José Dela Cruz, Ph.D.’s Post

The Covid-19 pandemic has fundamentally altered student affairs in US Higher Education. In our latest Leader Insights piece, we explore key transformations with strategies from leading professionals, including: Frank Cuevas, University of Tennessee Knoxville — on rebuilding campus engagement and fostering a sense of community. Jen Shaw, Saint Leo University — on addressing gaps in students' interpersonal skills post-Covid. WILLIAM HUDSON JR, Florida A&M University — on navigating social challenges and academic rigor. Dr. Rick Ezekiel, Dalhousie University — on empowering students to resolve conflicts independently. José Dela Cruz, Ph.D., Portland Community College — on providing holistic support for students' basic needs. Read about what these leaders have to say in the full article 👇 https://lnkd.in/ga6sJQs7

Check out this insightful conversation with Dr. Ruth Simmons, a true trailblazer in U.S. higher education. 🌟 As the first female president of Prairie View A&M University, the first Black president of an Ivy League school (Brown University), and the first Black president of Smith College, Dr. Simmons has consistently broken barriers and reshaped the educational landscape. In this discussion, Dr. Simmons is joined by Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO David Solomon to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing higher education today: 🎓 Improving Diversity Across Campuses: How can we create more inclusive environments that reflect the diversity of our world? 💸 The Affordability Crisis: With rising costs, how can we ensure that higher education remains accessible to all? 📚 The State of Education Today: Are we at a crossroads? What cultural shifts are necessary to address the challenges facing colleges and universities in the U.S. and where is the room for good jobs outside of the college system? This conversation is a must-watch for anyone passionate about the future of education and the pivotal role it plays in shaping our society. #HigherEducation #DiversityAndInclusion #EducationReform #Leadership #Trailblazer #RuthSimmons #DavidSolomon #FutureOfEducation #STARS #TearThePaperCieling

Celebrating student achievements! Florida's education leaders applaud the significant success of students, highlighting dedication and academic excellence. 🎓🌟 Florida’s Education Leaders Applaud the Significant Success of Students Read More: https://rb.gy/9ft08c #FloridaEducation #StudentSuccess #AcademicExcellence #EducationLeaders #CelebratingAchievement #EducationSuccess

GOOD RIDDANCE AND TAKE YOUR MARXISTS WITH YOU! Pro-Marxist classes (such as English 308 MARXISM AND LITERARY THEORY) are taught by self-proclaimed Marxists (such as Alys Eve Weinbaum) are a major part of UW. “Marxists at UW” is a registered student organization. Marxist signs frequently appear around the campus. Marxism is a cult of hate espousing “class warfare” and “dictatorship of the proletariat”. It is responsible for 200 million deaths in the 20th century! It has been discredited by total economic failure (in Marxist Cuba today the average MONTHLY salary of a worker is $30-40 dollars U.S.!). UW should not hire Marxists to teach Marxism for the same reasons they should not hire Nazis to teach Nazism. Hate should have no home at UW! 😖

Hope IS a strategy. Ignore the Harvard biz school pundits. Without strategic and purposeful optimism, we are doomed. So today I’m grateful to Complete College America for laying out in painstaking detail exactly why there is hope for higher ed— if only we are willing to fight and rescue it from its worst impulses. This essential report says the quiet parts out loud: 🔥Elitism rules the current system and that’s no accident. 🔥The primary problem faced by public colleges and universities? Underfunding. 🔥Higher ed cannot support a healthy democracy if it continues its privatized ways. We have to work on making it a public good available to all. Bottom line, this CCA report affirms what’s at stake and clarifies that students are humans first- and always. It reflects a real journey for CCA and one that thrills and inspires me. This is a #RealCollege must read 💪🏼💪🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Way to go Yolanda Watson Spiva, Ph.D., BCC Dhanfu E. Elston, Ph.D. Charles Ansell #highereducation #affordability #basicneeds #democracy

Recognizing this urgent moment for American higher education and our democracy, Carnegie Mellon University President Farnam Jahanian is joining 60 other college presidents of diverse institutions from across the country to advance higher education’s pivotal role in preparing students to be engaged citizens and to uphold free expression on campus. The College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, a consortium designed by Institute for Citizens & Scholars, includes participating presidents who are dedicated to preparing the next generation of well-informed, productively engaged, and committed citizens; defending free expression, civil discourse, and critical inquiry as essential civic norms; and increasing thoughtful engagement and better understanding by students for the effective functioning of our democracy. “In today's increasingly fractured world, promoting civic engagement and modeling civil discourse is precisely the role that higher education can and should play. Carnegie Mellon University is deeply committed to serving in this role and sees the work of supporting the exchange of knowledge and perspectives as foundational to our mission,” said CMU President Farnam Jahanian. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eC_S5WBj

Get to know Ed Fuller, our dedicated Director of Research at the Pennsylvania Educator Diversity Consortium (PEDC). With a professorship in the Department of Education Policy Studies at Penn State University, Ed's extensive research focuses on educator quality, career pathways, diversity, and school improvement—areas vital to our mission. Ed’s experience includes impactful roles at the University of Texas at Austin and the Texas State Board for Educator Certification. His expertise in educator distribution, mobility, and turnover is essential in shaping strategies that foster diversity and equity in education across Pennsylvania. He is currently considered the leading expert on these issues in Pennsylvania. Watch for more information about how Ed’s research contributes to our shared goals #EducationEquity #DiversityInEducation #ResearchAndImpact #PEDC #CEEPA #DataEquity #EdPolicy

Happy Monday and happy new publication day! Kathy Guthrie and I have a new article out today in the Journal of Higher Education Policy and Leadership Studies! This article, The Complexity of Social Justice and Leadership on Campuses: An Analysis of Institutional Mission Statements, is a continuation of our work with higher education institutional mission statements. You can read the abstract below and the link to the full article is here: https://lnkd.in/eFdn6kT4 Within the United States, social justice and leadership education have immense and critical overlap, as they both share the common purpose of creating a better and more just world (Chunoo et al., 2019). This article analyzes 40 institutional mission statements that include social justice language through the culturally relevant leadership learning (CRLL) model (Beatty & Guthrie, 2021; Bertrand Jones et al., 2016). By analyzing the mission statements using the CRLL model, this article looks to see how both leadership education and social justice education are mutually mobilized to enhance student leadership learning and development. From both the content analysis and case study of these institutions, aspects of socially just leadership emerged through various environmental dimensions of campus culture and leadership identity, capacity, and efficacy. Implications will be explored on how higher education institutions can center the work of leadership education and social justice education to enhance student capacity and efficacy to engage in socially just leadership.

Breaking into the top 10 for the first time in more than two decades, the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development landed at No. 8 in this year’s U.S. News and World Report rankings of the best graduate schools of education in the country. In the 2024 rankings, UVA EHD jumped eight spots to tie for No. 8 with five other schools including Harvard University, New York University, and Stanford University. Among public institutions, the school tied for No. 4. It remains the No. 1 graduate school of education in Virginia. https://ow.ly/qlcI50RbpzC

October 15 marks a significant day in the history of education, commemorating various milestones that have shaped the educational landscape across the globe. This date serves as a reminder of the progress made in the pursuit of knowledge and the ongoing efforts to make education accessible and inclusive for all. One of the notable events celebrated on this day is the establishment of the first public school in the United States. Founded in 1635 in Boston, Massachusetts, the Boston Latin School set a precedent for public education in America, emphasizing the importance of providing free education to children regardless of their socio-economic background. Additionally, October 15 is recognized for the groundbreaking work of education reformers like Horace Mann, who is often referred to as the 'Father of the American Public School System.' Mann's advocacy for universal public education and his belief in its power to transform society laid the foundation for modern educational practices. Internationally, October 15 also highlights the efforts of organizations like UNESCO, which have been instrumental in promoting education as a fundamental human right. UNESCO's initiatives have focused on reducing disparities in education access and improving the quality of education globally, particularly in developing countries. Moreover, this date is celebrated for the advancements in higher education, such as the founding of prominent universities and colleges that have become centers of excellence and innovation. These institutions have played a crucial role in advancing research and fostering intellectual growth. In essence, October 15 serves as a day to reflect on the achievements in the field of education, recognize the challenges that remain, and recommit to the goal of providing equitable and quality education for everyone. #milestonesineducationhistory #educationhistory #BostonLatinSchoolLegacy #HoraceMannLegacy #UNESCOEducationEfforts #PublicSchoolRevolution #HigherEducationAdvancements #GlobalEducationEquality