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Did Integration begin the fall of Black Educational Success?
Jan 10th
On Sunday, two of my colleagues had an interesting conversation about the direction of education in America, with a special emphasis on the African American community. My two other colleagues are high school teachers in North Carolina, and myself as college administrator. The conversation began with the question addressing how education changed after integration. It is apparent that after schools were integrated there was a significant cultural shift in how education was viewed in the African-American community. There is significant literature highlighting varying explanations for why it changed and how it affects us today.
Where are we going? Is Arizona our model for Democracy today?
Jan 10th
Because one person disagreed with a sitting member of Congress, we must bear the burden of burying a Federal Judge, Grandmother, Friend, Sister, Brother, and a whole host of identifying factors for people taken away from us too soon. The young man, who obviously has his own unique views on the political process and the right to bear arms, took into his own hands and created his own political process. My heart goes out to the family of Rep. Giffords and to all of those who were directly affected by this tragedy. However, Pima County Sheriff Clarence W. Dupnik made it very clear to everyone in his statement on Saturday:
“The anger, the hatred, the bigotry that goes on in this country is getting to be outrageous, and unfortunately Arizona has become sort of the capital,”
The Seven Vectors…
Jan 3rd
In 1969, Dr. Arthur Chickering proposed in his landmark book Education and Identity, seven vectors of development that contribute to the formation of identity. Now, Chickering’s research while one of the most used research in student development, it then needed more discussion about gender, race, national orgin and a variety of other identity characteristics. However, Chickering’s seven vectors as presented in their revised state (Chickering & Reisser, 1993) paint a very good picture of how we develop in the vectors of:
1. Developing Competence
2. Managing Emotions
3. Moving Through Autonomy Towards Interdependence
4. Developing mature Interpersonal Relationships
5. Establishing Identity
6. Developing Purpose
7. Developing Integrity
Now, we all develop differently and move through the vectors in our own special ways. I write about the vectors today, because shockingly enough throughout 2010 I had to take time to think back to many of the factors that played a role in helping me become the young professional that I am today. We all make mistakes, we learn from them and we move on.
Over the next few weeks, my goal is to revise my personal purpose statement, begin charting out on paper my plan for this academic year and the next five. I have already begun seriously looking at doctoral programs in the region and picking back up on reading. There is so much potential in 2011 for myself and for those in my circle and we must live up to it.
Wednesday Words – “I can’t read…but I can catch a ball, so do I get a scholarship?”"
Dec 15th
On one of my favorite message boards, we are continuously seeking ways to improve our alma mater’s athletics success. Lately, our athletics programs have seen their ups and their downs; athletic directors, coaches, staff all lead into campus via a rotating door. So much of the conversation is centered on the failings of leadership and lack of vision in athletics, but so little of conversation centers around the students. The student-athletes are who recruited to play for us are essentially our employees, and while the athletics program hasn’t lived up to its winning tradition lately, we must share all of the blame between the senior leadership, athletics leadership, players, coaches, alumni, students, community supporters. There are so many stakeholders in this picture, but I will focus my conversation today on the student-athletes.
I told my father last night that if we are serious about being an academic institution and if we want to make sure our student-athletes are able to graduate and have something going for them in life, we must not continue enrolling these risky-students. More succinctly,
“Can’t read, write or add, means NO
BALL FOR YOU”
Thoughts: Ethics
Dec 2nd
Yesterday evening I went out with some of my favorite Aggies to see James “Poet” Woodert and the Future Band at Indulj on U Street. Its always great to out with people who are seeking to become leaders in their own rights in the world. One part of our conversation went throwback, for those Aggies who were on campus around 2005, do you remember “Aggie Sweets?” For those who don’t go online and check it out, its still there. However, the point I want to highlight is this: “What have you done in your past that will come back to haunt you in your future?”
Currently, I’m watching the CSPAN feed of the Censure Resolution against Representative Charlie Rangel. What are your thoughts on this case? What are your thoughts on the process of the ethics committee? I am not here to highlight my political leanings, but was the process against him fair? Has the ethics committee done the appropriate work on other representatives who may have done similar or worse things? Listening to Representative Bobby Scott right now, he is highlighting some facts. So discuss…
