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The nature of higher education is changing and the student population is changing at colleges and universities across the country. With luck, the promotion of equality in higher education will continue to engender equality in education – not only in terms of student access, actually, but in terms of employment. But how does diversity and equity work out in education – in the practice of teaching in higher education? Given the issues of equality and diversity within education, how, in today’s changing context, can we move on and teach these principles effectively?

To grapple with this issue, I spoke to Dr. Adriel A. Hilton, Director, College Student Personnel Program & Assistant Professor of College Student Personnel at Western Carolina University. Dr. Hilton served as past director for the Center for African American Research and Policy as well as Assistant Vice President for Inclusion Initiatives at Grand Valley State University. He also served as chief diversity officer and executive assistant to the President & Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trustees at Upper Iowa University.

Q: Concentrating on this issue of equality and diversity, first, let’s talk about how they are related. How do you see the relationship between equality and diversity in higher education?

A: I find it interesting that two words with contrasting meanings are used jointly as a way to improve higher education. Equality is synonymous with likeness, uniformity, fairness, and homology; while diversity, on the other hand, means unlikeness, variance, mixed, and heterogeneity. Yet, when the words are synced with higher education, they become mutually beneficial, having a powerful impact.

Much research has been done on the effects of diversity in higher education, concluding it has very positive effects on students. Exposure to diversity—whether it be cultural, race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or those with disabilities—provides students the opportunity to learn about and from each other, resulting in cognitive growth and citizenship.

The equality factor in higher education is to assure all students legally start off on a level playing field. Equity policies have evolved over the years—from the first affirmative action laws in the 60s to the One Florida Initiative of the late 90s to the Student Non-Discrimination Act of 2013. These laws were not intended to give preferential treatment, but are an effort to break down the barriers that discourage underrepresented populations from enrolling in college and suffering injustices in the workplace. These efforts are still widely debated, particularly quotas, but with colleges today focusing on promoting diversity, having some sort of equality policies in place on campus set expectations for students, faculty, and staff. They set standards of respect and call for all students to view each other as equals and for faculty and staff to treat each student, regardless of his or her differences, the same.

Q: Do you think higher education institutions are sufficiently aware of the difference and if not, why not?

A: I would like to think that anyone employed in higher education appreciates equality and diversity and acts accordingly, but I am not that naive—hence the need for equality regulations and policies. Personal experience has proved that people in higher education are human first, with learned prejudices that have been passed down through the generations and of which are hard to let go. It is only through knowledge of and exposure to people of different races, culture, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and those with disabilities, that insight is gained about another person’s lived experiences. Without this knowledge, any degree of empathy, respect, or joy about any person who is unlike us is impossible to understand. When no conscious effort is made to learn about diversity and equality, progress is impeded.

Q: Explain why you feel it is imperative that courses in diversity and equality are included in college curricula.

A: The obvious answer is knowledge about diversity equips our graduates with the tools needed to effectively cope in today’s diverse workplace and global society. We now live in an age where technology has allowed us to easily connect with all types of people from around the world. Sensitivity toward a person’s culture, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and disability is an absolute must.

Community service is another motivation for colleges to offer diversity and equality courses. Who better to pass on the importance of a college education to underrepresented teens than someone who has been through the process? When college students serve as role models through partnership programs with local public schools, it can be very fulfilling and even lead to a lifelong passion for community service.

However, the main reason diversity and equality should be taught at the college level is that it helps to develop empathetic, socially conscious individuals. I think former Florida Governor Jeb Bush is a good example of a college-educated, empathetic, and socially conscious, wealthy white male.

According to the NCSL (National Council of State Legislatures) website, when Governor Bush issued the One Florida Initiative in 1999, his intent was to reform college preparation in Florida public schools (P-12) for all students, regardless of race or ethnicity, and to do away with race-based college admissions. He stated in a press release, “With my One Florida Initiative, we can increase opportunity and diversity in the state universities and state contracting without using policies that discriminate or pit one racial group against another.”

According to the Foundation for Excellence in Education (Bush is founder and board chairman of FEE) website “…during his two terms, Bush championed major reform of education in Florida, raised academic standards, required accountability in public schools …created the most ambitious school choice program in the nation …progress is measurable …more high school seniors are earning a diploma …fewer students are dropping out …third through 10th grade students are outscoring 60-70 percent of their peers in all other states in both reading and math.”

Bush recognized a problem, developed a solution, and put it into action. In my opinion, without a strong conviction toward diversity and equity, Bush would not have seen the potential in all students, no matter their class, race, gender, religion, or disability, nor would he have been empathetic or cared enough to want to help the under-served population so they too had a chance to be successful.

Q: What advice would you give to fellow academics and administrators looking to teach diversity and equality and promote it?

A: Be objective. Teach from diverse perspectives – the first-generation Black male, the low-income Hispanic teen, women, disabled Veterans. Tell people’s stories, past and present. Bring in experts to speak. But most importantly, have your students be a part of the discussion by honestly sharing their own experiences, asking hard questions, and having healthy debates so that they become personally vested in the learning process. Finally, initiate community service programs that partner with local schools to get students involved. It is through service that they will be able to see first-hand what a positive impact they can have on the lives of others. Remember, as instructors, our job is to plant the seed. It is the student’s responsibility to take that seed (knowledge) and, hopefully, choose to nurture it and make it grow.

We would like to thank Dr. Hilton for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with us.

 

 

 

 

Visit the website of your favorite college or university, find the search box and type in the words “international programs,” “study abroad,” or something to this effect. What you will find out is that odds are, your favorite institution has a department that serves as the international arm of the university, developing partnerships with countries and organizations around the world. They are part of one of the biggest trends to hit today’s modern university. The trend that I speak of is commonly referred to as the “globalization of higher education.” For this week’s installment of “Diverse Conversations,” I interviewed Dr. George B. Forsythe, President of Westminster College, concerning the “globalization of higher education.” During his presidency, this private undergraduate liberal arts college has been transformed into a global leadership community nationally ranked for its diversity.

Q: What do scholars mean when they speak of the “globalization of higher education?”

A: There are several ways to look at globalization of higher education. (1) Academic Content—students need to know about and understand the world and American’s place in the global community. Colleges and universities respond by adding “global awareness” to their curricular outcome goals, including “global perspectives” across the curriculum, or adding specific programs in global studies, international studies, or transnational studies. (2) Educational Process—Colleges and universities provide a rich array of study abroad or study away experiences to students which are designed to immerse them in another culture. (3) Community Building—Colleges and universities recruit students from around the world in order to build the global community on campus where students live and learn together as global citizens. (4) Global Reach—Colleges and universities establish a physical and/or virtual presence in the international market. At Westminster, we are aggressively pursuing the first three, with major emphasis on creating a global community in America’s heartland, with 16% of our undergraduates coming from 75 different countries.

Q: What exactly is a global university?

A: I suspect when people use this term, they mean what I am suggesting in number 4 above. A global university is one that has a global presence, with physical campuses throughout the world and/or a virtual presence through distance learning. I also suspect it means the faculty and students are drawn from around the world.

Q: How can a U. S. college or university become a global institution while also staying true to its mission?

A: Westminster College was founded in Fulton, Missouri, to prepare citizens for useful service to the community through a high quality liberal arts education. We remain true to that mission, 162 years later, but our understanding of “the community” has expanded beyond the city, county, and state to the wider world. We have stayed true to our mission, but our sense of citizenship and community have become much broader, and for good reason.
The world is increasingly interconnected technologically and economically, and educated citizens today must understand the implications of these interconnections and must be able to respond effectively to this reality. Americans must be globally engaged if we are to preserve our democratic values and maintain the standards of living that continue to attract people of every nationality to our shores. Higher education, if it is truly “higher,” must help students develop a global understanding about current tensions and possible solutions. Staying true to our mission means we must help students look beyond the campus and see the world.

Q: What do students gain from being part of a global institution?

A: A college or university that is a global community opens students to new points of view, challenges their thinking about themselves and their world, and sets the stage for personal and professional growth. Exposure to people from different cultures helps students gain an appreciation for their own culture and equips them with the skills to succeed in a global economy. It also makes life more interesting and meaningful. It’s fun. I think Former Yale President, Kingman Brewster’s, comment about the value of a liberal education applies equally to the value of global learning communities: ”Perhaps the most fundamental value of a liberal education is that it makes life more interesting. It allows you to think things which do not occur to the less learned, it makes it less likely that you will be bored with life.”

At Westminster College, we have found that the global community we have assembled has enriched our learning environment in so many ways. International students and U.S. students work together in every area of campus life—academics, research, student government, Greek life, leadership and service, and athletics. Our students form friendships on campus that lead to many local and international service activities. In many ways, the community is the curriculum, as students from around the country and throughout the world live and learn together.

To illustrate our approach, in addition to traditional study abroad and international travel courses, which we offer in abundance, we also have created a program called Take-a-Friend-Home, which is designed to foster deep friendships between international and U.S. students and provide for significant cultural immersion. This program provides the funding for international and U.S. students to travel to each other’s homes during summer and winter breaks. Participation is limited, and students compete for this program by writing a curriculum that outlines what each will learn from the experience. Before they travel, they take a for-credit course that prepares them for cultural immersion; when they return, they write a reflection paper and share their experiences with the College community.

Q: What do you think other institutions can learn from what’s happening with the globalization of higher education?

A: In the 21st Century, “global education” is redundant—if it isn’t global, it isn’t an education. Both in terms of content and process, students will be better prepared for the challenges they will face after college if their education is global. College graduates must possess the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind that will allow them to thrive in a global community.

Well, that concludes my interview with President George B. Forsythe. I would like to thank him for taking time out of his busy schedule to speak with us.

 

Mentorship is a huge part of professional success in higher education. If nothing else, having a solid mentor helps higher education professionals to develop valuable contacts and integrate themselves into their employer institution.

Finding a mentor, though, can be a tricky thing. Some people are naturally good at formulating mentor-mentee relationships. Others simply don’t know where to start.
To get some insight into how higher education professionals can go about finding the right mentor for their career goals, I sat down with Dr. John Caron, senior associate dean, Academic and Faculty Affairs at Northeastern University College of Professional Studies, who has made mentorship a key area of his professional focus.

Q: Starting with a fairly obvious but important question, tell me some of the key benefits of having a mentor in a higher education professional setting?

A: I’ve found that having someone you can reach out to when you need advice or talk through an issue you’re dealing with is immensely valuable when working in a higher education professional setting. Throughout the course of my professional life, which spans about 25 years, I’ve been fortunate to have had many mentors at different points and times during my career.

One of the most influential mentors to me was a former supervisor who became a mentor to me for seven or eight years. As a first generation college graduate, I found myself wanting to pursue a doctorate degree while working full-time and I was trying to figure out how to make that goal happen. My mentor had actually gotten her doctorate while working full-time, so she was great at helping me map out the pathway and more importantly instill the confidence in me to make this happen. I don’t think that I would have done it without her – she was a role-model because she not only achieved it herself, but showed me how I could do it.

Q: What sort of mentorship has played a role in your career? What have been some of the key highlights for you?

A: One key role my mentors have provided me with is helping me navigate new positions in higher education that required a different level of leadership. For example, as you take on positions of increasing responsibilities, the leadership skills that worked in previous positions may not work. My mentors were very helpful in giving me advice about how to develop skills I needed to be an effective leader.

Q: Mentor-mentee relationships can be immensely valuable but they can also emerge in various different forms. What importance should higher education professionals place on finding a mentor who aligns to their professional goals? Is it important to choose a mentor who has, say, specific experience in the academic field you are targeting?

A: It definitely helps to have a mentor who aligns with your professional goals, but I’ve found that it’s not critical to choose a mentor with specific experience in the field you are targeting.

That being said, choosing a mentor in the field you are currently in or would like to pursue does help because he or she can help you prepare your CV properly, introduce you to key people and contacts and explain nuances of the field such as language, culture, expectations, etc. One of my mentors was in the same field as I am (higher education), so she knew about the experiences I was having and she could relate. There was a moment, however, when I decided to leave higher education and pursue an opportunity in the private sector. I asked my mentor what she thought about the move. She couldn’t really advise me about the private sector because she had always worked in higher education. She told me not to be risk averse and follow my instincts. If the fit wasn’t right for me, the experience would be valuable if I returned to higher education. It turned out that she was right. I use the insights I gained from my experience working in the private industry every day.

Q: Considering an example, if the goal was to transition from teaching to an administrative position, what type of mentor should a person seek out?

A: I would suggest that person seek someone who has made the transition herself or himself and can help that person navigate the differences and challenges.

Q: How do people in academia actually go about finding a mentor?

A: Some people find a mentor by working closely with someone and this can happen in a variety of ways such as through a faculty or teaching assistant relationship, a former supervisor, collaborating on a research endeavor or grant opportunity, or asking a professor to read an article and provide feedback and suggestions. I have found two of my most influential mentors by working closely with someone – they were former supervisors of mine.

My first supervisor and I became friends through work and then colleagues after I moved on from that job, yet we managed to stay in touch. A lot of advice was actually given to me on the tennis court because we both liked to play tennis. We would also see each other at conferences, make a point to have breakfast together or lunch, and I would just call her up when I needed to talk to her. I think that goes to an important point that having a mentor requires some work – you have to cultivate the relationship and you need to stay in touch. It doesn’t really work if you go two to three years without talking to each other; it really works best if you stay in touch on a regular basis.

This person mentored me for seven to eight years, but unfortunately passed away about 10 years ago. After that there was a long time when I didn’t have a mentor. I started to realize that something was missing – like my compass wasn’t working – and someone pointed out that I hadn’t had a mentor in about five years, and suggested I find another. I ended up getting a job at Brown University and my current supervisor at the time evolved into a mentor/friendship relationship.

I’ve found my mentors through close professional relationships, but for others it can also happen by chance. Conferences are a great way to meet colleagues and professionals. Additionally, if you are presenting at a conference, you may be approached by someone who has feedback on your topic of expertise, and an initial conversation can flourish into a mentorship.

Q: What are some of the best resources for finding a mentor?

A: I would start by looking beyond the obvious. If you’re only looking within your department to find a mentor, expand your search. Consider groups and organizations you’re a member of, or even reach out to individuals you are affiliated with through LinkedIn. You can approach someone in a leadership role in your organization to see if he or she can help you find a mentor, especially if you are looking to grow in a specific area within your organization or would like guidance in your field or even in another field you are interested in pursuing.

I believe finding a mentor is more often an individual experience; you need to be willing and able to seek out a mentor. No one is going to walk up to you and kindly offer to be your mentor. Therefore, it’s important that you take initiative to seek out the help and guidance that you need.

Right now I’m working with a consultant and over time I’ve found that he’s really become more of a mentor to me. I can imagine that when our consulting relationship ends, I will continue to seek him out as a mentor because we’ve just clicked. And that brings me to an important point: you know when you’ve found the right person when you both click. And if you find that you don’t have that click you should keep looking because sometimes it doesn’t work out.

Q: Have you found that some institutions actively cultivate mentorship and if so, how? What are some of the more effective strategies?

A: I have heard or have worked at companies or institutions in a consulting role where they have programs in place where you can request to shadow someone in a different department, or you can be paired with someone at a senior level to talk about career advice and aspirations.

Colleges and universities or companies that are intentional about this, especially for entry-level and even sometimes mid-level employees, can create a structure or pathway for their employees that can be enormously helpful.

Q: What advice would you give about utilizing a mentor relationship? What are some of the best ways to make use of this type of relationship in higher education?

A: It’s great if you can find a mentor who you trust and who stays with you throughout your professional career. Some people have more than one mentor, like I’ve had, to help them navigate different aspects of their personal and professional life.

I would suggest that once someone finds his or her mentor that they be flexible with that person; because many mentors are executives, they are by nature, very busy.

I would also recommend to be grateful. Your mentor is giving his or her time to you in exchange for the pleasure of watching your career unfold. He or she has no ulterior motive, make this person glad he or she signed on. Don’t just reach out to your mentor when things are not going well. Share your positive stories with your mentor as well.

For the most part, a good mentor knows you really well and that person will be honest and supportive. I trusted the feedback that one of my mentors gave me because she could give it to me in a way I could hear it. It was honest but supportive, but wasn’t harsh. It allowed me to reflect on our conversation and really contemplate her advice and recommendations.

And if you don’t find someone that you click with, keep looking. Eventually you will find someone that you not only click with, but who will offer you invaluable advice and guidance through hopefully many different career paths and changes as you navigate higher education. And as your relationship grows, you might even find that your roles may reverse and that you will become a mentor to that person!

My thanks to Dr. Caron. This concludes our interview.

 

“You can never go back home.”

These famous words by Henry David Thoreau began to ruminate in my mind as I prepared to conduct an interview with President Francis L. Hendricks. You see, President Hendricks is a 1979 graduate of Mansfield University and he recently returned to the university as it’s 28th president. Apparently, “you can go back home” and to much fanfare and excitement. I recently sat down with him  to see what life is like for a former student returning home to run his alma mater. Without further ado, let’s begin the interview.

Q: What are your impressions of Mansfield University since your return to campus?

A: This is a magical place; it was when I attended here and it certainly is today! Students have always come here to learn, delve into interests and discover unknown passions. With a strong Liberal Arts base, in a beautiful rural setting, Mansfield University is able to offer professional programs in fields in which students are interested. Mansfield University has remained true to its commitment of outstanding instruction in an intimate classroom setting, where you are taught by professors who know you personally and care about your preparation for your life’s journey. The pride and commitment of our campus community is as strong now as it was when I was a student in the 1970s. From our grounds keepers who want a parent’s first view of campus to be one of beauty, to our faculty and staff who realize we are our students’ family away from family, their dedication is to our students. One of our employees just celebrated her 64th year as a dining services staff member and is valued by all.

Q: It must be exciting to come back as President. How did you react when you were offered the job?

A: I was ecstatic! I care so deeply about Mansfield University and welcomed the opportunity to come back and “pay forward” all the university has done for me. As a non-traditional candidate for University president, I truly had no expectations of being offered the position. I did however know that Mansfield University prepared me well for my future and gave me the foundation needed to be successful. At Mansfield, I was able to build relationships with professors, staff and even the President, all of whom mentored me and provided me sound advice when needed. I wanted to be able to do the same; to connect with students and serve them as those before served me. I am a product of Mansfield University and truly humbled to have been chosen its 19th President.

Q: What made you want to apply?

A: It met the criteria of what my wife and I wanted to do after I retired from the military. We wanted a position where we knew we could make a difference in the lives of others. We wanted to, once again, be part of something that was bigger than both of us; and we wanted to use our experiences and contribute to the success of the team we would join. There was never any doubt that returning to Mansfield University would be the right step for us. It also would enable me to return to the region in which I was raised. In every way, it was coming home for me and my family.

Q: Have you spent time on some goal-setting or strategic planning?

A: Yes. From day one, I have been setting the tone for how we will build upon the university’s strengths, while simultaneously addressing the challenges we face. I work closely with the university’s strategic planning committee on our next Strategic Plan. The plan, which goes into effect in 2014, sets the foundation for where the university will be in 2020. In order to remain relevant to students’ needs and thrive in the “new normal” of public higher education, Mansfield University will take the appropriate steps to ensure our students’ success. We will embrace ownership of our University’s destiny. We will broadcast our excellence and we will strengthen and build partnerships within and outside of our immediate community.

Q: What’s your impression of the community and its interaction with the college?

A: The strong connection between the university and community dates back to 1857 when both the borough and the university came into being. Community business leaders serve on our council of trustees and other committees. Faculty and staff serve in leadership positions on local and county boards. The Mansfield community embraces ours students as their own and the University works hard to partner in community and economic development, events, and assistance. After all, Mansfield and its surrounding towns are where we live and raise our children. We are neighbors, friends and partners both in and outside of the work place. That connection led me to coin the phrase, “you can’t spell community without MU!”

Q: How do you imagine continuing the momentum that Mansfield University has achieved during the past decade?

A: We will continue to assess everything we do, from the programs we offer to the services we provide our students and their families. We will make adjustments based on those assessments which is the key to remaining relevant for current and future students and our alumni. We are key producers of leader-ready individuals in their chosen fields of study. Mansfield University greatly impacts the local community, region, Pennsylvania and beyond with its graduates and its presence. We must constantly look at how we can improve upon our delivery of education and services.

Preparing students for their life’s journey, must remain our primary focus.

Well, that concludes my interview with President Hendricks. I would like to thank him for consenting to this interview. Good Luck!

 

Here is part II of my interview with President Bynum, during which he continues to dispense expert advice on how to lead successful HBCUs.

Q: What do you think is the most important strategy for HBCU’s who are experiencing difficulties, but are looking to right the ship?

A: If we’re true about who we’re serving, first and foremost, we’ve got to find a way to become more affordable for the students we are serving. HBCUs still serve a majority of the black population. The income levels of the families the students are coming from are not at the point of Caucasian-Americans. We’ve got to make sure, if we’re serious about serving that base as well as, of course, reaching out to other races, we’ve got to make sure we’re affordable. That’s first and foremost.

We’ve got to do some different things in order to make the institution more affordable. Let me give a quick “for instance.” In terms of coming in the door as a new president and speaking with the commissioner of the Mississippi Institutes of Higher Learning, Dr. Hank Bounds, the decision was “What is your number one problem? Do I sink money into the budget or to build buildings or do I sink money into making the education more affordable?” The immediate and the easy decision was we’ve got to make the education more affordable. We’ve got to make sure they have access. I can have nice, pretty buildings, but if the price tag is a detriment and it’s keeping students away, then I’ve defeated the purpose.

What we’re trying to do is maintain affordability. We’re looking to keep the tuition rate at Valley flat for the next couple of years. That’s so that, knowing the region we’re in and knowing the student population that is most likely to attend, we’ve got to make sure that affordability is first and foremost.

The other thing, as I mentioned before, is we’ve got to learn to shift with the times. There are a myriad of different things going on in higher ed. We’ve got to provide access to higher education, maintain relevant programs students can immediately use to join the workforce, and of course, we’ve got to make some information technology enhancements in terms of what students are able to do while they’re on the campus and in terms of wireless access and other Internet access, as well as online education, which I mentioned earlier.

And we’ve got to figure out a way to grow our enrollments because, again, the competition is quite steep.

Q: What financial insights can you offer to HBCU administrators? Are there particular strategies that you have found to be effective in raising funds, for instance, growing grass roots support, boosting enrollments or growing endowments?

A: I’m just getting started, so I won’t say a whole lot about fund raising, but there are some key points. The first is we’ve got to be very good stewards of what we do currently have.

Unfortunately, HBCUs, because of our lack of infrastructure in some of the key areas, specifically development and advancement, we haven’t done as good a job in terms of tracking gifts and thanking people for the gifts that they do already give. You would be surprised, of course, what a letter will do in terms of encouraging a person to continue to give; whereas, if a person doesn’t receive acknowledgement, they’re likely to be a one-time donor only. That’s the first thing. We’ve got to be very good stewards of the resources that we currently have.

The second is we’ve got to produce happy students. We’ve got to make sure we’re getting back to our foundation – our roots – and really nurturing students. I know we’re no longer in loco parentis like we used to be. But HBCUs have a history and we’ve got to get back to that nurturing environment where we’re producing happy students. There are too many students who are leaving HBCUs who are mad. They’re mad because processes and procedures were not in place or people did not treat them with the respect they thought they deserved based on the investment they were giving.

That’s why that student-centered approach I’m talking about bringing to Valley is so important. We’ve got to produce happy graduates. When student are happy, they recruit for you in terms of bringing other students to the institution. They talk very positively about their own institution. That shows when they’re on the job in their specified work career. And then, of course, they’re in a position to give back. They’re more apt to give back if they’re happy. We’ve got to make sure of that.

In terms of endowment, that’s got to be a major focus of HBCUs because of state funding, we’re simply not going to get more. As you know, state institutions are pulling back on the amount of funding they’re giving to higher institutions. As a result, we’ve got to make sure that our endowments are growing, as well as our enrollments are growing. What the state systems are saying is, “As a state, we’re suffering for lack of income. We can’t continue to give more.” Therefore, we’ve got to come up with different revenue streams. For institutes of higher education, enrollment is the primary revenue stream, but again we’ve got to continue to try and build our endowments so that there is some longevity for the institution as well as some monies that are continuing to repeat themselves each and every year.

Finally, we’ve just got to think about producing, as I said, those happy graduates. We’ve got to get HBCU graduates to pound their chest more and be proud of the institution that they graduated from when they’re on the job, when they’re in the workforce doing some great things. We need them putting those Valley license plates on their cars, or whatever institution they graduated from. Really showing off their degrees in their offices and homes and workplaces, showing the kind of pride that we need in our own institutions.

We see plenty of that, but we need even more. I need Valley grads who are putting Valley flags on their cars and not Mississippi State or Ole Miss flags on their cars. I know that doesn’t happen very often, but we need to pound our chests and be very proud about the institutions that we’re graduating from.

Q: What do you think is the future potential of HBCU’s? What trends might they capitalize on in order to continue to bring value to the higher education community?

A: I truly believe HBCUs will be around for a long time. The trend HBCUs can build on are maintaining the public square, the quality educational programs and to become more self-sustainable. What we’ll probably see, realistically, because of what is happening in the government with Pell and PLUS Loans, the competition, what you’ll probably see is a series of mergers and closures. You’re going to see the survival of the strong, and HBCUs are going to be around for a long time. I just think we’re probably going to see, over the course of the next 25 to 50 years, either some consolidations or some closures of those who simply aren’t able to compete with some of the large institutions. HBCUs as a whole, there will be a group of HBCUs around for a very, very, very, very long time.

Q: What advice would you give someone who has recently been appointed to their first college/university presidency?

A: Actually, I’m going to do two things. I’m not sure if you’ve seen Dr. Charlie Nelms, who recently wrote an article for the Huffington Post. If you would, when you get an opportunity, pull up that article. It was November 18 when they published it. The title of the article is “An Open Letter to Recently Appointed HBCU Presidents.” He did a good job. A lot of what I would offer in terms of advice, Dr. Nelms very succinctly offered in that particular article.

But what I would say in addition to what Dr. Nelms has in that article is, first and foremost, respect the institution that you’re coming into. When you are coming into an institution, you need to be as clear as you possibly can get in terms of what you’re coming in to — the history, the tradition, the region, the area, the finances. Learn as much about that institution as you can.

What happens, unfortunately, is too many folks just want to be a president. One of the things I’ve always prided myself on is trying to only apply to those institutions for which I think there is a good fit. I’ve actually only applied to a very few. That’s the main thing. You have to respect the institution that you’re going to lead and because many of us simply want to be a college president simply to say they were a college president, it wasn’t the best fit. They didn’t have the respect for the institution that really should have been there from day one.

That’s what I would say. Make sure the institution you’re going into is the right, correct fit, and that you have a great deal of respect for that institution and the history and tradition of that institution. One of the first things you can do, of course, is turn people off when you come in with a bunch of ideas that shows disrespect for that history and tradition and culture. I’m always very mindful as I’m doing things early on.

As I mentioned earlier, the One Goal, One Team, One Valley, that came internally. I didn’t need to ask people to learn something new. What I chose to do was elevate something that already existed within the culture. That’s important to respect.
The second thing is to be approachable and to be accessible. Don’t get me wrong. Obviously the work in the day of a president is too busy to entertain anybody and everybody who wants to talk. But what happens, as I’ve mentioned to other folks before, the job of the president is to get out and about and to become the number one cheerleader for that institution.

What I’ve found and what you will find, if you are out and about and the number one cheerleader for the institution, is some of those conversations that people want to have with you in the office, they can have with you while you’re out and about, when you’re at a ball game, when you’re at an event in the community. If that person needs to talk to you, they’ve got you. When you’re accessible and visible, they’re able to do those things.

The other thing I think, of course, is really bearing good fruit early on here at Valley is to be transparent. There’s a lot of information, and HBCUs have been historically bad about this. We hoard in the top levels all kinds of information that people need to know. People need to know the financial situation of an institution. They need to know the enrollment situation. They need to know what you’re facing so that decisions that they make and the additional work they do is in line with what’s happening, the vision for the institution. Transparency is something that HBCUs are notoriously bad about.

I’m very proud to say that I learned from one of my mentors and it’s already bearing all kinds of fruit here at Valley. People are being presented with information that was before inaccessible to them or they didn’t know about. We’re saying, “This is the real story. This is the real deal. This is what we’re facing. This is what we’re up against. We need everybody to put a paddle in the river and we need everybody be paddling as fast as they can and as hard as they can in the same, unified direction, so that we can move the institution forward.” It’s hard to do that when you don’t have the information. Transparency is one of those things I would definitely encourage new presidents to be and to do.

Q: How about an individual who aspires to become a college/university president one day?

A: One of the main things is to find a mentor. Find someone who is already in the role, who has been in the role or who aspires and has a realistic opportunity.
I wasn’t in a hurry to be a college president. I wanted to make sure, first and foremost, that I had the skill set that I would need once the opportunity came, and then of course, as I mentioned earlier that it was the right fit. Again, don’t be in a hurry. The fit and being prepared for all that the role is going to throw at you is important.

I mentioned finding a mentor. I had very good mentors throughout my career, from Dr. Doris Walker Weathers at Clark Atlanta University, to the best mentor I had, Dr. Ivory Nelson, who was president of Lincoln University. Find someone that you are able to share that future desire with and then ask that person. Ask that person if they would be willing to share insights that you are not going to gain unless you’re actually sitting in the chair.

Before I took the job at Lincoln, I asked Dr. Nelson point blank, “Sir, I want to be a college president. I have other offers, but I’m going to the college or university whose president says they are willing to mentor me and prepare me to do exactly what they’re doing.” Dr. Nelson accepted that and did it for nine years, really sharing the business of higher education with me and explaining, “When you made that decision, what went into making that decisions? What did you consider? What did you take into account? What did you have to look at?” Those things you will never know until you’re sitting in the chair, he actually helped explain those to me during those nine years.

Now, when I make decisions, I know what to take into account, who to take into account, all of those things – who to call, who to give an advance notice to before I actually make that decision. That tutelage of being able to sit at his feet those nine years was huge.

The last thing I would say is any time you get an opportunity to take advantage of one of these programs for presidential hopefuls, whether that’s the Harvard program or the ACE program, or numerous others offered by different associations. Make sure that you take full advantage of those.

In my case, I looked at two slices of the pie: student affairs and enrollment management. Of course, being a president, you’ve got to look at the entire pie. The one I had the opportunity to go in was the NAFEO Kellogg Leadership Fellowship Program modeled after the year-long ACE program. They give you an exposure to people who sat in the chair and had been in the job and could provide you some insights that will help you to avoid some of the pitfalls early on during your office tenure. That’s extremely important, as well.

This concludes our interview. Thank you President Bynum, for your insight and for taking the time to do this interview.

Read all of our posts about HBCUs by clicking here.

Many HBCUs have closed over the last three decades and many are in serious trouble financially and in terms of leadership.

Here to discuss this issue is President William B. Bynum of Mississippi Valley State University.

Q: First, what would you say has been the principle function of HBCU’s in the last three decades and what, on a related issue, do you think have been the particular challenges to these types of institutions in the United States?

A: We know that HBCUs, of course, were created to deal with the educational gap and all that was happening to folks of our race. What is little known, though, is HBCUs have always been open to and granted access to other races. However, the principal function has been, of course, to make sure that there’s an educated population within the African-American race and to make sure that those upward mobility opportunities were afforded African-Americans so that we could have similar opportunities to advance in this country, as have other races.

We never got to separate but equal, but of course the opportunity was – I think folks knew that it would be in the better interest of the country to have an educated black citizenry. That’s why HBCUs, of course, were created. Ultimately, it is in the best interest of the country to have that educated citizenry.

The major issues that are facing HBCUs – the challenges – are the lower enrollments that we are seeing now. Obviously, we know that there’s a significant gap. Only 3% of blacks who are choosing higher education are choosing HBCUs. That number is significantly down from where it was pre-1970. We know that’s a major issue: low enrollment.

Graduation rates. We’ve come under fire because of our published graduation rates and how we are faring against other types of institutions with greater resources. That’s been an issue or challenge. However, whenever those facts and figures are given, they never account for or control for the fact that HBCUs are dealing with the first-generation college population. And in terms of socio-economic difference and where our students are coming from, there’s a significant disadvantage. Unfortunately, people are comparing as if it’s an apples to apples comparison, when you and I both know that’s way far from the case.

When you look at the few amount of resources HBCUs have been given, one of the facts I like the most is, while we only receive 3% of the black-going college population, HBCUs are producing between 16 and 17% of the degrees that are earned by African-Americans.

Q: Given the social shifts we have seen in the last three decades and the challenges to HBCU’s, what do you feel needs to be done to preserve these institutions?

A: First and foremost, let me be very clear on the record that there is still a significant need for HBCUs in this country. We are still a relatively young country when it comes to integration and full participation by African-Americans.
For some reason, even though we saw Civil Rights laws in the late ’60s and early ’70s come to pass, people are assuming that a lot distance can be made up in the 40 years since that time. You and I both know, as educators and researchers, that that’s not a long time. But people are expecting HBCUs to have made up all of that gap, even though they haven’t been provided with the amount of resources they need in order to do so.

But here’s what I’d like to get at. First, they are still needed and necessary because HBCUs still provide a sense of nurturing and mentoring that predominately white institutions still are not able to do. I make a point every time I speak to a high school student, students who are considering higher education, to emphasize the fact that HBCUs have an entire campus that is dedicated to their success – not two or three persons who are responsible for minority students. You’ve got a whole culture and environment of people who are invested in the history and success of those people at HBCUs and because of the population that is being served.

If HBCUs close, those other schools are not seeking to serve those students who we serve, who may be coming under-prepared from high school but simply need some remedial work. You can gauge one thing, but you can never gauge a person’s heart and how much determination and willingness they’re willing to put into something.
I think HBCUs give people that opportunity to demonstrate that, despite what they may have dealt with in earlier life, if they have the wherewithal and the drive and ambition, that they can be extremely successful people.

What we need to do to stop the conversation about closure and merger and those things is there’s no doubt we’ve got to find new ways to navigate the terrain. The days of more coming is not there. We’ve got to be very resourceful. We need to be sure that we are sending the message that we, again, are open to all races. We know there’s no doubt we need to build our endowments. Of course, you and I know that there are only about five HBCUs that have endowments above $100 or $150 million. Endowments are what sustain an institution, so we’ve got to make sure that we’re building our endowments.

And, of course, we’ve got to continue to produce high-quality graduates that compete in a global society. That’s going to be extremely important. Of course, our graduates continue to exemplify themselves. One of the other figures I like, which I don’t have the exact percentages, are the number of Ph.Ds., like you and I, in this country. A large percentage of those persons started out at historically black colleges and universities. That is extremely important.

Finally, the online programs. Because of what is happening in terms of being able to reach those non-traditional learners and students, HBCUs have to be very nimble and really look at improving their online classroom offerings.

Q: Obviously the last three decades have seen shifting trends in education with African American students and other minority students accepted at a whole range of higher education institutions but how have HBCU’s responded to these trends in particular?

A: You’re absolutely right. As we just talked about, as I look at that pre-1970 number of our students who went to HBCUs versus the three percent it is now, we are facing stiff competition. Obviously, because most young people today have been raised in a totally different era and time, they are used to certain things. They are more open. Obviously, they are more technologically savvy, and they’re used to amenities that oftentimes are not as available at HBCUs.

There’s no doubt that when we’re comparing Mississippi Valley against Old Miss and Mississippi State, our physical plants aren’t the same. A lot of those students are choosing those other predominately white institutions because, physical plant-wise, all the HBCUs have not been able to keep up the way other schools have.
We say today, students make decisions as they’re walking, meaning what they see. “What type of room am I going to be living in?” Obviously, we all know there is a preference for single rooms, not the double occupancy small room. We know the tendency is for individual or small group showers, not the gang [?] showers we often see in older residence halls. We know students want to see wireless all over the place. We know students want to see knew student unions and recreation centers.

Unfortunately, because of those low endowments, because of some of the lack of funding received from institutions, we haven’t been able to keep up with those predominately white institutions. That’s a major reason why we’re losing students.
I’m always saying while need to do some of those things, we need to continue to stay true to our mission. That is the holistic development and education of students. We need to maintain our small class sizes and our individual attention and the fact that we really do nurture students. We need to stay true to those missions.

Often, what has happened is that a lot of HBCUs have become — and this is a little more controversial statement, so let me see if I can say it correctly — we’ve changed our mission and our focus by trying to chase other schools, and we really just need to stay true to our mission.

For instance, there are schools that I know about and have been affiliated with who had good retention rates and good graduation rates, to have sought to “recruit” a better quality student. They have changed their admission standards in order to go after a higher SAT or GPA or ACT score student. In turn, they were not looking to serve students who had historically done extremely well at those institutions.

I think we have to be very careful at HBCUs about what we’re really chasing. Again, we need to get back to the basics and get back to our foundation. We need to really understand we have a certain niche, and our niche is being able to work with students and prepare students and wrap our arms around them, give them the support and individual attention and nurturing they need, so that they can, indeed, really prosper and graduate. We should not be too focused on trying to compete with what are supposedly better quality students.

Personally, I don’t believe in that. As a sociologist, I know that you look at a student’s high school grade point average. What has happened is too many HBCUs put emphasis on SAT and ACT scores, which we of course know our students don’t do as well on. However, many schools are changing their standards and putting more weight on a one-time test as opposed to what students have demonstrated during the course of their academic career in high school.

We’ve got to be very careful how we respond to some of those trends, but in the case Mississippi Valley, we’re going to stick to our foundation. We’re going to stick to our mission in terms of what we were founded to do. We’re going to continue working with students who desire higher education who understand, “I may not be as prepared as I needed to be for college; however, I’ve got a heart, I’ve got a willingness, I’ve got a desire to learn. If I’ve got a caring, dedicated, committed faculty, while I may enter at one point on entryway, I’m going to be even with those students at Ole Miss and Mississippi State by the time I exit.”

Q: Although you just started your tenure at Mississippi Valley State University, you have been very successful at righting the ship through a number of different policies and programs. What, in general terms, has been your approach to preserving the legacy of MVSU, while making much need changes?

A: I think I’m shifting it because what happens, unfortunately – and you know this –what I’m trying to do is refocus faculty, staff and students on why we really exist. Why we’re here. That is, of course, being more student-centered and making more decisions in terms of what is best for our students.

My approach has been laying out expectations, creating an environment of transparency and producing a collegial working atmosphere. My vision for MVSU incorporates individuals working across the board to achieve our goals. I don’t believe in silos. I believe we indeed have to work as a team and across division lines if we’re really going to make sure the students persist.

We’re building on a traditional framework that work here while I incorporate those new ideas that will help sustains and contribute to the relevance of Valley. The vision, in case you haven’t heard it yet, that we’ve set is something that already existed on the campus. I’m just putting a new twist and a new emphasis and making it crystal clear what we mean. That vision is One Goal, One Team, One Valley.
That one goal is student success. We’re going to be about student success. Enrollment, holistic development, retention, graduation and career advancement. All decisions that we make need to be made with students first and foremost in mind. Not our ourselves as individuals, but what’s best for our students.

The one team is the university and community working together. It is extremely important that the university, especially a university like Valley in the area we’re in, that we make inroads and make it very clear that we want to partner with community stakeholders who are interested in this institution and see us an asset. We’re going to do that and make sure I’m reaching out to folks and letting folks know, “We want to be your education institution of choice.” For this area, this region, we want to be that institution. We’re working with the community to build those partnerships.

Finally, the one Valley, that is students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the institution actively demonstrating school pride and spirituality that is second to none. In case you didn’t catch that, that’s school pride and spirituality. The spirituality is intentional in the sense that that’s one of those foundational things we need to reconnect to in terms of an HBCU. When a student is connected spiritually – and I’m not talking about any specific religion; I’m talking about to a higher being and a different energy source – a student then gets grounded. They have a new perspective. As a result, they tend to persist longer. Some of those things are not about necessarily changing the academy, but getting folks in the academy to think in a totally different way. The institution has become too much about us as faculty and staff, as opposed to about serving the students who we enter for.

Here’s a quick example of what I mean by student-centered decision making that I’ve shared with the staff here. If there is an office that has two or more employees, there’s no reason that office should be closed any time during the 8:00-5:00 work day. What has happened is, often times because I want to go to lunch with a particular person or with whomever I’m working with, I may close that office down for an hour while I go to lunch, not understanding that that student who is in class or other activities, you never know when that student is going to need to frequent your office. For that student to have just a small amount of time to come to an office and then see a sign or no sign and no one in the office, that’s not being student centered.

Being student centered is, if there are two or more people in an office, that office should never close during the day. They should straddle their lunch hours so that the office is open the entire 8:00-5:00 workday. That’s what I’m trying to do – to get people to think differently about who we are really here to serve and to make sure students get a return on their investment for the dollars they are investing in their education.

Well, that concludes part I of my interview with President Bynum. In Part II, the president will continue to dispense expert advice on how to lead successful a HBCU.

Read all of our posts about HBCUs by clicking here.

Colleges and universities all over the United States play an integral role in shaping tomorrow’s leaders. At Saint Leo University they take this charge to heart, infusing visionary leadership into the curriculum. I recently sat down with, Arthur F. Kirk, Jr., president of Saint Leo University to discuss his approach to leadership preparation.

Q: Saint Leo is known for its commitment to developing leaders. Would you tell us about your university’s approach to developing future leaders?

A: The notion that leaders are born and not made was once widely accepted. However, this belief is fading, as research suggests that much can be done to help grow leaders to their fullest potential. That certainly has been my experience as a university president for nearly 30 years.

When students arrive on our campus, they quickly realize that much will be expected of them. The days of sitting in the back row of a classroom and going through the motions as a college student are no more. That type of attitude is unacceptable to potential employers, and eliminating it while on campus is the first step to cultivating future leaders.

For this reason, our classes are intentionally small (our student-teacher ratio is 15:1) and students do not get lost in a crowd or back row, rather we engage them assuring greater opportunities to develop their skills and prepare for leadership roles.

At Saint Leo, all first-year students must take SLU 100, a foundational course upon which freshmen can build their leadership skills throughout their education, and long after. The course focuses on understanding and applying the university’s core values of excellence, community, respect, personal development, responsible stewardship, and integrity. The only way to cultivate leadership qualities among our students to ensure each of these values is thoroughly explored as principles of leadership—and followership.

Q: How does the curriculum at Saint Leo prepare students for future leadership?

A: One thing we know for certain is that the 21st century manager will need to know more about leadership than the 20th century manager. The world is changing at an ever-increasing rate, so we knew Saint Leo’s approach to leadership development would need to keep pace with and anticipate those changes.

Saint Leo’s new liberal arts general education program (the core of all our undergraduate degree programs), University Explorations, is designed with an emphasis on topics of special interest to the 21st-century student. The curriculum takes a cross-disciplinary approach to teaching students to think critically; to read, write, and communicate effectively; to act ethically; to appreciate beauty and exercise creativity; to develop a capacity for reflection; and to work in teams. Using a problem-based learning approach, students develop the skills they will need to be thoughtful citizens of the world and responsible leaders in their communities.

Additionally, woven throughout all our classes is Saint Leo’s Quality Enhancement Plan, A Model for a Challenging World: Critical Thinking + Core Values = Effective Decision Making, which requires students to apply critical thinking and our university core values to solve problems. Saint Leo University also offers a 12-credit Certificate in Leadership as well as an 18-credit Leadership minor that includes a capstone course in leadership, as well as an internship. Additionally, 17 sophomore student athletes picked by their coaches, representing each of our intercollegiate athletic teams, take a year-long leadership course.

Q: What are the needs of the nation and how should higher education address them?

A: There is no shortage of problems in our country at the moment. Challenges abound in all sectors—economic, political, environmental, militaristic, etc., because current “leaders” don’t lead responsibly and pass from generation to generation, problems that grow worse over time.

But the pass-the-buck mentality is not sustainable, and our nation’s young people will be faced with grave challenges to keep our country great. It is our responsibility to ensure that the future generation of leaders is equipped with the tools to confront in ethical and courageous ways.

Q: How does Saint Leo respond to this need?

A: I hear from many employers that our students are not only qualified with the practical skills necessary to hit the ground running in an entry-level position, but that they also have the ethics, critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making skills to take on more responsibility within their first year on the job and move quickly through the ranks; they tell me that recent graduates from other institutions, in effect, start slower or hit a brick wall. Our students go on to become leaders in their fields and in their communities.

As an example, after Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast a recent alumnus in Florida reached out to fellow alumni—both those in need and those who might offer assistance or resources—to figure out how he could help. Within days, he coordinated the donation and delivery of more than 20 pallets of supplies and was soon helping to distribute those items in Staten Island and New Jersey with other alumni. So, again, I believe instilling values and challenging students to think critically to solve problems ethically is essential to educating the people we want to become our future leaders.

Another way Saint Leo responds to this need is to understand that one particular source of future leaders too often goes untapped. Our active duty-military members and veterans return from their service to our country having already received leadership training. And yet too often they are not given the support necessary to translate that experience into the civilian workforce or their communities.

Military members are resilient. They know how to be a team member. They have a clear understanding of the mission and how to achieve objectives, and many times over have demonstrated courage and skill under high-pressure situations.

These are all skill sets that will make them effective in the workplace, especially when partnered with a degree in their field. Putting that package together in the workplace and in the community is a powerful dynamic. They have already made a tremendous contribution to our society through their military service, but their potential for greatness at home too often goes unrecognized.

Q: What does the future hold for Saint Leo University?

A: While we already offer our students many opportunities to study leadership and leaders and to practice leadership skills in classes, clubs, and athletic teams, we are engaging more students in the study and practice. Leadership seminars, retreats, and non-credit short courses for fraternity and sorority leaders, student government representatives, and club leaders will soon be offered. Virtually all of our classes in our school of business require students to solve problems in teams. Many other disciplines are also emphasizing team approaches. There is so much more we can do.

I would like to thank Dr. Kirk for consenting to this interview and for all that he does to develop America’s future leaders.

 

In this 20-part series, I explore the root causes and effects of academic disengagement in K-12 learners and explore the factors driving American society ever closer to being a nation that lacks intellectualism, or the pursuit of knowledge for knowledge’s sake..

Today’s parents are hyper-aware that parental actions in the formative years can lead to problems in later life, and the widespread disagreement about which actions are harmful leads to great stress and confusion .  Raising children safely to adulthood is no longer sufficient to earn the label of a “good” parent. A glance at any handful of parenting blogs shows the self-conscious nature of the job. Moms and dads debate the repercussions of breastfeeding versus formula feeding, working full-time versus staying home with children (or a hybrid version).  They speculate about how many extra-curricular activities are healthy and how many will ruin kids forever. Instead of parents defending their own views on parenting, there is a lot of hand-wringing and self-doubt that screams for reassurance in the comment section.

Parents today worry about their actions and daily choices far more than new parents did just ten years ago. While it is admirable that parents take so much interest in how they interact with their kids, much of this worry is not wisely focused. It seems that in the debate over the long-term life effects of wearing organic clothing or the impact of allowing children to buy school lunches, a more important issue is being neglected: the involvement of parents in early childhood education and in the years that follow.

The Irrationality of the Vaccination Debate

Perhaps one of the hottest of hot button issues in contemporary parenting is the issue of vaccinations. The average child will have 30 immunizations or booster shots by the time she enters Kindergarten, not counting the recommended yearly influenza shot. The dramatic rise in vaccinations since 1980, when immunizations were offered for only seven known diseases, is a direct result of improvements in modern medicine that make it possible to ward off other illnesses. Chicken pox, once considered an accepted childhood rite of passage, is no longer a concern since all children are required to be vaccinated for it within their first year of life. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that children today be vaccinated against 16 preventable diseases throughout childhood. Instead of praising these marvels of modern medicine, though, many parents are questioning them.

On its website, the CDC addresses the most common questions asked by parents who are concerned about the adverse effects of vaccination on the littlest family members:

Why are vaccines given at such a young age? Wouldn’t it be safer to wait? Can so many vaccines, given so early in life, overwhelm a child’s immune system… so it does not function correctly?

Each question is answered with scientific data that validates the CDC’s recommendations and warns against delaying or skipping vaccines, claiming that the only measurable effect such actions have is to increase the number of incidences of childhood diseases for which vaccines were created. Though childhood diseases, some life-threatening or life-altering at the very least, have been basically vanquished, vaccinations fuel the contemporary parenting paranoia.

But Vaccines Cause Autism, Right?

The most widely-held concern about vaccinations is that they may cause autism and autism-spectrum disorders. The parents who believe this cite the rise in autism cases, up 78 percent since 2000. It’s a convenient argument, really, and one that releases parents of any responsibility for the rising problem that has no cut-and-dry answer yet. It is easy to blame vaccines and to feel a false sense of protection when asking doctors to delay giving them or refusing them altogether. These same parents may also believe that the hours children spend in front of a television or computer screen as infants add to the propensity for autism, or they may dismiss that theory altogether because the vaccine answer “makes the most sense.”

Scientists have found no direct link between vaccines, or their timing, on a rise in autism. In research on autism-spectrum disorders, scientists have learned that the brains of affected people are shaped differently than those of their neuro-typical peers. Genetics are believed to be a factor, particularly since some family trees tend to show a pattern of autism or other related issues. Some researchers will concede that there may be “triggers” that usher in the disorder, though these experts are quick to point out that this only happens in people already prone to the disorder. Leading autism research does not place any blame on recommended vaccines after children are born, but does argue that environmental causes, particularly during pregnancy, could contribute.

So if the people at the forefront of autism research place no blame on immunizations, why is the theory so prevalent? Actress and comedian Jenny McCarthy subscribes to the vaccination-induced autism theory as it relates to her son, and she has been widely publicized for speaking out. Perhaps it is easier for parents, angry and looking for somewhere to lay blame, to read a popular book written by McCarthy than to delve into the scientific research available from scientists with names they have never heard. Like other facets of American life, it is simpler to jump on the nearest bandwagon than to take time to hear all sides of an issue.

Organic Foods, Unsafe Car Seats

The vaccination debate is just one example of how parents are quick to succumb to paranoia and slow to research facts.  The same tendency appears in parents who buy food with the word “organic” stamped on the side, but do not actually read the ingredients on the label or research the true way the food was made. Parents worry about the negative effects of vaccines, processed foods and cyber-creeps stalking their children online. Yet, despite the fact that automobile accidents account for the largest percentage of accidental child deaths, the site SeatCheck.org reports that 70 percent of parents and caregivers improperly restrain children in car seats. Parents seem to invest great passion in warding off perceived threats and spend less energy on dealing with real dangers. It is easier to make decisions based on ideology than actual reality.

This trend of paranoia among parents is dangerous in physical terms but also in less measurable ways. Children who learn to cling to ideas without proof are less likely to seek out true answers academically. It is enough for these children to simply memorize what is placed in front of them, without any real questioning, because they have learned in their pre-K years to accept ideas automatically rather than examining them critically.

Some parents may mistake this trait for tolerance or sensitivity.  But unless they demand substantive understanding and seek actual truth, children have no ownership of knowledge. What’s worse, they are indifferent to the distinction between reality and groundless ideas. Educators are tasked with awakening students’ desire to learn the why and how of things, not simply to accept what is put in front of them. Parents who are not vigilant about seeking their own truths at home make the intellectual pursuit of knowledge more of a challenge for K-12 educators – and play into the theories of irrational thought.

In this 20-part series, I explore the root causes and effects of academic disengagement in K-12 learners and explore the factors driving American society ever closer to being a nation that lacks intellectualism, or the pursuit of knowledge for knowledge’s sake.

Imagine a construction worker who arrives at work to find that his job is now subject to a new set of federal regulations in addition to the rules he has always followed. A few months later he is handed a stricter set of rules from the state. It does not contradict the federal regulations, but it places even higher demands on his work. A few months after that he hears from his supervisor that the way things are done on the construction site are changing to better adapt to the needs of the clients. In addition to doing the actual work set in front of him in a timely and accurate way, the construction worker must answer to three entities with different rules (four if you count the actual clients), and the task of building something beautiful and structurally sound is lost in a sea of standards.

This is essentially what has happened to the teachers in today’s classrooms. Under the guise of accountability and the idea (and law) of “no child left behind,” teachers face regulations that are not simply suggestions; non-compliance can impact their livelihood.

Teachers Stranded by Standards

While these standards are well-intended, they place educators in a straightjacket. Those who have a passion for knowledge that lies outside what will be tested face a dilemma: should they move forward with their calling, potentially risking a dip in test scores, or should they simply go with the outline placed in front of them? “Performance-based” standards promote academic disengagement in teachers, and this attitude is naturally passed down to students.

There are other factors that lead to teachers acting as agents of academic disengagement, whether purposefully, subconsciously or unavoidably and involuntarily. Every industry employs some people who choose their career paths at random and then end up resenting them. Teaching is no exception. Some teachers become jaded to a degree that impacts the effectiveness of their instruction. Some educators arrive on the job without ever having read a classic canonical work of literature or learned to recognize or appreciate world-famous art.  Some teachers bring their own political leanings into the classroom, whether right or left, religious or atheistic, in a way that promotes bias, discourages the exploration of contrary facts and ideas, and takes away from the academic experience. All of these things impact students.

Preconceived Educational Notions

Contemporary academic disengagement has many sources. Students do not arrive at Kindergarten as blank slates, ready to be taught. They already have some knowledge.  More essentially, they already have an attitude about knowledge. Educators do not receive a pliable ball of clay from which to build intellectual beings; they receive fully developed sculptures that take a lot of work to modify.

The job of teachers, after all, is not to change the students in their care but to find each of their strengths and play to them. This does not mean ignoring intellectual pursuits just because a particular student is averse to learning. It simply means that the tactics which effectively reach one student may not work for others.

Despite what a standards-based teaching culture tells us, what is good for the many is not always good for the one. Richard Hofstadter talked about the way the democratization of education had hurt the broader search for knowledge in his book Anti-Intellectualism in American Life. The principles of equality that are the very fabric of the nation are detrimental in many ways to learning in classrooms. How can students take responsibility for their own educations if their learning paths are dictated for them? How can teachers academically engage students when all that “matters” is the number on a standardized test or the ranking of a school?

Teachers, then, have a unique calling when it comes to engaging students and imparting a love for knowledge that fosters a spirit of intellectualism. Educators must keep their jobs while reaching across the standards that divide them to pull in students who are already preprogrammed for academic indifference when they enter Kindergarten classrooms. Though the job of reclaiming intellectualism for the next generation falls on the shoulders of many, teachers are at the forefront of making it a reality – yet struggle under increasingly stronger standards that stunt the pursuit of knowledge beyond what will end up on an assessment.

It wasn’t overnight that we reached this state of anti-intellectualism in K-12 classrooms, and change in a positive direction won’t happen immediately. But by identifying the factors that are contributing to the heightened state of anti-intellectualism and admitting that there is some work that needs to be done, we can start the long journey back toward re-establishing an intellectual culture where rational thought is accepted – and celebrated.

 

In this 20-part series, I explore the root causes and effects of academic disengagement in K-12 learners and explore the factors driving American society ever closer to being a nation that lacks intellectualism, or the pursuit of knowledge for knowledge’s sake.

Technology penetrates every aspect of society – even our K-12 classrooms. The way knowledge is delivered today takes the shape of tablets, and computer screens, and even in-class projectors. Does all the flash and glamor of the fancy gear take away from the basic pursuit of knowledge, though?

It Starts in Infancy

Early childhood educational technology targets children from infancy and makes it easier for parents to feel good about using media in the early childhood years. Television programs and videos claim to offer the correct answer to the parent’s question “What should my baby be learning?”  Since such programming is developed by experts who certainly know more than the average parent about child development, these marketing ploys are accepted. Programs for infants are promoted as safe in small doses, as long as parents watch them with their little ones and participate too. Instead of reading books aloud, parents put children on their laps and spend a half an hour clapping along to classical music and gazing at bright, swirling colors on a screen.

This contrived form of “bonding” replaces tangible activities like rolling around on the floor, naming objects in the home or letting a baby turn the pages of sturdy board book. The American Academy of Pediatrics warns that children under the age of 2 should be exposed to NO screen time, but parents adjust the recommendation to fit their own family unit and routine, telling themselves that the APA warnings are for “other families” who use television or other media as a babysitter, not families like their own that use it as a form of early education.

Once the two-year mark is passed, it seems that children face a no-holds-barred attitude when it comes to television watching. A University of Michigan study found that television viewing among young children is at an eight-year high. Children between the ages of 2 and 5 watch an average of 32 hours of television every week between regular programs, videos, and programming available through gaming consoles. It is not the actual television shows that are harmful; in fact, the Journal of American Medical Association found that some educational television between the ages of 3 and 5 improves reading skills. It is the overuse of television and technology, and the underuse of basic learning activities like reading a book or playing with a ball, that lends itself to academic disengagement in the school years.

How Technology Warps the Learning Process

Even more active technological engagement, like using a computer or tablet for toddler learning activities, can foster academic disengagement by making the learning process entirely too easy. If a two-year-old child learns that the answer is always the touch of a screen away, how can the same child be expected to search for answers or show his work in his K-12 career? What parents today view as learning improvements are actually modern conveniences that devalue the pursuit of knowledge.

Though the eagerness to let technology replace traditional early childhood learning methods presents large-scale problems, the intent of the parents using that technology is often benign. Why not give children a head start on learning ABCs, colors and numbers that are easily taught through repetitious technology applications? Parents are not deliberately leading their pre-K offspring down the road of academic disengagement or anti-intellectualism for life, but when they allow technology to define early childhood learning, they sow the seeds of both problems. Questions that cannot be answered within a simple application format become too difficult, or too bothersome, for children to try to sort out later on.

Educators have not yet come to grips with the issue of parental dependence on technology. The first children who have had access to mobile applications from infancy are just beginning their K-12 careers and will likely see some of that technology made available in their classrooms. How will these children react when they are given a book to read, or when they receive a returned, marked-up math worksheet that requires editing by hand? Will these children scoff at the idea of non-digital requests, or handle them graciously as part of the learning process?

As with any technological progress in classrooms, mobile technology certainly has its positive place but educators (and parents before them) should also be asking what is being replaced – and how much of K-12 learning should be delegated to technology. Dependency on technology, particularly in relation to educational goals, is planted by parents (often unknowingly), and contributes to academic disengagement by making digitally enhanced learning too convenient and traditional learning pursuits too “boring”.