Dr. Padonda B. WebbPadonda B. Webb has been named assistant vice chancellor of health and wellness in North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s Division of Student Affairs. She served as executive director at the Dr. Alvin V. Blount Jr. Student Health Center. Webb holds a bachelor’s degree in nursing from A&T, a master’s in nursing from Winston-Salem State University, and DNP from the University of South Alabama-Mobile ..read more

Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom wants her work to meet people where they are, and to do so, she uses many platforms and intersects multiple disciplines. However, her strategy is simple; she starts with culture.  “Culture is this place where we try to make sense of a really complex world in our own little local context,” says McMillan Cottom.  “Fundamentally, I want my scholarship to matter to people's lives and to do that, it's really helpful if I don't lose sight of how people are living.”  Dr. Tressie McMillan CottomMcMillan Cottom is an associate professor at the University of No ..read more

Dr. Andrew W. WhiteAndrew W. White has been appointed president of Cleveland State Community College. He serves as senior director of the Fast Forward Program at Belmont University. White holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Tennessee, a master’s in public administration from Central Michigan University, and a Doctor of Education degree in education leadership from the University of Southern California ..read more

Kazaam is a 5-year-old kindergarten Black male. He is a happy, energetic child. However, his teacher often has to tell him to sit down and stay on task to do his work. He is what Boykin calls ‘vervistic’. Rather than trying to understand his learning style, the teacher assumes he is acting out and defying her directions. She writes a referral, and Kazaam ends up in the office with the principal and being reprimanded for his behavior. He is required to serve one day of out-of-school suspension to ‘learn his lesson’. Research on Racism, Anti-Blackness, Deficit Thinking, Adultification Dr. Donna ..read more

New research from CUPA-HR on the state of the faculty workforce in higher education shows that despite some growth in representation among tenure-track women and faculty of color in new hires, advancement to higher faculty ranks remains a barrier. The research points out that these promotion gaps are found in every faculty discipline.  The Faculty in Higher Education Survey, a comprehensive data source that collects salary and demographic data by tenure status, rank, and faculty discipline, to evaluate representation and pay equity for women and faculty of color from 2016-17 to 2022-23 no ..read more

“We protest. We are sick. We are tired. Still, we protest.” That quote, inspired by famed civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, comes from an open letter sent on April 16, 2024 to Dr. Neeli Bendapudi, president of The Pennsylvania State University.  “We are sick and tired of the lack of progress toward racial justice at Penn State under your leadership,” the letter continues. “We expected better.” Dr. Gary King, professor of biobehavioral health and African American studies at Penn State, and a member of the Committee of Black Scholars.The letter was signed by “a committee of concerned ..read more

College students are turning to faculty for career advice, but not as many of these educators are working with their school’s career centers to better respond, according to a new study from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).Shawn VanDerziel The study – conducted in partnership with the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) and the Society for Experiential Education (SEE) – looked at responses from 6,800 college faculty to gauge the extent to which faculty play a role in students’ career journeys. According to "Faculty Attitudes and Behaviors: T ..read more

Monica SandersMonica Sanders has been appointed social innovator in residence at Grinnell College. During the residency, Sanders is expected to engage with students, faculty, staff, and the wider community through collaborative initiatives that promote civic engagement, social justice, and environmental stewardship. Sanders holds a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Miami Coral Gables, a master’s degree in international business law from the University of London, and a juris doctor degree from the Catholic University of America Washington, D.C ..read more

Casualties of the ongoing FAFSA debacle continue to stack up, even as Federal Student Aid Director Richard Cordray leaves the situation behind. While the U.S. Department of Education works to fix the broken system, it’s time for community college leaders to remind Americans that these important institutions exist. Experts predict that huge numbers of students won’t go to college this fall — we can head that off by reminding them that college decisions need not be made in spring, and no matter when they learn about their eligibility for aid doors to higher education remain open. All is not lost ..read more

How the nation’s first College of Ethnic studies came about, bringing together Latino, African American, and Asian American disciplines may offer some clues as to how to solve the nation’s current campus turmoil. After deadline passed to end the Columbia University encampment by 2 p.m. Monday deadline, by early Tuesday morning, student protestors blockaded and occupied Hamilton Hall in a symbolic move. Emil GuillermoProtestors did the same in 1968. That made me think of San Francisco State University, 1968. With breaking news at UT-Austin, Emory, and Columbia, the news was filled with call bac ..read more