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Welcome to The EDU Ledger! We’ve moved from Diverse: Issues In Higher Education.

Section: Opinion

Thank you, Simone Biles!

Like so many sports fans, I felt sympathy for Simone Biles when she stepped away from the Olympic stage to deal with her mental health issues. As a licensed professional counselor, I could not have been more proud to see her seek out the help that she and so many others need.

July 29, 2021

Ishmael Reed’s Undying Faith in Diversity and Multiculturalism

Ishmael Reed, the novelist, playwright, poet, knows a lot of things. Especially Higher Ed. In his novel, Japanese by Spring, Reed imagines a college taken over by Japanese businessmen who restructure the framework of curriculum debate. “Too white” gives way to not enough Zen Buddhism. Breathe deeply. It’s a satire, informed by Reed’s career as a now retired full-time lecturer at UC Berkeley.

July 27, 2021

The Importance of Valuing Diversity Within Research

The world of research has never been more inclusive than it is now. Only 100 years ago, nearly all researchers were white and men. Research participants were primarily white men as well. Classic social science studies including the Stanford Prison Experiment only included college-aged men as participants, while people of color were forcibly experimented upon, resulting in inhumane pain and in some cases, death.

July 23, 2021

The Transferrable Impact of Positive Pressure in Sports and Public Policy

There is a heightened level of immersion and focus that goes into what coaches do every day because the stakes are higher. With higher stakes comes more pressure. Pressure one of the main elements that leads to top level performance on a consistent basis. A lack of pressure leads to complacency which is the enemy of the maximization of one’s potential and purpose.

July 22, 2021

The Violence of Academia Helped Me See One Thing Clearly

I have spent a lot of time reflecting on life and death, for a few reasons. Around this time last year my mother almost died in a car accident. The year prior my dad nearly passed away, having to have back-to-back brain surgeries. In the past few years, multiple loved ones have died. Many of these lives I have yet to even grieve. Ironically, this time period was the peak of when I became most acquainted with academia’s violence.

July 20, 2021

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Advancing Social and Racial Justice Through Higher Education

Over the last few years, there has been national attention given to the social and racial injustices against Blacks and Hispanics across the United States. As a Black man over the age of 40, the first memory of what I believe to have been a blatant display of an injustice was on March 3, 1991 when I watched the Rodney King video. Mr. King laid on the ground in a fetal position while beaten with batons and kicked in the head repeatedly by Los Angeles police officers who claimed self-defense.

July 19, 2021

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Coordinating University and Religious Calendars: An Inclusive Practice

Like most university students, at the start of every semester I look at my course syllabi. I skim the course readings and assignments, but what I am really looking for is the calendar. More specifically, I am looking for how the calendar will overlap with the religious holidays I observe. Like most non-Christian university students, I can expect my holidays to be largely overlooked when it comes to course planning and university events.

July 14, 2021

NCAA Name, Image, and Likeness Policy Change Ushers in a New Paradigm

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) adoption of a new policy on July 1 that allowed players to be able to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL), has ushered in a new era for college athletics. It is an inflection point that will create a new paradigm that multiple stakeholders will have to adjust to. It represents a major deviation from a status quo that has been in place for generations. Players will now be able to cash in on the fame that the platform of college sports provides for the first time.

July 14, 2021

Improving on Branson’s “Affirmative Action” to Space

If Richard Branson really wants to make a mass impact, here’s how to make a difference. Endow no-strings scholarships to people for whom a quality education would be out of reach, and the idea of going to a great college seems like the University of Pluto. Far more than a mere flight to the edge of space, Branson could put wealth and people into orbit in a much more effective and practical way.

July 13, 2021

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Coping with Mental Health Concerns Amid COVID-19

I currently live with anxiety and depression. I have lived with mental health concerns for over ten years, and I am still ok. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, I would not have been able to publicly admit the first line of this article because of feelings of embarrassment and shame. However, by acknowledging my mental health concerns, I know that I am challenging stereotypes as a scholar-practitioner and saving a group of peers, friends, and family by just saying my truth.

July 12, 2021

Roueche Center Forum: Toward Gender Equality in Technology Careers

COVID-19 has demonstrated that technology is a bridge to sustaining a degree of normalcy in our lives. Institutions were able to switch almost overnight to online instruction and services only because of advances in technology, showing how critical having prepared professionals to address world problems is. According to the 2021 study “Women Chief Technology Officers in Community Colleges” by Monica D. Wiggins, the prevalence of technology today requires skilled technology workers — more than ever before — to secure, design, maintain and upgrade an ever-increasing number of advanced technological devices and programs.

July 9, 2021

Dr. Monica D. Wiggins

African-American

TSU President Dr. Glenda Glover and Congresswoman Frederica Wilson Establish a New Partnership for Higher Education Access

Congresswoman Frederica Wilson and Dr. Glenda Glover have structured a groundbreaking partnership that will open the doors of higher education opportunity to students from Miami-Dade, Broward, and Duval Counties in Florida. Glover, President of Tennessee State University (TSU), has awarded full scholarships to twelve students from the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project, a dropout prevention and mentorship program for boys and young men of color that was founded by Wilson in 1993.

July 6, 2021

Six Things HBCUs Can Do to Increase Alumni Philanthropic Support

Kudos to all those HBCUs fortunate enough to be included on MacKenzie Scott’s mega gift list, along with lesser-known donors and corporate grant makers. For those institutions that were not among the recipients of such largesse, I challenge you to focus on transforming your alumni into consistent givers who may someday become mega givers.

July 2, 2021

Diversity in the Classroom: Why Representation Matters

Representation in the classroom matters. Having a diverse teacher workforce connects cultures, sets high expectations, and reduces implicit bias. Far too often, students of color feel isolated, underrepresented or mistreated, which leads to lower graduation and higher dropout rates.

July 1, 2021

Asian American Pacific Islander

Where Black History and Asian American History Meet: June 19th

“Critical Race Theory”? That’s a term I’ll leave for the protestors at local school boards to shout about. Serious scholars have more important work. Me, I’m just a journalist engaged in what I’ve dubbed as “comparative race experience.” That’s when the damage is done and we all compare notes and find that people of color […]

June 30, 2021

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The Faith Factor: How Students Can Use Faith to Overcome Adversity

I contend that being intentional about the proactive exploration and application of faith is a practice that institutions and instructors can emphasize to better prepare students for their careers and for life.

June 29, 2021

Community Colleges

Roueche Center Forum: Leaving a Leadership Legacy

For nearly three decades, I have had the privilege of serving community college students. Regardless of my roles over the years, I can attest that true leadership is embedded in advocating, advancing and holding sacred the philosophy and mission of our community colleges through a personal commitment to serve our students and our communities.

June 24, 2021

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Critical Sport Scholars: Navigating an Uncomfortable Space

Being a college sports fan while also studying college sports is a difficult space to navigate.

June 23, 2021