education.

Time for a Reset!

Have you felt stuck lately? Are you looking for inspiration and motivation to make your next move? Dr. Carol Parker Walsh has experienced it all from being a corporate attorney, to higher education administrator, and now as her own boss. On this episode of This Prof Life, Dr. Parker Walsh shares her journey of being authentically true to herself and living out her values, through autonomy and creativity. 

She shares ways to get unstuck from indecision along with some very important pieces of advice:

• Do an internal audit - ask what else can I do? 
• Make sure you decide how you want to work and show up - what legacy do you want to leave? 
• Start building a bridge  - see the vision of where you want to go next. 

Listen in to hear more personal lessons and takeaways from this dynamic executive coach, brand strategist and leader. 

I definitely left inspired by the conversation! 

Find her herehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/parkerwalsh/?l

Or, https://www.thriveaxisgroup.com/

Visit my website for more episodes: 

https://www.drpatsanders.com/

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Apple Podcasts or anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts. 

Support This Prof Life on https://www.buymeacoffee.com/drpatsanders

Your listener-ship is appreciated. 

What does it mean to lead authentically in a rapidly changing higher education landscape?

In Part 2 of our conversation on liberated leadership, Dr. Chinyere Oparah shares her perspectives on preparing educators for evolving teaching methods, navigating the complexities of senior leadership, and how Black women can strategically position themselves for long-term success in higher education.

This thought-provoking discussion explores leadership, resilience, and the importance of creating a future that aligns with your values and vision.

Whether you are a faculty member, administrator, aspiring leader, or simply interested in authentic leadership, this episode offers valuable insights and practical wisdom.

Dr. Chinyere Oparah

Dr. Pat LinkedIn

If you are finding this podcast as a valuable resource for you, be sure to subscribe, rate, leave a comment and share. You can support the work here: Support

Are you currently in a leadership position in higher education or aspiring to step into one?

Have you ever wondered whether you're truly free to lead in a way that aligns with your values, strengths, and authentic self?

If so, you won't want to miss Part 1 of this powerful conversation with Dr. Chinyere Oparah.

Dr. Oparah is an executive coach, Professor of Leadership Studies and Sociology at the University of San Francisco, and Founder and CEO of the Center for Liberated Leadership and NeuroSpicy Leaders.

In this thought-provoking episode, she explores what it means to lead from a place of authenticity, courage, and liberation rather than conformity and expectation.

Some of the key takeaways from this episode include:

• Examples of work focused on supporting Black women, women of color, and equity-oriented leaders navigating institutional complexity, burnout, and systemic pressure.
• The concept of "Liberated Leadership" as a flexible, collective framework centered on justice, joy, strategic courage, and authentic self-expression.
• Neurodivergence (particularly ADHD and autism) and its prevalence among academic leaders but often going undiagnosed, contributing to masking, burnout, and suppressed potential.
• How student mental health has significantly deteriorated post-pandemic, requiring professors to adopt new pedagogical strategies rooted in emotional intelligence and universal design.

We will continue to talk in two weeks in Part 2!

Find out more about Dr. Oparah's work https://www.myliberatedleadership.com/

Follow her on LinkedIn.

Learn more about Dr. Pat on her website and follow on LinkedIn as well. 

Find more episodes of This Prof Life at drpatsanders.com or anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts.

If you're listening to and enjoying, leave a postive, 5-star review and comments. It helps the podcast to grow and reach more people!

Women of color in higher education have always helped to carry institutions byteaching, mentoring, leading, advocating, and creating pathways for others.

But in a rapidly changing political and economic climate, one difficult question remains:

Who is helping us build security?

In this new podcast episode, “Save Yourself,” I discuss:

• economic wellness for Black women and women of color in higher education
• entrepreneurship and monetizing your expertise
• overcoming fear and self-doubt
• building coaching, consulting, leadership, and mentoring opportunities
• why NOW is the time to create a backup plan

It is estimated that more than 600,000 Black women have lost jobs over the past year and a half across industries. Waiting for institutional stability is no longer enough.

This episode is a compassionate but direct conversation about preparing, building, and reclaiming agency over our futures.

You are not starting from scratch. You are starting from experience.

Be sure to rate, subscbe, share and support at All Episodes.

Dr. Karen Dace, a now retired academic administrator, and I last parted with our conversation centered around the resilience of Black women and other women of color.

In this episode, we dive into the shifts required to make headway in the academy, when to pivot to new horizons, and how to identify true allies.

You can find Dr. Dace on LinkedIn: Dr. Karen Dace 

You can find more episodes of This Prof Life Podcast on my website: drpatsanders.com or any podcasting platform.

Let’s dive in!

In this inspiring episode, Dr. Karen Dace reflects on her journey from faculty to academic leadership and how she navigated a transition back into faculty and then retirement after DEI offices were eliminated as part of the current political echochamber.

Dr. Dace shares her story of leaving behind a 30-plus year career rooted in advocacy and leadership, and how she reframed her recent retirement not as an ending, but as a new beginning.

Still passionate about scholarship and impact, she continues working on a book, proving she is far from finished. Her story is a powerful reminder that titles may change, but purpose remains.

Listen to a conversation about resilience, reinvention, and embracing your next chapter with confidence.

Connect with our guest on LinkedIn Dr. Karen Dace

Find more episodes of this podcast on my website: Dr. Pat Sanders or Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

We know that scholarship is the pursuit of objective truth, and entrepreneurship is the pursuit of a future we build ourselves. But what happens when the ground beneath both of those pursuits is fractured by loss?

How does one maintain their research, grow a business, and honor ambitions when grief is sitting at the head of the table? In this episode, we’re stepping into the difficult, often invisible intersection of the mind, the marketplace, and the heart.

This episode is about building on broken ground and finding out what remains when the world as we knew it changes.

Dr. Chinasa Elue, who was recently promoted to full professor at her institution, takes us on her journey. Join me as she shares an update centered around being an academic, an entrepreneur and a grief coach.

You can find more about Dr. Elue and her work at https://www.drchinasaelue.com/ or on LinkedIn

Find more episodes of This Prof Life on my website drpatsanders.com  or anywhere you find your favorite podcasts.