In The Margins

In this episode, Diverse host Ralph Newell sits down with noted DEI expert and strategist Dr. Sumun L. Pendakur.   Named one of the top 35 women in higher education by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine, Pendakur speaks to the racist framing behind the label “model minority,” the chilling and silencing effects of red state legislation, and why protesting affirmative action is opposition to the promise of education.   KEY POINTS: Why the “model minority” label is so problematic How the model minority myth masks the experiences of Asian American students Challenges facing undocumented Asian students The importance of targeted spaces and cultural centers Is anti-affirmative action really just anti-racial justice? Racial battle fatigue on the already marginalized Unseen DEI barriers in higher education   QUOTABLES: “The model minority naming is designed to create division. It’s designed as part of a design, divide, and conquer strategy.” - Dr. Sumun L. Pendakur “There's no good stereotype, because it creates a narrowing of possibility.” - Dr. Sumun L. Pendakur   GUEST RESOURCES: About Dr. Sumun L. Pendakur: http://www.sumunpendakur.com/about   OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here.       In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

The last in a series of conversations with Diverse Organizational Impact and Transformation (DOIT)-certified school presidents, this episode features Dr. David K. Wilson, president of Morgan State University.   Tune in as Wilson speaks with Diverse host Ralph Newell about the times in which we live, where in so many corners of our nation, institutions are trying to wipe the challenges of underrepresented peoples from the history books and pretend those challenges do not exist or do not matter. Wilson urges students to grasp, to own, and to make this period of resistance their era to challenge what he calls the “nonsense” of today.   Along with his take on the attacks against DEI and his mission to create a living laboratory for diversity at Morgan, learn more about Wilson himself, including his upbringing in rural Alabama and what’s on the menu at the next family reunion.   KEY POINTS: · A look into Wilson’s childhood in rural Alabama · The history of innovation and creativity in the Black community · How Wilson’s student experience impacts his work today · Why becoming a Research 1 institution is important for Morgan · Creating a living laboratory for diversity on campus · Effects of the constant attack on DEI in education   QUOTABLES: “You take what you have and make what you need. A phrase right now that is deeply rooted in the Black community.”   - Dr. David K. Wilson “Talking about loving students, well, it's a different kind of love. It’s loving the potential. It’s understanding the potential. It’s putting students in a position where they come face to face with potential, and then they marry it.” - Dr. David K. Wilson   GUEST RESOURCES: About the Diverse Organizational Impact and Transformation Certification: diverseeducation.com/page/DOIT Eye to the Future: Morgan State University earns DOIT certification: diverseeducation.com/page/Morgan-State-University President Wilson’s bio: Biography (morgan.edu)   WATCH THIS VIDEO AND OTHERS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: youtube.com/user/Diversediversedivers   OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here.       In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

In this second in a series of conversations with DOIT certified school presidents, Diverse host Ralph Newell welcomes Dr. David T. Hayes, president of Coe College.   Tune in as Hayes speaks to building a safe space for open and honest conversations at Coe, one of only three schools to receive the inaugural DOIT (Diverse Organizational Impact and Transformation) certification. He will discuss the role of small liberal arts colleges in preparing students to be citizens in a participatory democracy.   The talk is not all business though. We also learn what is on Hayes’s bucket list, his love for Star Wars, and why there is no such thing as too much coffee.   KEY POINTS: · Dr. Hayes revolving journey to Coe College · Why Dr. Hayes continues the challenging work of DEI · Examining the decision to expand the role of diversity officer · How Coe College measures progress and initiatives · Building spaces for open and honest conversations · Anti-DEI legislation and its effect on higher education institutions   QUOTABLES: “When else would you rather be trying to put your shoulder into an institution to move it forward and keep it healthy and vibrant than at a time of challenge and with the disruption of the last several years.” - Dr. David T. Hayes “Coe was such a great experience for me as an undergrad. I have a lot of loyalty to Coe, and I literally want every student, faculty, staff, community member, and alum to have that same feeling of gratitude toward the college because they feel like the college added value to their lives.” - Dr. David T. Hayes   GUEST RESOURCES: About the Diverse Organizational Impact and Transformation Certification: diverseeducation.com/page/DOIT Coe College Open to Change Open to Change | Diverse: Issues In Higher Education (diverseeducation.com)  President’s welcome and bio: coe.edu/why-coe/discover-coe/presidents-welcome   WATCH THIS VIDEO AND OTHERS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: youtube.com/user/Diversediversedivers   OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here.       In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

Dr. Thomas A. Parham, president of California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), shares what he believes are the fundamental ingredients for success for Black faculty and students in the 114th episode of In The Margins.   In this episode, Diverse host David Pluviose welcomes Parham, who speaks to his own journey to university president and the implicit bias he has encountered in higher education.   Be sure not to miss this conversation on what Parham calls the stones of stagnation and rocks of resignation that keep higher education from being the diverse, inclusive, and socially minded institutions they say they want to be, and hear how he plans to close the gap between the aspirational and the actual.   KEY POINTS: - Parham’s journey to CSU, Dominguez Hills - Fundamental lessons for Black faculty success - The importance of defining and re-framing the narrative - Mental health when it comes to Black students - The impact of the pandemic on diverse students - Current and future initiatives to promote Black excellence at CSUDH   QUOTABLES: “Never seek validation from your oppressor. So, the problem was never that people have a negative opinion about Black folk or women or LGBT, or whatever it is. The problem is you give a darn about what they think in the first place.” “Recognize that this individual, who I consider to be a seed of divinely inspired possibility, if we can nurture that individual in its proper context, they'll grow into the fullest expression of all they're supposed to become. So, our campuses, my campus, is a soil.” “Crisis does three things. It reveals character. It exposes weakness. But it also creates opportunity.”   GUEST RESOURCES: Dr. Thomas A. Parham: President's Bio (csudh.edu)   OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here.       In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

Tune in as Dr. Kimberly Greene goes beyond preconceived notions of what it means to be a teacher and shares her vision of an education that is synonymous with exploration and innovation while acknowledging there is more than one way to learn.   In this episode, Diverse host David Pluviose talks EdTech with Greene, professor of education and chair of the Master of Arts in Education Program at the University of Massachusetts Global School of Education.   Greene speaks to the ways EdTech can progress in terms of diversity in the classroom and urges listeners to recognize that education is in a new day. She says it is time to stop dehumanizing a profession that is all about building relationships to gain trust and empower people to take chances, grow, and bloom.   KEY POINTS: - Dr. Kimberly Greene’s accidental path to education - Why is teacher diversity still a problem today? - Changing cultural perspectives on learning and education - The over-politicization of education - EdTech’s role in advancing diversity in the classroom   QUOTABLES: “One of the things that can truly hold us back is our experience. That we're not able to step back and recognize just because it's what we lived at the time, doesn't mean that it was either the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, or the way things need to be going forward.” - Dr. Kimberly Greene “We can't assembly line education.” - Dr. Kimberly Greene   GUEST RESOURCES: Dr. Kimberly Greene: umassglobal.edu/about-umassglobal/our-people/kimberly-greene-edd   OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here.       In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

Grand Valley State University is among the first cohort of institutions to be granted the coveted DOIT (Diverse Organizational Impact and Transformation) Certification. So, in this episode, Diverse host Ralph Newell sits down with the institution's president, Dr. Philomena Mantella, to discuss the recognition and Mantella’s mission to improve the social mobility of young adults through education.   Don’t miss this conversation focused on action, improved pathways to education, working alongside the community, and setting the tone in DEI work in higher education with Mantella.     KEY POINTS: Receiving the Diverse Organizational Impact and Transformation (DOIT) Certification The most challenging work behind the DOIT certification process What is REP4 and how can people get involved? Why is Dr. Philomena Mantella so passionate about first-generation students? Navigating recent attacks on DEI initiatives How business and industry can be key allies to DEI education   QUOTABLES: “The opportunities we have with diverse students or students that have been underserved or underrepresented in higher education is to give them that sense of possibility that perhaps they haven't contemplated before.” “I get really frustrated when I hear people say things like, ‘we don't have enough talent.’ Because we are leaving so many people out of the knowledge economy or not relating to other educational pathways more seamlessly, creating these ceilings.” “We see the promise of individuals of all backgrounds, but we understand that those structures of systemic inequity are really inhibiting the equality of opportunity.”   GUEST RESOURCES: About the Diverse Organizational Impact and Transformation Certification diverseeducation.com/page/DOIT Setting the Tone in DEI, Accessibility Work diverseeducation.com/from-the-magazine/article/15306543/attention-to-details   OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here.

On April 2, Dr. Steven Gonzales was presented with the 2023 Diverse Champions Award at the annual meeting of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) in Denver, Colorado.   In this episode, Gonzales, now chancellor of the Maricopa County Community College District, sits down with Diverse host David Pluviose to share his journey through higher education, a story of championing diversity through challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic.   Tune in to learn more about this year’s Diverse Champion’s work to foster an environment of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and his advice to leaders tracking their own paths to make a difference against headwinds.   KEY POINTS: - The significance of being named 2023 Diverse Champion - Dr. Steven R. Gonzales’ journey to higher education - The perspective of a first-generation student - What does a diverse climate do for community colleges? - Challenges of leading through the pandemic as interim chancellor - Advice for leaders struggling to make a difference   QUOTABLES: “I just found myself in positions of wanting to expand my reach of the types of decisions that I think I could make, that could impact students that I was hoping to impact.” “While there's a difference in age, I can relate to some of those fears and unknowns as a first-generation student. When you just don't know, what you don't know.”   GUEST RESOURCES: Dr. Steven R. Gonzalez to receive the 2022 Diverse Champions Award — read the article here:  lsc-pagepro.mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?i=786822&utm_campaign=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua   OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education   Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here.         In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

In this episode, Diverse host David Pluviose sits down with Broward College president, Gregory Haile to discuss several initiatives he is spearheading to give students caught up in the justice system a second chance at higher education.   Tune in as Haile, a former practicing attorney, shares his mission to uplift the lives of others through his Court to College Diversion Program as well as the Corrections to College Program created specifically for women.   Participants not only take responsibility for the challenges of an individual but become difference makers to those who desire to live their lives through higher education and transform their futures.   KEY POINTS: - What led Haile to this specific work within the education system? - Benefits of post-secondary opportunities in higher education - The birth of the Court to College Diversion Program - “Simple and Deliberate” advice from President Gregory Haile   QUOTABLES: “People do make mistakes. And those people that make those mistakes should be given an opportunity to transform their lives, particularly when doing so could make a difference not only for themselves but for their families, their communities, and of course, enhance the lives of all of those around them.”   OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here.       In The Margins is produced by Diverse: Issues In Higher Education and edited by Instapodcasts (visit at instapodcasts.com)

In this episode, Diverse host Ralph Newell takes a journey into the Black student experience in higher education with Dr. Courtney Brown, vice president of impact and planning for the Lumina Foundation.   Newell and Brown discuss how to ensure that all Americans, especially Black, Latino, Hispanic, and Native Americans, have access and opportunity to succeed in education beyond high school. Tune in as Brown discusses the importance of understanding the truth behind the Black student experience and the discrimination endured by students of color.   From the barriers Black students face in enrollment and retention to why higher education is not designed to support today’s nontraditional students, Brown examines challenges in DEI and higher education and how we can respond.   KEY POINTS: - The Lumina Foundation and the impetus behind their goals? - Why is diversity in education so important? - A demographic look into enrollment and retainment issues pre- and post-pandemic - What barriers do Black students face in higher education?   QUOTABLES: “We can't hide from these numbers. These are real numbers. These are how people are feeling and these feelings are making them not be able to stay enrolled in their schools. And so, we have to do something to act, to change the trajectory for these students and millions like them.”   GUEST RESOURCES: Our (Diverse) story: Study: Black Students Have Lower Completion Rates Than Other Racial/Ethnic Groups | Diverse: Issues In Higher Education (diverseeducation.com)   OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education       Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here.

Dr. M. Gabriela Torres, professor, chair, and associate provost at Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, is a cultural anthropologist who teaches courses in Medical Anthropology, Global Health, Violence Against Women and Latin America and Latinx Studies.   Tune in as Torres and Diverse host David Pluviose discuss the future of health education and how she and her colleagues are launching a new series of faculty collaborations aimed at transforming health education at Wheaton and beyond.   The three-year project will expand the curriculum with new courses and teaching materials. It is expected to create new Liberal Education and Professional Success (LEAPS) and sophomore experiences and equips students entering health and medical fields to better serve diverse and underserved populations.   This is an episode you don’t want to miss.   QUOTABLES: “History is humanities. And so, that’s why I think thinking about race from an historical perspective and thinking about race in medicine from an historical perspective is really important.”   “Medicine is not neutral. It’s part of power structures that exist.”   “I understood that even if Latinos weren't constituted as a racial group, there were still health consequences that came from our ethnic identification. So that, in and of itself, made me really spend some time in my courses teaching about race and questioning it.”     GUEST RESOURCES: Dr. M. Gabriela Torres: https://wheatoncollege.edu/academics/faculty-directory/m-gabriela-torres/   WATCH THIS VIDEO AND OTHERS ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: http://youtube.com/user/Diversediversedivers   OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter: http://twitter.com/diverseissues Instagram: http://instagram.com/diverseissuesinhighereducation Facebook: http://facebook.com/DiverseIssuesInHigherEducation/ Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/company/diverse-issues-in-higher-education   Transcription services are available upon request. Please drop us a line using the form found here.