Dr. Julianne Malveaux
Tuesday’s keynote speaker was Dr. Julianne Malveaux, dean of the new College of Ethnic Studies at California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA). She stressed the importance of listening to students at a turbulent moment in higher education.
“Right now is a really hard time for young people,” said Malveaux. “Many of them are extremely anxious about COVID and the labor market. Where are they going to work after graduation? Will they have enough financial aid? Many of our students are also poor and suffer from food and housing insecurity.”
At Cal State LA, more than 80% of students will be the first in their families to earn a bachelor’s degree. Many students are also Pell Grant recipients. Malveaux is also the former president of Bennett College, a private historically Black liberal arts college for women located in North Carolina.
“Academe was designed to be an ivory tower for wealthy white men, frankly,” she said. “What I tell folks is I want to deliver higher ed unusual, not higher ed as usual. We have to learn how to break some barriers. We have to make sure everyone feels at home.”
As an economist, Malveaux has researched how the wealth gap intersects with racial inequities. To close that gap, she pointed out that more financial literacy is needed among students as well as student affairs administrators in an often underpaid field.
“If we’re broken vessels because of our own financial issues, then we can’t heal our students,” said Malveaux. “How far away are you from retirement? Have you saved enough money? If you’re not financially secure, then you can’t help students be.”
