When Spider Webs Unite Weaving a Legacy of Success for Black Students

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When Spider Webs Unite Weaving a Legacy of
Success for Black Students Professionals at
PWI's through Cross Campus Collaboration
Vincent L. Briley Lisa M. Scott, Denison
University Chris Kennerly, Kenyon College 2006
OASPA / OCPA ConferenceWorthington, OH
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Introductions

• Vincent L. Briley, Director
• Office of Multi-Cultural Student Affairs
• Denison University BrileyV_at_Denison.edu
• Lisa M. Scott, Director
• Office of Affirmative Action Diversity
  Programs
• Office of the President
• Denison University ScottLM_at_Denison.edu
• Chris Kennerly, Assistant Dean Director
• Multicultural Affairs Snowden Multicultural
  Center
• Kenyon College KennerlyC_at_Kenyon.edu

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Definition of Terms

• HBCU
• PWI
• Isolation
• Diversity
• Mentor
• Spiders?

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An Ethiopian Proverb

• When spider webs unite, they can tie up a
  lion.

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Anansi An Akan-Ashanti Hero

• Anansi The original Spider Man is an African
  cultural icon folktale hero that traveled with
  the enslaved Africans throughout the world.
  Anansi is honored as a knowledge bearer,
  trickster, story-teller.

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A Call to Action

• It is extremely important that Black
  administrators hold positions that are in the
  mainstream of the university. Black
  administrators must be seen by Black students as
  professionals . as role models as well as
  professionals who are in a position to take
  advantage of an opportunity. Black administrators
  and faculty members must understand that the most
  useful and meaningful function for Black
  administrators on White campuses is to become
  advocates for black students.
• Clarence G. Williams Role Models and Mentors
  for Young Black Administrators, Faculty and
  Students at Predominantly White Campuses
  DiversityWeb 2006

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Addressing Isolation of Black Professionals
Students at PWIs

• Blacks still remain under represented at every
  level of higher education hierarchy
• Dr. Manning Marable Blacks in Higher
  Education An Endangered Species? Along The
  Color Line July 2002

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Addressing Duality of Roles for Black A F at
PWIs

• Often, the expectations for Black Administrators
  Faculty are greater than White Administrators
  Faculty at PWIs.
• Expected to serve as advocates for Black
  Minority students.
• Be a spokesperson for and researcher of diversity
  issues whether or not it's their field of
  expertise.

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Models of Success on Campus

• DU Black Faculty Caucus / OC Nia-BFAST
• These organizations provide socio-cultural
  support for Black students, represents the
  interests of faculty, staff, administrators, and
  students, and facilitates cross-cultural
  development of the campus community. Serves as
  Home for Black
• Professionals at PWIs

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Models of Success in Central Ohio

• The Alliance for Black Student Leadership
• The Alliance of Black Student Leadership is body
  of Black Student Unions (BSU's) and other Black
  Student Leaders from Otterbein College, Capital
  University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Kenyon
  College and Denison University. The Alliance
  for Black Student Leadership (The Alliance) works
  together to develop, strengthen and foster
  student leadership amongst African American
  students. Students from the various campuses come
  together throughout the year for social events,
  educational programs and networking opportunities.

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Regional Models of Success

• Great Lakes Colleges Association Incorporated
  Committee for Institutional Commitment to
  Educational Equity / GLCA-ICEE
• The ICEE committee, comprised of faculty
  administrators from the 12 member institutions,
  gives direction to consortial programming and
  disciplinary studies, and informs and addresses
  the GLCA community on issues of diversity and
  educational equity. SOC Leadership Conference,
  Black Studies Conference, Best Practices in
  Hiring Faculty of Color.

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National Models of Success

• National Association of Student Affairs
  Professionals / NASAP
• NASAP, founded in 1954 on the campus of Howard
  University, was created to help fill a void in
  professional development opportunities for
  persons of color in student affairs during the
  height of segregation. Today, NASAP provides a
  nurturing umbrella for student affairs
  professionals and students at historically Black
  colleges and universities, as well as persons in
  minority affairs at traditionally White
  institutions.

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What is Missing?

• A state-wide initiative to marshal the knowledge,
  skills, and network of Black higher education
  administrators faculty.
• Creation of the Ohio Consortium of Black
  Professionals in Higher Education. (Fall06)
• Creation of List-Serv Web Site of
  Multi-Cultural Minority Affairs Directors of
  Ohio. (Summer/Fall06).
• Establishing a State-wide Mentor / Protégé
  relationship between new and seasoned
  administrators and faculty.

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• Critical
• Components of Successful
• Collaboration

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Thoughtfulness

• Why does this project require a collaboration?
• How will this project benefit from a
  collaborative effort?
• Are their institutional benefits to this
  collaboration?
• Do I have significant, effective relationships
  for a collaborative effort?
• What kind of commitment will I need people to
  make?
• Will there be any political fallout to this
  collaboration?
• Is there a culture of collaboration at this
  institution?

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Intentionality

• Can I identify like-minded committed people as
  partners to buy into this project?
• Do I have enough time to identify, contact and
  gain commitment from partners?
• Are my partners external or internal to my
  institution?

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Independence

• Do I have permission to invite institutional
  personnel into a collaborative effort?

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Resources

• What organizations, groups and communities are my
  partners connected to?
• What resources (monetary, in-kind, access,
  influential power, etc.) do my partners bring to
  the project?

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Diversity

• What level of diversity does this collaboration
  reflect? (cross-cultural, student affairs,
  academic affairs, student, staff and faculty,
  minority/multicultural affairs, etc.?)

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Imagination

• What does imagination have to do with all of
  this?
• Imagination The ability to form images and
  ideas in the mind, especially of things never
  seen or experienced directly.
• For any project to come to the table,
• there must first be a vision.
• In my experience, a vision is not of what will
  be, but of can be. In other words possibilities.
• How often are we told to imagine?

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Imagination (cont.)

• How often do we higher education list imagination
  as a job requirement?
• Imagination is for artists, performers, etc.
  Higher Education is serious business.
• How much more effective would our work be if the
  first order of business (after introductions)
  either individually or collectively was to simply
  take some time to imagine?

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Conclusion

• When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.

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References Resources

• The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education
  www.jbhe.com
• National Association of Student Affairs
  Professionals www.nasap.net
• Retaining African Americans in Higher Education
  Challenging Paradigms for Retaining Black
  Students, Faculty and Administrators Dr. Lee
  Jones (Editor)