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DECEMBER 1, 2014
www.HispanicOutlook.com
VOLUME 25 • NUMBER 5
Minority Women in IT Careers Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
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LATINO KALEIDOSCOPE
A High School Reunion Revisited: We Are One By Carlos D. Conde high school reunion is a march back in time. It celebrates the best of times when the world was golden and evokes the sadness of nostalgia in the memories that remind you of the way we were while accepting the realities of what we have become. If you graduated with the class of ’55--as I did--it means you’re long in the tooth–assuming you still have some-and but a whimper of the Greek Adonis or the big man on the campus you thought you were. Does anyone have class reunions anymore? They seem an anachronism in today’s world but some teenyboppers of the 50s--myself included--still do as we cling to the vestiges of happier days and unencumbered times. Sadly, we’re becoming less of what once was a class of over 100 and every year, I, and many of my surviving classmates travel to San Benito, my border hometown in Texas, to revisit old times and bask in the memories of yesteryear even though, in part, they came with complications. We gather for a three-day retreat at the home of a former classmate, Louie Oden and wife, Judy, to get updates on classmates, compare photo albums of our grandkids, reminisce about those good old days, so we say, and hold impromptu entertainment and sing-alongs mimicking that era. Something else is happening here that today’s generation would probably not understand and deem improbable if not imaginative. We are one. In the 1950s and 1960s, San Benito, like most U.S.Mexico border edge towns, was a bifurcated community that impacted our social and economic activities short of our academic endeavors, meaning intellect was not discriminating. We lived a peaceful and respectful coexistence but to be blunt, didn’t associate socially with each other even though we depended on one another for our everyday community tasks. The Anglos lived on their side of town; we lived on ours. We had our churches, they had theirs even though they might be of the same denomination. They had their clubs, such as the Lions Clubs and Elks, and we had ours like the Knights of Columbus or other church- related societies. Their daughters participated in the Cotillion Ball or Cot-
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ton Festival but not ours because it was by membership and invitation. Growing up in San Benito, I can’t recall ever visiting or being invited into an Anglo home and we didn’t invite them to ours though it was more by convention than prejudices. Such attitudes reached into our high school, class of ’55 included. There was no animosity but on the school grounds, the Anglos stuck to the north side and the Latinos stayed on the south side. They all spoke English and knew no Spanish and we spoke English--a prerequisite for school entry--but preferred to communicate in Spanish. In our high school assembly programs, the Anglos sat on the east side and we took the west side and woe to anyone violating that code. I can’t recall any Latino of that era mixing socially, dating an Anglo or escorting them to a high school social event though there were clandestine trysts like the Latino football hero who eloped with the pretty Anglo coed, a happening of scandalous proportions for those times. Our high school’s Vanity Fair, an ethnic event of high school royalty, was a bit more democratic and politically driven because it was by vote and we were approaching a time when our ethnic numbers were almost equal. I was elected to the court my junior and senior years which I must confess was largely by judiciously receiving the support of key and popular Anglo student leaders. Hey, one had to learn the art of politicking early. It’s no longer that way. The amalgamation of Latinos and Anglos is solid as the reunion at Louie and Judy’s home showed. We have arrived at the day where we now literally and figuratively embrace each other with social and ethnic barriers long removed. We are one. (A self-disclosure: I extended the Latino-Anglo relationship by marrying an Anglo University of Texas Anglo coed) Carlos D. Conde, award-winning journalist and commentator, former Washington news and foreign correspondent, was a communications aide in the Nixon White House. To reply to this column, write to him at CDConde@aol.com)
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Contents 6
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College of Mount Saint Vincent Shows Skill in Graduating Hispanics by Gary M. Stern
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Stepping it Up for Minority Women in IT Careers by Michelle Adam
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Upward Bound: Success Spans 50 Years and Beyond by Sylvia Mendoza
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Latina Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Can’t Be Stereotyped on Issues by Margaret Sands Orchowski
19 Cover: College of Mount Saint Vincent
Expanding Study Abroad for Minority Students by Frank DiMaria
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Published by “The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Publishing Company, Inc.”
Departments 3
Latino Kaleidoscope A High School Reunion Revisited: We are One by Carlos D. Conde
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Own It! Entrepreneurial Mindset Promotes Academic and Business Success by Marvin Lozano and Miquela Rivera
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Uncensored
Publisher José López-Isa Executive Editor Marilyn Gilroy Senior Editor Mary Ann Cooper Washington DC Bureau Chief Peggy Sands Orchowski Contributing Editors Carlos D. Conde, Michelle Adam Contributing Writers Gustavo A. Mellander Administrative Assistant/Sales Associate Tomás Castellanos Núñez Research & Development Director Marilyn Roca Enríquez Art & Production Director Wilson Aguilar Art & Production Associate Jenna Mulvey Advertising & Marketing Director Robyn Bland Director of Accounting Javier Salazar Carrión Advertising Coordinator Magaly LaMadrid Article Contributors Frank DiMaria, Marvin Lozano, Sylvia Mendoza, Miquela Rivera, Gary M. Stern Editorial Office 220 Kinderkamack Rd, Ste. E, Westwood, N.J. 07675 TEL (201) 587-8800 or (800) 549-8280
by Peggy Sands Orchowski
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Book Review The Rise of Sonia Sotomayor and the Politics of Justice reviewed by Mary Ann Cooper
Interesting Reads
Back Priming the Pump cover Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
Editorial Policy The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine® is a national magazine. Dedicated to exploring issues related to Hispanics in higher education, The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine®is published for the members of the higher education community. Editorial decisions are based on the editors’ judgment of the quality of the writing, the timeliness of the article, and the potential interest to the readers of The Hispanic Outlook Magazine®. From time to time, The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine® will publish articles dealing with controversial issues. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and/or those interviewed and might not reflect the official policy of the magazine. The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine® neither agrees nor disagrees with those ideas expressed, and no endorsement of those views should be inferred unless specifically identified as officially endorsed by The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education Magazine®.
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INSTITUTIONS
College of Mount Saint Vincent Shows Skill in Graduating Hispanics By Gary M. Stern private college in the Bronx, which often falls under the radar screen of higher profile universities in the New York City area, is succeeding with Latino students, particularly those who major in the sciences. The College of Mount Saint Vincent is rated in the top 10 of Hispanic-Serving Institutions for graduating Latinos and has the highest graduation rate in the country for Hispanic students majoring in the sciences. It’s also done an effective job of attracting Hispanics in large numbers. In fact, Hispanics now comprise 35 percent of its student body. Mount St. Vincent also earned a federal grant to help Hispanic students. What’s the secret to its success with Hispanic students? Indeed it has been named a Developing HispanicServing Institution. Accompanying that designation, it was awarded a five-year $2.3 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education, starting with $458,000 in 2014-15. To be eligible, colleges needed to have at least 25 percent Latino enrollment, which the College of Mount Saint Vincent surpassed by 10 percent. Earning that grant and being named an HSI enables the college “to invest in the programs we already have,” Sarah Stevenson, dean of the undergraduate college, said. Moreover, it allows the college to hire a full-time literacy specialist, increase tutoring services and establish a summer program for incoming students. As Mount Saint Vincent’s president, Dr. Charles L. Flynn, Jr. noted, “Nationally, too many Hispanic students who enter college are leaving before they reach the second year, often due to their being underprepared or insufficiently connected to opportunities like intern-
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ships, career services, support programs or advising.” In fall 2013, Mount Saint Vincent had nearly 1,500 undergraduates. Of that number, 35 percent are Hispanic, 28 percent white, 16 percent African-American, 10 percent Asian-American, 6 percent bi-racial and 5 percent unknown, so nearly half of its students are minority. The most popular majors on campus are nurs-
Dr. Charles L. Flynn, Jr.
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INSTITUTIONS ing, psychology and business. The college is independent though it was founded by the Sisters of Charity. Flynn, who has been president of the college since 2000 and has a doctorate from Duke University, emphasized that the College of Mount Saint Vincent is committed to helping and graduating all of its students, including Hispanics. “We want to serve students of every background. We can’t imagine not wanting to serve students of every background,” he stated. Moreover, he noted the college “reflects the demography of our region.” The college aims to “provide superlative quality higher education to every undergraduate student. Liberal education matters,” stated Flynn. “Students build a life and a career when they ‘study broadly and rigorously.’ If you’re devoted to undergraduate education, you challenge students substantially.” As the HSI grant indicated, Flynn said, “We don’t admit students to flunk them out. We admit students we think can succeed.” “The Latino population is underserved by education, particularly by higher education. We believe in serving this underserved population,” he said. Stevenson attributes the College of Mount Saint Vincent’s success with Latino students to several factors: 1) having a strong academic resource center helps Hispanic students in their “persistence” to obtain a degree; the resource center offers tutors, online tutoring, and a
Sarah Stevenson
Nationally, too many Hispanic students who enter college are leaving before they reach the second year, often due to their being underprepared or insufficiently connected to opportunities like internships, career services, support programs or advising.” Dr. Charles L. Flynn, Jr. president, College of Mount Saint Vincent
summer program for high need students; 2) helping students belong on campus plays a major role in connecting them with the college and since Hispanics constitute 35 percent of students, they’ve established a strong presence on campus; 3) focusing on career direction strengthens their purpose; and 4) the college stresses service, which inspires many students. Since the college is relatively small, students don’t get lost or feel alienated or disconnected. Most classes are capped at 30, and writing classes are limited to 15 students. The moderate size of the college “enables faculty to get to know the student and see where the student is struggling,” Stevenson said. Stevenson noted that promoting individual research by students has played a major role in strengthening its science majors. This strategy has proved particularly effective with first- generation and Latino students who get engrossed and immersed in the research. “They don’t have role models,” she said, so the science advisor serves in that capacity. The support, tutoring, research, and faculty advising contribute to its success producing Latino science majors. Many students need academic support. The college offers “tutorials in writing, critical reading or math,” HISPANIC OUTLOOK
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INSTITUTIONS
The College of Mount Saint Vincent was awarded Developing Hispanic-Serving Institutions federal grant totaling up to $2.3 million.
Flynn noted. “It helps students with time management, a critical skill required to succeed in college. “ To help ensure that students graduate, the college instituted an early warning system. That helps address what is troubling the student, whether it’s finances, issues at home or being overwhelmed by academic challenges. Any student who is having problems attending classes or isn’t doing well academically is contacted by one of two advisors, a faculty advisor or professional advisor, a member of the Office of Academic Advisement. The professional advisor might focus on career education and internships and might suggest tutoring. “It creates a safety net for students,” Flynn said. Hispanic students often downplay some of their strengths. “Those who are bilingual often underestimate how much a competitive advantage being bilingual is,” Flynn said. “It’s not something to escape; it’s something to cherish.” Several studies have noted that Latinas attend college in greater numbers than Latino men and that there might be gender differences in their level of college readiness. Flynn underscored that men “from every
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background tend to be late bloomers. Latino men enter with more identifiable vulnerabilities,” he said, and often need support programs to help them achieve. Making college more affordable, which Mount Saint Vincent is trying to do, also wins over working class and first- generation students. Beginning in the 2015 semester, the college is cutting tuition to $21,640, a 30 percent decrease. Flynn said, “We recognize the financial pressure families are under and want to do something about it.” When asked what tips he would offer other college presidents who wanted to improve their Latino graduation rates, Flynn replied, “Condescension is death. Too often the people who go out to help another person are not doing it with the kind of respect that makes them effective.” Despite its effectiveness with Latino and other students, the College of Mount Saint Vincent often goes unnoticed amidst the many highly publicized colleges in New York City. “Do we merit more attention than we have gotten? Yes. If I knew why, I’d solve the problem,” Flynn said.
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Stepping it Up for Minority Women in IT Careers By Michelle Adam years, Nikki Arora, corporate marketing officer of UST Global, would hear corporations talk about equality and diversity in the workforce, yet the dismal figures for women, let alone minority women, in the IT workforce remained the same. According to Arora, less than 2 percent of women make it into the IT workforce, despite the fact that about 12 percent graduate with IT degrees. Aware of these statistics – and the fact that software developers are in demand (there will be 1 million software jobs unfilled by 2020) and the U.S. is expected to be majority-minority in the year 2040 with 42 percent of the country black or Hispanic – UST Global launched Step IT Up America in 2013. The program was established with the goal to create 5,000 new jobs for inner-city minority women in tech careers by 2020, and to begin by training and employing 1,000 inner-city women in 10 of the nation’s largest cities. “Minority women have the passion. They are focused, committed, and are individuals who want to make a difference. Their talent is there, but not the opportunities and skills,” said Arora. “We knew they had the talent, but we didn’t have corporations believing in them and going out to the way to reach out to them. We wanted to change that.” Since 1999, UST Global, a privately held corporation and global technology leader across industries, has recruited, trained, and employed more than 320 women in five major cities – Atlanta, Philadelphia, Detroit, Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City – and will follow with many more cities to come. In each of these cities, Step IT Up America has sought out women who have a minimum of a high school diploma, or are enrolled in a two-year degree or in other college, and who can commit to eight hours of paid training a day. The program works directly with community leaders, foundations, organizations, employment agencies, community colleges, and other venues to find the right women for Step
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IT Up. Once these women are selected, they undergo a 90-day boot camp training, and are taught skills in business analysis, visualization, quality assurance, project coordination, computer programming and coding skills, in addition to mentoring, presentation, and other soft skills that will help them perform in the corporate world. “Initially when the CEO, Sajan Pillai, and I had this idea, people were baffled. ‘How can you train these women with no background of the corporate world and coding?’ they’d say,” said Arora. “We have had our set of challenges with working with this level of talent because we are used to developing talent by
Nikki Arora
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CORPORATIONS & BUSINESS doing so internally with students and graduate students. But, we are also working with women who are more nimble and focused than we’ve ever seen. They are going to give engineers and people with degrees a run for their money.” While a lot of corporations have training programs and skill development programs internally, they often focus on working with engineers with a university education, and not with the group of people Step It Up America is targeting. “There is no organization that I’ve found that is focused on such a niche market of minority women and taking them as they are – taking their raw talent and bringing them in at our cost, and making sure they are successful and getting jobs,” said Arora. Step It Up America was first launched in Atlanta because when UST Global was speaking to customers in this location, they were committed to giving future Step It Up women jobs after their graduation from the program. So, on Nov. 19, 2013, with community and corporate leaders, the first program was launched. “We took on this challenge because it is irresistible… because it is the kind of thing that is hard to say no to… you can see very clearly the benefits,
Annalishea Pérez
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They have taught me not only technical skills but interpersonal skills, as well as how to dress and carry myself as a professional.” Annalishea Pérez, participant, Step IT Up America
and where it can lead… and all the good it can do,” said Vice Chair of Albright Stonebridge Group and former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutiérrez at the time of the launching. Since Atlanta began with the program, 100 women have participated in Step IT Up there, and about 60 or more of them have already received job positions. Most of the jobs they’ve been placed in are with companies that are UST Global clients, yet Step IT Up America is also open to working with companies that might not be clients of theirs. “We had women interviewed by Hallmark and other companies. This is not charity,” said Arora. “We are giving people skills for these jobs and we need to make sure there is commercial sense to invest in a city, to make sure it is successful and we are not making false promises to these women.” After Atlanta’s launch, the program expanded to include Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City. The New York City launch was planned for October, and following that, Oakland, Calif., and Washington, D.C. were next on the list. So far 320 women have been enrolled in the program since its inception, and the goal remains to reach 5,000 women by 2020. “Most of these women, more than 50 percent, are single mothers. Every day it gives us such a great motivation to do good. These women come to us and tell us that we are their life saviors,” said Arora. “These are women who had lost everything. Some were homeless and were barely making ends meet. When these women are then enrolled and have the mentorship of other women leaders, it is inspiring and brings tears to our eyes.” One woman who was a single mom, and has definitely benefited from the program, is Annalishea
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PO C RR OP GO RR AA MTSI O N S & B U S I N E S S Pérez, a Latina and African-American woman raised in New York and Georgia. For her, Step IT Up America taught her how to me a “better me.” “Although I’ve always wanted to work in the corporate world, I didn’t know what it took to thrive in the corporate environment. They have taught me not only technical skills but interpersonal skills, as well as how to dress and carry myself as a professional,” she said. “I was extremely shy and almost afraid to talk to people of a higher professional status. They brought my shy timid ways out of me. My coach gave me a daily assignment to talk to five strangers a day, which made me come out of my shell.” Pérez was raised by her mother with expectations to graduate high school, but Pérez had ambitions of doing more, and of initially becoming a lawyer. Her mother had never graduated high school, but Pérez did and became the only one in her family to earn an associate’s degree in applied science after graduating high school. During her college studies at ITT Technical, a school advisor informed Pérez of Step IT Up, which became a perfect fit for her. “The process was very difficult for me mainly because of the technical part of software testing. I stayed up many nights past midnight trying to study and pass two weekly tests, and grasp the concept of it all. It was all hard but well worth it,” she said. “I’m a single mom and I truly feel blessed to get this opportunity and I also feel honored I was chosen out of the many applicants and am so grateful that UST Global created this program for Latina and AfricanAmerican women. All we needed was a chance and an opportunity to change our lives around.” Pérez now works for Home Depot, and plans to eventually become a test lead manager, and IT project
manager for them. She has been able to take the skills Step IT Up taught her and become very good at what she does. While Step IT Up America has yet to reach the number of Latinas it wishes to assist through further outreach, the program thus far has become a great success – and especially since UST Global’s vision is supported by so many businesses, organizations, academic institutions, and political leaders. “There has been support from communities, academia, corporations, and the White House (we met with Obama and Michelle). We have been fortunate and we want to continue to promote this program,” said Arora. “I don’t recall a single incident in which a foundation or corporation hasn’t been inspired by this program.” For Arora, and those at UST-Global, they are supporting a vision of transforming lives, both in the U.S. through Step it Up America, and in multiple ways overseas (The company is now collaborating with Mexico’s president, Vicente Fox, to bring about opportunities there as well). “I believe that UST is a leading agent for social change globally and the future looks promising and exciting,” said Arora. “We want to create a global phenomenon. It’s about passion and transformation of community and country.”
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INNOVATIONS & PROGRAMS
Upward Bound: Success Spans 50 Years and Beyond
By Sylvia Mendoza
Rashida Vassell remembers coming from Jamaica at the age of 9, her dream of becoming a doctor already deeply engrained in her heart and mind. Her family – father, mother, seven siblings – settled in the Bronx and into school, dedicated to education. However, they had no idea how to pursue the dream and make it a reality. “I always did well academically, but lots of people do well academically,” says Vassell. “What happens to many first- generation students is they get to college but then don’t know what to do from there. We get missed and fall through the cracks.” Her cousin recommended Upward Bound. While in high school Vassell entered the program based at the Bronx Community College. Under the direction of Michelle Danvers-Foust, director of TRIO Precollegiate Programs which includes Upward Bound Classic, Upward Bound Math and Science, and Talent Search, Vassell thrived and received the direction she needed. “Michelle was like a second mother to us,” says Vassell. “Someone cared about us academically and cared about us as individuals and helped us maneuver the system to get to the right places.” Vassell made it through college and went on to grad school and med school. Now a general surgeon in New York, Vassell believes she wouldn’t have made it without Upward Bound. “You can have a dream and drive but need to find out how to open doors, find opportunities and access tools to be successful. That’s what Upward Bound does for you.”
Dr.
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That’s what Upward Bound has done for thousands of students in the United States. According to the Council for Opportunity in Education, there are 964 programs serving 80,000 students. The Upward
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Dr. Rashida Vassell
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INNOVATIONS & PROGRAMS Bound success stories take students beyond college. The program makes them community leaders and people of influence, from entrepreneurs to educators, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. Often their success breaks the cycle of poverty. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Upward Bound is the pre-college federally-funded program created in 1964 as part of the War on Poverty. Designed to help low-income, first-generation college students develop the skills and motivation necessary for success in college postsecondary education, it is the oldest and largest of the first federal TRIO programs, which includes Student Support Services and Talent Search. As mandated by Congress, two-thirds of Upward Bound students served must come from families with incomes at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level and in which neither parent graduated from college. According to the U.S. Department of Education website, Upward Bound partners colleges with challenged and under-resourced high schools to expose students to college and prepare them for the challenge of higher education. Students receive instruction in college readiness, literature, composition, mathematics, and science while on college campuses. The program runs after school, on Saturdays and in a six-week summer component that gives students an opportunity to live on a college campus and earn credits toward their high school diploma and college degree. This pipeline program often becomes more of a lifeline for students and staff.
Upward Bound gives them confidence, skills, knowledge and resources. These students become masters at knowing how the system works, which is key to their success.” Dr. Antonio Flores, executive director, HACU
Michelle Danvers-Foust
The Program In Action Danvers-Foust has worked with the Upward Bound program at Bronx Community College (BCC) in some capacity for 27 years. With a 61 percent Latino student population, her college mirrors the population of their community, she says. Sometimes their environment doesn’t lend itself to academic success. “In my first year, 1987-1988, there were students that went home every weekend to attend a funeral,” says Danvers-Foust. “Someone they knew had been killed. Life interrupts the learning process here. With Upward Bound, they can be free of their environment for six weeks and focus on themselves and their futures for a change.” BCC works with four target high schools. They take students on a first come, first serve basis – beginning when student and parent show up for interviews, committed to take on the intense program. “We don’t look for A students. Our goal is to have students graduate college ready so they don’t have to take remedial classes when they get to their college campus.” Students commit to a six-week summer immersion program and Saturdays throughout the school year. “It’s not always a cool thing,” remembers Vassell. “It’s sacrifice. We gave up summers and worked hard.” It’s a tradeoff that allows them to see their potential and believe there is opportunity to follow their passion. They get acquainted with college life. They visit nearby campuses. They live in dorms. They go to administration offices, to the cafeteria, to the gym.
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INNOVATIONS & PROGRAMS They work with principals and counselors. They take numerous field trips to see a life beyond their community and campus. They take classes and are counseled on how to keep that momentum going back at their high school campuses. Danvers-Foust has on average four teachers, 106 students, and offers four hands-on academic classes – foreign language (Spanish or French), math (all levels), English language arts and the sciences per session. It also takes a special teacher to be part of this program. “We have to take it beyond the academics. The teachers are invested in the students. We have to take a holistic approach in caring for these students. We pay attention to their individual needs, their lives.” Even after students get to college, the Upward Bound doors never close on them. Reality hits and some students start flailing. “You have a few who mess up when they get to a college campus and all that goes with finding their independence,” says Danver-Foust. “Most come back for help to get back on track – and we help them.”
Any kid who’s been through it will never forget it. It plants seeds for excitement in education. It’s dynamic. Many come back to their own communities as doctors or educators or engineers, ready to give back.” Oscar Felix, associate vice president for access and diversity and executive director of the Access Center at Colorado State University
Same Mission, Same Vision The Upward Bound anniversary was celebrated at
the 33rd annual conference of the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE), which has more than 1,100 colleges, universities and community-based organizations as members. Committed to expanding college opportunity, it is the only organization with affiliates in all 50 states, focused on assuring that lowincome and first-generation students have a realistic chance to prepare for, enter, and graduate from college. It provides much needed advocacy for Upward Bound and the other TRIO programs. Oscar Felix, associate vice president for access and diversity and executive director of the Access Center at Colorado State University, is serving as current chair for the COE board. The Upward Bound success story can be told over and over again and there is a need to ensure it continues, says Felix. “Any kid who’s been through it will never forget it. It plants seeds for excitement in education. It’s dynamic. It brings kids together who would never have been friends. It’s safe for them to be themselves. It’s a safe place to learn. It’s magical. Many come back to their own communities as doctors or educators or engineers, ready to give back.” The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) is the only national educational association that represents Hispanic-Serving Institutions,
Oscar Felix
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INNOVATIONS & PROGRAMS representing more than 480 colleges. Its goal, like TRIO’s, is to increase opportunity and open new doors for historically underserved populations, says Dr. Antonio Flores, HACU executive director and a former director of the Upward Bound Program at Hope College. Flores. HACU works on funding for HSIs and TRIO programs to get students to and through college. “Upward Bound gives them confidence, skills, knowledge and resources,” he says. “These students become masters at knowing how the system works, which is key to their success.” The Ripple Effect: Beyond Students Flores came to the U.S. as an adult, with an undergraduate degree but limited English speaking skills. Hired by the Upward Bound program, he helped place students and so had to learn a lot in a short time, he says. “Working with the program opened new horizons. I learned from the students and their success. I wouldn’t have aspired to higher education and a PhD without it.” His affinity for the program drove him. Years later, he became director of the Upward Bound Program at Hope College. Because of Danvers-Foust’s work with Upward Bound at her campus, she went back to school for her master’s degree and then on to law school. “My own kids who are now 16 and 21 have had the privilege of growing up in this environment and they know the ropes, too.” At Colorado State’s Upward Bound program, Felix works with a full-time associate director, three project coordinators, an academic specialist and a core group of dedicated teachers, who seem invested for far more than one Upward Bound session. “Manny Valdez was my math teacher when I was in the program,” says Felix, “and he is amazing with the students now.” It is as if once introduced to the power of Upward Bound outreach, individual connection and commitment can last a lifetime. Future: The Need To Grow Upward Bound Upward Bound has been a model for success for 50 years. However, more money from Congress is needed to grow the program, says Felix. “We’re only serving 10 percent of the population that can benefit from the Upward Bound program.” To keep getting funding, he keeps better data on his graduates, tracking them and their success after college. In addition, he works with university admin-
Dr. Antonio Flores
istrators, board of regents and faculty, who can give feedback as to what incoming freshmen are lacking. All are apprised of the program’s mission and vision and there is full buy-in, which makes getting funding more likely, he says. “Funders want to see data, not just hear about success stories and showcasing students. This effort lends to university advancements with grants.” Flores agrees. HACU advocacy encourages financial commitment from Congress, state and local governments. “We need to persuade those who make decisions with public funds to invest in this community, which will be the salvation of this nation. NonLatinos have not grasped that vision.” Given the dramatic demographic shift of Latinos in mainstream America, if every college and university bridges to K-12 schools, many millions more young people from underserved and underrepresented areas would be better equipped to succeed once they enter, Flores says. “Very few programs can transform lives like Upward Bound,” says Flores. “It’s a whole new ballgame, the pipeline connection. It needs to be made a national enterprise. We need to massively replicate its mission.”
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Latina Congresswoman
Ileana RosLehtinen Can’t Be Stereotyped on Issues By Margaret Sands Orchowski
Immigration is a very complicated issue. It can’t be done comprehensively. Nothing can any more. It has to be in pieces that are discussed and voted on – piecemeal.” Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla.
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PROFILES ongresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen was the first Latina ever to be elected to Congress in the history of the United States. But she didn’t know it at the time. TV anchor Katie Couric told her the news, when in 1988 she first took the oath of office. “I was surprised to hear about it,” said the 60-something congresswoman as we scurried down the long corridor next to the subway going from the Rayburn office building to the House side of the Capitol. Obviously it was not the main reason the former Florida state Assemblywoman and Senator had for running. The mother of four, who was born in Cuba, was in her mid- 30s when elected, married to a politician who was also in the state legislature like her, and working on her doctorate in education from the University of Miami. She had many interests when she ran for congresswoman of Florida’s 27th District – a position she has held now for 13 terms. For starters she is passionate about education – including strengthening the Head Start program and revising the FAFSA college application financial aid process. She earned her doctorate while in Congress, taking almost 17 years from the time she entered Miami Dade Community College (“the largest in the country,” she said proudly) to finishing her thesis – an exploration of congressional attitudes about educational testing. “My survey was the only one ever to get a 100 percent response from members of Congress. I know because I did it personally,” she grinned as we ran up two flights of marble stairs to the elegant office of the House Rules Committee. She also is intensely interested in international policy. In 2011, she earned another first when she became the first woman (and Latina if you must) chairperson of the prestigious House Committee on Foreign Affairs. She continues to serve on it, pressing the fight against Islamist extremism and strongly supporting the president’s initiatives on free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. She is adamant about maintaining the embargo against Cuba and the U.S.’s strong support of Israel. She also is a player in women’s issues in Congress. She was the lead sponsor of the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act and authored legislation to award Congressional Gold Medals to the WASP (Women Air Force Service Pilots) of World War II. She supports legislation to increase criminal penalties for perpetrators of Medicare fraud. Immigration is not her big issue – although she is sympathetic to the plight of DREAMers and voted this summer to extend DACA another two years.
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Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen is the model of the Latina who can’t be stereotyped: a strong passionate conservative and a rising Republican leader. In fact, she was appointed by the Republican House leadership to serve on the powerful Committee on Rules. Its members decide what legislation makes it to the House floor and who is chosen for House leader. It also might surprise some to learn that the congresswoman considers her fellow congressional colleague from Florida and often sharp-tongued Chair of the Democratic Committee, Debbie WassermanSchultz, to be a “non-adversarial” colleague. “We talk about everything from personal and family issues to legislation; and I play on the congressional women’s baseball team that Debbie captains,” she said as we downed glasses of ice water in the committee’s elegant office. Then she went next door to the hearing room for a vote. “Debbie and I don’t agree lots of times, but we have one deep bond,” she continued when she returned a few minutes later. “We’re both Gators!” (at which point her Florida aide Keith Fernandez, a graduate from a rival Florida school, groaned). She smiled as she passed him her iPhone with corrections on a memo draft they were working on as we talked.. and walked.. and drank water. Then she went out for another vote. It is obvious, you can’t put Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in the narrow box in which often the media tries to encase women legislators and Latinos in general. Take the issue of immigration reform for instance. “I support the process (to change some immigration laws),” Ros-Lehtinen told me as she fielded two phone calls. She said she was, briefly, a part of the House’s bipartisan Gang of Eight which had been meeting secretly for several years to develop a House immigration reform bill with Democratic immigration activists such as Luis Gutiérrez and Xavier Becerra; and Republican Congressman and immigration lawyer Raul Labrador. After the Senate passed their bill in June of 2013, the informal House group came out of the closet. But it couldn’t agree on final legislation. Labrador publicly quit the group that fall and it eventually fell apart. The main political contention on immigration reform legislation is that the Democrats insist on a comprehensive bill – meaning that it would include a pathway to citizenship for all or almost all of the more than 11 million foreign nationals currently residing and working illegally in the United States. The Republicans want to pass pieces of legislation that would
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L ER A P OD FE I LRESSH I P / R O L E M O D E L S not include mass amnesty, pieces that they know have bipartisan support such as making e-verify a national requirement, not voluntary; expanding the number of visas for high and low tech workers and investors; granting automatic green cards for foreign students graduating with advanced degrees in the STEM fields; and giving a chance for citizenship to some DREAMers – something the Republicans call the KIDS Act. The latter was proposed by Republicans in a House hearing on July 23, 2013 as a stand-alone bill; but all the Democrats, including Luis Gutiérrez, voted against it. “We can’t just legalize one group; it has to be everyone, comprehensive,” Democrats insisted. “I don’t know about all those details,” Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen admitted. “Immigration is a very complicated issue. It can’t be done comprehensively. Nothing can any more. It has to be in pieces that are discussed and voted on – piecemeal.” As for the president’s backing away in September
from executive actions on waivers of deportation for millions of illegal immigrants who are not DREAMers, Ros-Lehtinen was very philosophical. “He made the decision from a political prism, seeing how many Senate seats could slip away from Democrats this November,” the congresswoman said. The votes were over in the Rules Committee so we headed down the marble staircase. “Can you do it?” she asked me, as I headed for the elevator to the House subway. “I have to walk my 10,000 steps,” she smiled looking at a small pedometer she took from her jacket pocket. I had a last question. “Would you recommend that other Latinas (and Latinos for that matter) earn their degrees later in their lives as you did? “Absolutely,” she answered. “They should just go for it! Whenever they can.” We said goodbye the Latino way, a kiss on both cheeks.
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
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INNOVATIONS/PROGRAMS
Expanding Study Abroad for Minority Students By Frank DiMaria
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ajee Anderson, a psychology major at Kent State University, had always dreamed of studying abroad. Raised in a single parent, low-income home, Anderson never had the chance to travel overseas as a child and worked hard in high school to earn the necessary scholarships and additional financial aid she needed to attend a university. Likewise Dennis Meacham, a music education major also at Kent State, always wanted to broaden his horizons by traveling abroad. He, too, never had the chance. Both Anderson and Meacham finally got the opportunity they’ve longed for and found themselves immersed in a culture other than their own this past summer. As part of its TRIO Upward Bound program, Kent State sent Anderson and Meacham – along with four other underserved students – to Florence, Italy, all expenses paid. The six Kent State students, dubbed the Seminal Six, participated in global education during the Florence Summer Institute 2014 session. This new program aligns with Kent State’s Diversity Abroad Network goals and is organized and funded by the Office of Global Education; the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; and all Kent State Colleges. Marcello Fantoni, associate provost for global education at Kent State says this initiative is a long time coming. “This is a huge step in the right direction and one of many steps we are taking to level the playing field for the underserved. Global education gives students opportunities for cultural enrichment, academic development and career enhancement,” he says. “Unfortunately the most underserved students – minorities, disabled, economically challenged, socially challenged – are virtually shut out of the international education experience.” This is true. According to Fantoni, recent research indicates that 90 percent of college students nationwide who participate in study abroad are white and 72 percent of them are female. Kent State’s study abroad programs have a similar demographic and are often financially out-of-reach for an underserved student. Kent State students wishing to participate in a study abroad program can expect to pay a program fee of about $3,500 on top of the tuition for six or seven credits, according to Fantoni. Fantoni and his colleagues are trying to change the study abroad demographic at Kent State while making its program more financially accessible to underserved students. They hope this summer’s initiative will be the first of many study abroad oppor-
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Marcello Fantoni
tunities for the underserved. Fantoni and Stephon Brown, who served as the students’ mentor while in the program and himself a Kent State Upward Bound alumnus and recent graduate from the master’s degree program, have charged this seminal cohort to lift up and nurture the program to ensure its sustainability. “Kent State University is dedicated to preparing students for the global economy. We believe study abroad is one of the most effective ways to enhance their skills for the real world. This said, it is important for us to make study abroad opportunities accessible to all our students,” says Fantoni. The Seminal Six, which are comprised of Anderson, Meacham, Rachel Brown, Jalessa Caples, Iniah Dunbar and Isaac Talley were chosen from a larger group of underserved students. “They have studied hard and accomplished our and their goals in Florence. We are planning to increase the number of students in this program,” says Fantoni. Meacham, a music education major, was raised in an apartment and had to work all through high school to buy himself “the extra things I wanted.” Now as a sophomore he works to purchase college supplies and books. “Currently, I have enough
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INNOVATIONS/PROGRAMS scholarship and grant money to send me to school, all academic or music based, and if I did not have these I may not be able to pay for school… I never saw myself being chosen to go abroad for free. I had been chosen to go through other programs, however, they were extremely costly and I thought I would never be able to afford it,” says Meacham. While study abroad sounds romantic and exotic, the students who take part in such programs are still students and responsible for completing the coursework required by the program. In Florence, the Seminal Six attended two 3-credit hour courses. Course instructors incorporated on-site exploration of lecture topics, during which students analyzed and reflected on the significance of their trip experiences. Students also researched and explained the more interesting aspects of the sites they explored on their weekend excursions. Anderson enrolled in the Elementary Italian I course and the History of the Italian Mafia course. “The material was very interesting and comprehensive for both courses and the professors were absolutely amazing. I thought I would have a hard time learning from foreign professors, especially while being in their native land. But I was surprised to learn that one professor was actually from America and the other had taught in America for a number of years as well,” says Anderson. Meacham took the Roman Achievement and Italian History and Culture courses. In those courses he learned about the physical history of how the Romans came to rule the greater part of Europe and the empire’s eventual collapse. “In my other course, I learned about the cultural impacts of social, political and economic changes on the Italian people. We also had to research a place or thing that interested us. I chose a statue of a Roman demigod named Perseus because of my love of mythology,” says Meacham. In addition to attending their two courses, the Seminal Six took field trips featuring Italian art and they participated in other extracurricular activities. They lived on their own in apartments right in the center of Florence. “This allowed them to fully immerse in the local culture. They are our biggest advocates and
ambassadors by sharing their experiences with other Kent State University students,” says Fantoni. When the students returned to Kent State, they reflected on class content and their travel experiences and presented to their peers and family in a formal presentation. Through their compilation of facts, travel experiences and refreshed vision of the world, the students have each gained individual meanings in their travels by reflecting and discussing what they learned. In all likelihood the families of the Seminal Six found individuals who are far different from the ones who left for Florence days before they could even attend their high school graduation ceremonies. As the students’ mentor, Brown played a key role in this transformation. “Our mentor during our Italian adventure helped guide all six of us through our entire journey and saw the changes we went through. In the beginning, I would say all six of us, to some degree, were scared and nervous; however, as time went on, we became more curious and adventurous and also studious about where we were,” says Meacham. “Our journey helped us become global citizens by exposing us to a new culture.” After experiencing study abroad as a Kent State student and an Upward Bound alumnus, Brown understands the importance of study abroad to the lowincome student. Study abroad, he says, boils down to one aspect: vision. While cultural immersion and exposure, career advantages and academic development are the obvious reasons for students to enter into a study abroad program the experience offers much more. “Study abroad programs provide a basis for pursuing dreams beyond an environment that once limited their ability to see outside of it. Gathering from my experience with these six students, I have seen the effect of global exposure and I can confidently declare that the vision provided by international experience shapes underserved students into the responsible global citizens that others may not have envisioned them to become,” says Brown. Anderson agrees with Brown and says, “I believe that studying abroad shapes students’ minds and teaches them things that cannot be learned in a classroom.”
… recent research indicates that 90 percent of college students nationwide who participate in study abroad are white and 72 percent of them are female. HISPANIC OUTLOOK
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Own It! Entrepreneurial Mindset Promotes Academic and Business Success By Marvin Lozano, EdD and Miquela Rivera, PhD potting an opportunity within a problem is part of an entrepreneur’s mindset, and that same ability that serves Latino students, faculty, administration and staff in higher education. Adversity – a common Hispanic experience – presents innumerable chances to develop that mindset.
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How do we develop the entrepreneurial problem-solving mindset in Latino students? Rivera: Hispanic children are naturally resourceful, finding new uses for old toys and using materials and equipment they find to develop new sources of entertainment. If a problem presents a barrier to achieving what a Latino student wants, then the student must decide if he will give in to the problem or conquer it. When working with groups of Latino students, set the expectation that they are to develop the skill. Develop projects or give assignments that require problem solving, logic and resourcefulness (and accept no less than five possible solutions per problem). Require them to test their proposed solution and monitor results. They can revamp the solution and repeat the process if necessary. Essentially you are teaching the scientific method in an applied approach but students are also developing the problem-solving entrepreneurial mindset. Lozano: Latino students respond well and develop the entrepreneurial problem-solving mindset with reallife examples and coaching. Years ago I decided that I wanted to own my own small business. I faced the challenge of limited startup funds and needing to generate an ongoing income for my family while sustaining the business. The solution: buy an existing business. Was there adversity that presented other problems? Yes. Employees not reporting to work, employee theft, income challenges, and unexpected expenses. We persisted, developed new processes and grew the business. Years later I sold it for a profit. Today I am a better teacher of entrepreneurship since I developed and still use that problem-solving mindset. When teaching students business planning and management, I use those real-life examples to support the principles taught. I work with every student as each develops a business plan stepby-step, anticipating market and other challenges, examining options and proposing feasible strategies. In management classes, I engage Latino working students by asking them about problems on the job and inquire about possible solutions. With that approach Latino students can see how they contribute to either the problem or the solution. How might Latino faculty use the problem-solving mindset to address common challenges at work? Rivera: In any work setting, mandated meetings that once had a positive purpose but lost their focus or
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zeal, drag down the workforce’s energy. Faculty members trudge into an early morning or noon meeting, hungry and dreading a non-productive hour. Lozano: The opportunity and solution: Develop a meeting room lunch-truck approach, providing real meals with varying cuisine (if potluck, no cheese balls or chips and salsa allowed). Skeptics might initially resist the idea, but the approach engages people. Then stick to basic principles of effective meetings: an agenda based on committee input and published in advance of the meeting accompanied by minutes from the prior gathering; and strict adherence to starting and ending on time. These solutions address a problem (dreaded committee meetings), are respectful of time and give people something to anticipate. Some colleges can showcase culinary arts students by having them prepare the meal. How can the problem-solving entrepreneurial mindset be used in higher education administration to promote student retention and success? Lozano: Examine faculty diversity. Latino students will approach and engage with Hispanic faculty members because they assume that an instructor or professor of similar background will understand and support them. Institutions can examine their own hiring and employment practices to assure that they are modeling – from the top down – how to engage and retain Latino faculty. Lozano: A shared pool of Latino faculty who can teach in more than one institution through a visitor status or a well-publicized online presence without threat to tenure or other performance requirements could increase the exposure and influence of Latino instructors. The retention and success of Latino students would increase in turn. If awareness of choice and opportunity becomes clear when a problem is faced, the administrators, faculty and students – including Latinos – become problem-solvers. And when people own a solution, retention and success lie ahead. Marvin Lozano, EdD is a faculty member in the School of Business & Information Technology at Central New Mexico Community College in Albuquerque. He is an experienced small business consultant, commercial banker and entrepreneur. He has been honored as a USDA National Hispanic Fellow and as a Sam Walton Fellow. Miquela Rivera, PhD is a licensed psychologist in Albuquerque with years of clinical, early childhood and consultative experience. Dr. Rivera’s column, “Priming the Pump” appears in each issue of Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education. She lives in Albuquerque.
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By Margaret Sands Orchowski TO GET A JOB, STUDENTS MUST BE “INNOVATIVE READY” New York Times columnist Tom Friedman is America’s most tech-enthusiastic futurist, who states his prophecies with personal pronouns and clever sayings. His latest prophecy for future job seekers is “you have to be innovative ready.” In the future, he writes, what degree you earn and from where will not be the key to getting a good job. It’s how you use your knowledge. “You will only be paid for what you can do with what you know – not for what you know alone,” he writes. The good news is that as your knowledge and your “doing” skills grow, you will become increasingly useful. The bad news is that, according to Friedman, there will be no long-term careers. “You will have to be unceasingly innovative, unceasingly entrepreneurial.” U.S. GRAD ADMISSIONS ARE UP FOR I-STUDENTS, NOT AMERICANS The Council on Graduate Schools September Admissions Survey, shows that first-time enrollment in U.S. graduate programs is slightly increasing (by 1.0 percent overall). But the news is less positive when enrollment for domestic students is separated out. “Enrollment trends for U.S. citizens and permanent residents remain flat or negative in a number of critical fields, while international enrollment is seeing substantial increases.” Of course most graduate university officials probably will view this trend as a positive, especially for their bottom line. Most of the more than 400,000 graduate foreign students currently in the country (almost 900,000 including undergrads) pay full price. Some officials may argue, as did Georgia Tech Provost Rafael Bras at a recent D.C. conference on Hispanics and Tech Leadership, that graduate school places and STEM jobs are not a zero sum game. Many American students, especially minorities, who can’t get support for grad school may find that statement to be ironic. But in truth, almost everyone concerned with the future of U.S. higher education wants to encourage more international graduate students to study, stay and “create jobs” in America. Most find it offensive that we “kick out” expensively educated international students – even though the foreign student visa has always been a temporary, non-immigration permit. In fact, the only reason the number of foreign student visas is unlimited is precisely because they are temporary. If they become permanent immigration cards, then they will have to be limited by immigration number caps. Most grad universities don’t want limits.
RE: RAPE, WHITE HOUSE URGES “IT’S ON US”; BUT IS IT DIFFERENT FOR LATINOS? On the morning of Friday, Sept. 19, the White House’s East Room (yes, THAT East Room, where the “fence jumper” was tackled that very afternoon) was full of excited community and college activists, waiting for President Obama and Vice President Biden to announce “It’s On Us”– a campaign to involve everyone including young males on and off campus to stop and report sexual assault and help rape victims before, during and after an incident. But “us” can have different meanings in different cultures. Reported rates of rape are lowest for Hispanic adult women. No one is sure why but some cultural factors are suggested: Hispanic students tend to live at home; they are close to extended families. But teenage births are highest for Hispanics (some say that the joyous coming-of-age ceremony the “quinceañera” that many celebrate at age 15, could be a factor). One week after the White House event, California’s governor signed a law requiring California schools to adopt a “yes means yes” standard – an indication of clear affirmative consent, not just an absence of no – in addressing sexual assault. Rape by definition is non-consensual. Consent for sex has to be clear to both sides. THE TWO BIG CRITERIA FOR 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES As any presidential term comes to an end, voters across the spectrum always seem to want a new president different from the one currently in office. If the president was morose (Carter), they choose happy (Reagan). If a president is wonky (Clinton), they choose frat rat (GW Bush). President Obama is increasingly judged as being likeable but unengaged; intellectual and professorial but an inexperienced executive; international and highly educated in elite private schools but somehow aloof from expert advice. As we enter the 2016 presidential campaign season, it seems two specific criteria for the next president are leading: governing EXPERIENCE and governing COMPETENCE. That could suggest that the next presidential nominee from each party might be a successful governor or former high national government official. Guesses anyone? Margaret (Peggy Sands) Orchowski was a reporter for AP South America and for the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. She earned a doctorate in international educational administration from the University of California-Santa Barbara. She lives in Washington, D.C., where she was an editor at Congressional Quarterly and now is a freelance journalist and columnist covering Congress and higher education.
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Interesting Reads Breaking In: The Rise of Sonia Sotomayor and the Politics of Justice by Joan Biskupic. 2014. 288 pp. ISBN: 978-0374298746. $26.00 cloth. Sarah Crichton Books, New York, N.Y. (212) 698 7000, www.simonandschuster.com/
The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez
This book talks about a boy and a girl who fall in love and two families whose hopes collide with destiny. It’s a novel that offers a new definition of what it means to be American. It’s also the beginning of a friendship between the two families, whose web of guilt and love and responsibility is at this novel’s core. Woven into their stories are the testimonials of men and women who have come to the United States from all over Latin America. 2015. 320 pp. ISBN: 978-0345806406. $14.95. paper. Vintage, New York, N.Y., Fax (212) 940-7390. www.knopfdoubleday.com/imprint/vintage/
Performance, Identity, and Immigration Law: A Theatre of Undocumentedness by Gad Guterman
The topic of U.S. immigration law provokes passionate conversations. This book poses the question: How has contemporary American theatre presented so-called undocumented immigrants? Featuring the work of artists such as Josefina López, Genny Lim, Arthur Miller, Ntare Mwine, Octavio Solis, and Culture Clash, Guterman highlights how attention to legal labels enriches our studies of identity. 2014. 248 pp. ISBN: 978-1137412485. $90.00. cloth. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, N.Y., (646) 307 5151. www.palgrave.com/
Under Cover, Under Fire by Joe Quintero (Author), Bettw L. Waters (Editor)
Under Cover Under Fire is a DREAMer's story two decades ago. How does a young boy sent from Mexico across the United States border to go to school find his way and become a man? These pages tell a story of how we help each other and how that gets passed along even in the face of a justice system that is not always just, and people who should be honest, are not to be trusted. 2014. 176 pp. ISBN: 978-0989152624. $18.95. paper. Bluwaters Press, Deming, N.M., (575) 694-1666. www.bluwaterspress.com/
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At a time when much has been reported about the public deep divisions within the Supreme Court of the United States, very little has been written about the private interactions between justices. And while this book mostly enlightens readers about Sonia Sotomayor’s path to the high court, it also lifts the veil to expose what happens when the justices gavel a session to a close and retreat to their chambers. In a moment of candor wrapped in the party atmosphere of the annual end of term party in 2010, Antonin Scalia kidded his colleague, the first Hispanic and Latina to serve on the Supreme Court, by saying, “I knew she’s be trouble.” The remark was in reference to the fact that the normally staid – if not stuffy – annual event was transformed by Sotomayor who added salsa music and encouraged the other justices to dance. It must have been quite a sight. As the author explains the fact that in 2009 that President Barack Obama nominated a Hispanic judge to replace the retiring Justice David Souter wasn’t a surprise. The growing demographic had been ignored far too long in the nation’s highest court. The question for some has always been why was Sonia Sotomayor selected for this groundbreaking position? In Breaking In: The Rise of Sonia Sotomayor and the Politics of Justice, Joan Biskupic attempts to add context to that choice. It might just be that the lofty ambitions of a gifted Puerto Rican girl raised in the projects in the Bronx merged with the burgeoning growth of Hispanics, from California to Texas, from Florida to the Northeast. She was at the right place at the right time, essentially. Or perhaps, as the author points out, her nomination was part of a carefully orchestrated campaign to get herself on the Supreme Court. Biskupic pulls back the curtain on the Supreme Court nomination process, revealing the networks Sotomayor built and the skills she cultivated to edge out other potential candidates along the way. As the author notes, by “challenging tradition and expanding our idea of a justice (as well as expanding her public persona), Sotomayor has created tension within and without the court’s marble halls.” One of the reasons Sotomayor has shaken things up as a justice is her decision to share her own personal story with the public. She is a Latina who emerged from tough times in a poor neighborhood not only to survive but also to rise to the top. Reviewed by Mary Ann Cooper
DECEMBER 1, 2014
ASSOCIATE PROVOST FOR STUDENT SUCCESS Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania invites applications and nominations for the position of Associate Provost for Student Success. The Associate Provost for Student Success reports directly to the Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Aairs and is a member of the academic and student aairs executive leadership team. The Associate Provost has primary responsibility for the leadership, management, strategic direction, policy development, and administrative oversight of academic support services including freshman seminar and learning community clusters, tutoring services, academic advisement, exploratory student advisement, services for at-risk students; retention services; services for special populations including multicultural development, women’s center, pride center, veteran’s center, disabilities services, student intervention services, student conduct, residence life programming, and services and programs related to health, ďŹ tness, and wellness. This position is suitable for a highly motivated, collaborative and innovative student success leader. The Associate Provost will provide strong visionary leadership for directors and managers in the student success units to ensure the eective collaboration and integration of a wide range of student success programs and services to achieve student development, learning outcomes, and improvements in retention and graduation. The Associate Provost will work with and represent the interests of a diverse student body (undergraduate and graduate, traditional and online, domestic and international) to ensure a mutually reinforcing relationship between the academic and nonacademic life of students. Minimum qualiďŹ cations required: The successful candidate will have a Doctoral degree from an accredited institution and a minimum of ďŹ ve years of progressive administrative experience in higher education directly related to some of the student success areas of responsibility. Successful candidates will have extensive knowledge of the research on improving student retention and strategies for improving student learning and success. The successful candidate will demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion and the ability to foster standards of excellence in student success programming. The successful candidate will have experience in administrative functions, including the development and implementation of budgeting, planning, and assessment. SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: Candidates must successfully complete a two-day campus interview and public presentation. NOMINATIONS AND APPLICATIONS: Applicants must provide a letter of application tailored to the position, vitae, and a list of at least three references who when contacted can provide relevant information related to the position. Review of applications will begin January 14, 2015 with the anticipated starting date of late spring/summer 2015. For additional information visit and to apply (online applications only, please): http://www.sru.edu/apstudentsuccess Nominations for these positions may be submitted to amanda.yale@sru.edu with the subject line: Associate Provost for Student Success - Nomination. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer.
VICE CHAN CHANCELLOR ANCELLOR OF F HUMAN RESOUR RESOURCES CES SEARCH The e District Foun Founded nded in 1947 1947, 7, the Coast Community Com mmunitty Col College lege District has maintained a rreputation eputation as o one ne of the leading community com munity college college districts in th the he nation ffor o or over over 50 years. years. The District serv serves es nearly 50,000 50,0 000 students in Or Orange ange County Coun nty each seme semester ster through through iits ts thr three ee e col colleges leges -- Coastl Coastline ine Communit Communityy Co College, ollege, Golden West W e esst College College and Orange Orange Coast College. College e. Governed Governed by by a locally locally elected Board Boarrd of T Trustees, rustees, r the District D Distric t plays plays an important role role in th the he county county by by rresponding esponding to the educ educational cational needs of a changing and incr increasingly easingly diverse diverse population.
Ourr Community Ou The Coast Commu Community nity Col College lege District District iss located in the heart of sunn sunnyy S Southern outh hern Cali California fo ornia and enjo enjoys ys a w warm arm and mild cl climate. imate. O Our ur service area area includes 20 miles off the Cali California fo ornia coastline coas stline in Orange Orange County, Countty, stretching stretching between b Los Angeles and San Diego o counties. Our community com munity is a rich blend of social, cultural, cultur t al, rreligious eligious and ethnic backgr backgrounds. ou unds.
Application App plication Process For information For inffo ormation about the search search and the t application application process, process, please please visit: visit: t www.cccd. www.cccd. edu 1RPLQDWLRQV DQG DSSOLFDWLRQV ZLOO EH DFFHSWHG XQWLO WKH SRVLWLRQ LV ÂżOOHG +RZHYHU WR edu 1RPLQDWLRQV DQG DSSOLFDWLRQV ZLOO EH E DFFHSWHG XQWLO WKH SRVLWLRQ LV ÂżOOHG G +RZHYHUU WR ensure ensu ure ffull ull consi consideration, deration, on applicati applications ons sh should hould be submi submitted tted no later than JJanuary anuary 16, 16 2014 2014..
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District Search Search Liaison Shannon O’Connor Manager, Manager r, R Recruitment ecruitment & Staff Sta afff Analysis email: emai l: shannon@cccd.edu shannon@cccd.edu phone: (714) 438-4713
Coast C oa s t C Colleges olleges iiss aann E Equal qual O Opportunity ppor tunittyy E Employer mployer and and Educator Ed u ca t o r
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The Department of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech is seeking to fill the position of Department Head Virginia Tech invites applications for the position of Professor and Head of the Mechanical Engineering Department. Virginia Tech, founded in 1872 as a land-grant institution, is currently ranked in Top 25 Public University by US News & World Report and Top 25 Public Research University by the National Science Foundation. As the Commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech serves a diverse population of 30,000+ students and 8000+ faculty and staff from over 100 countries, and is engaged in research around the world. The 120-acre VT Corporate Research Center is home to over 100 companies and the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. The College of Engineering is home to 13 departments with about 330 faculty, 7,500 undergraduate students, and 2,100 graduate students. In 2014, the College of Engineering was ranked in the top-10 in the nation for the number of BS and PhD awarded. In the most recent rankings by U.S. News & World Report the College of Engineering’s undergraduate program ranked 15th (8th among public universities), and the graduate program ranked 21st (12th among public universities). The Mechanical Engineering Department, which includes a Nuclear Engineering Program, has over 50 faculty, research expenditures in excess of $17M, and a current enrollment of over 170 doctoral, 130 masters, and over 1200 undergraduate students. The department is ranked 16th and 17th out of all mechanical engineering departments in the nation in undergraduate and graduate education, respectively, by the 2014 U.S. News and World Report. The department includes several research centers and its faculty members are engaged in diverse multidisciplinary research activities. The mechanical engineering faculty also benefit from a number of university-wide institutes such as the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS), college level centers such as the Commonwealth Center for Aerospace Propulsion Systems (CCAPS), the recently established Rolls Royce University Technology Center (UTC) in advanced systems diagnostics, and the Virginia Center for Autonomous Systems (VaCAS). Applicants must hold a doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering or a closely related field. We are seeking highly qualified candidates that demonstrated intellectual leadership and administrative skills in an academic/university environment or equivalent, with an ability to communicate effectively, concisely, and clearly at all levels. Candidates must also have a dedication to the instructional mission of the university, an established record of professional activities and leadership in professional organizations, and credentials commensurate with the appointment as full professor with tenure in the department. Applications must be submitted online to https://www.jobs.vt.edu to posting number TR0140132. Applicant screening will begin Jan. 10, 2015 and will continue until the position is filled. Applications should include curriculum vitae, a cover letter, a vision statement, a statement of leadership style and experience, and contact information for at least five individuals providing references. References will only be contacted concerning those candidates who are selected for the short list/phone interviews. Blacksburg is consistently ranked among the country’s best places to live and raise a family (http://www.liveinblacksburg.com/). It is a scenic and vibrant community located in the New River Valley between the Alleghany and Blue Ridge Mountains. The town is proximal to state parks, trails, and other regional attractions of Southwest Virginia, renowned for their history and natural beauty. For assistance submitting the application please contact Ms. Diana Israel (disrael@vt.edu, (540)-231-6424). Inquires about the position should be directed to the Chair of the search committee, Prof. Corina Sandu (csandu@vt.edu, (540) 231-7467). Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants for admission or employment on the basis of race, gender, disability, age, veteran status, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or political affiliation, is committed to diversity, and seeks a broad spectrum of candidates.Questions concerning discrimination should be directed to the Office for Equity and Access. Virginia Tech is a recipient of the National Science Foundation ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Award to increase the participation of women in academic science and engineering careers (http://www.advance.vt.edu) and is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution. Virginia Tech responds to the needs of dual-career couples and has policies in place to provide flexibility for faculty careers. Invent the Future at Virginia Tech!
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“CULTURAL COMPETENCE...” Welcoming
Faculty Positions for the 2015-2016 Academic Year
Community Diversity Regard
Oakton Community College employs individuals who respect, are eager to learn about, and have a willingness to accept the many ways of viewing the world. Oakton serves the near northern suburbs of Chicago with campuses in Des Plaines and Skokie.
Respect Inclusion Sensitivity Awareness Listening
Individuals with a commitment to working in a culturally competent environment and who reflect the increasing diversity of Oakton’s student body and community are sought to fill the following faculty openings:
• Early Childhood Education • English Generalist English as a Second Language • Graphic Design • Physical Therapist Assistant Full consideration deadlines: • English, Graphic Design: January 3, 2015. • Early Childhood, Physical Therapist Assistant: February 3, 2015. Start dates: • English, Graphic Design: August 17, 2015. • Early Childhood, Physical Therapist Assistant: January 11, 2016. To learn more about these positions, full consideration deadlines, and to complete an online application, visit our Web site at:
www.oakton.edu Click on “employment”
Experiences
Assistant Professor of Art & Design (Graphic Design) Assistant Professor of Biology (Human Embryology) Chairperson and Associate/Professor in the Department of Biology Assistant Professor of Chemistry (Organic Chemistry) Instructor of Chemistry Instructor of Physics Assistant Professor of Communication (Public Relations) Assistant Professor of Communication (Journalism) Chairperson and Associate/Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Systems Instructor of Economics Assistant Professor of English Assistant Professor of African American Studies (African Diaspora) Chairperson and Associate/Professor of Multidisciplinary Programs Assistant Professor of Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (TESL/Linguistics) (3 positions) Assistant Professor of Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (German) Assistant Professor of Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Latin) Instructor of Mathematics and Computer Science Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science (Math Education) Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science (Statistics) Assistant Professor of Music (Orchestra Conducting) Assistant Professor of Philosophy (Ethics) Assistant Professor of Political Science (American Politics) Assistant Professor of Psychology (Clinical; Open) Assistant Professor of Psychology (Clinical) Assistant Professor of Theater (Costume/Design) Assistant/Associate Professor of Marketing (Sales) Assistant/Associate Professor of Management Assistant/Associate Professor of Insurance and Risk Management Assistant Professor of Auditing/Forensic Accounting/Cost Accounting Assistant Professor of Communication Disorders Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology Assistant Professor of Special Education Chairperson and Assistant/Associate Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning Assistant Professor of Applied Engineering and Technology Management (Manufacturing) Assistant/Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology (2 positions) Chairperson and Associate/ Professor in the Department of Applied Engineering and Technology Management Assistant Professor of Human Resource Development Instructor of Human Resource Development Instructor of Textiles, Apparel, and Merchandising Assistant/Associate Professor of Physical Therapy Assistant Professor of Social Work Associate Professor of Social Work Assistant Professor of Advanced Practice Nursing Instructor of Baccalaureate Nursing Assistant Professor of Applied Health Sciences (Food/Nutrition) (2 positions) Art Curator (Non-faculty position) For more information & how to apply visit jobs.indstate.edu
Oakton Community College is an equal opportunity employer.
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Lafayette College is a selective, private, lliberal iberal arts ar ts college college g of of 2,400 2,400 undergraduates. underrgr grad a uates. Our O ur 1110-acre 10 -acre ccampus ampus is is located located one one and an d a half h alff hours hour s from from both both New New York York City City and an d Philadelphia. Degree Ph iladelphia. D egree pprograms rograms are are ooffered f fer er e d engineering. iin n tthe he liberal liberal arts, ar tss, ssciences ciences aand nd en gineering.
Tenure-Track T enure-Trrack A Assistant ssistant P Professor rofessor o off Ec Economics onomics The Ec The Economics o n o mi c s D Department epar tment aatt LLafayette a f ay e t t e C College, o ll e g e , a p private, r i va t e , h highly ighly sselective elec tive lliberal iberal arts ar ts college college in in P ennsylvania, invites invites applications applications for for a tenure-track tenure -track position position at at the the Assistant Assistant Professor Professor level level in in labor lab o r Pennsylvania, eeconomics/econometrics. conomics/econometrics. T he tteaching eaching lload oad is i ffour our ccourses ourses tthe he fifirst rst yyear ear and and five five courses courses per per year y e ar The tthereafter. hereaf ter. T eaching rresponsibilities esponsibilities will will include include the the department’s depar tment ’s required required course course in in econometrics e co n o m e t r i c s Teaching aand nd electives elec tives in in labor labor economics, economics, as as well well as as courses courses that that contribute contribute to to the the College’s College’s Common Co m m o n C ourse of of Study Study aand/or nd/or interdisciplinary interdisciplinar y programs. p ro g r ams . Course C andidates will will be be evaluated e va lu a t e d b ase d o n ttheir h e ir p otential for for tteaching eaching eexcellence xcellence aand nd scholarly s c h o l ar l y Candidates based on potential p roduc tivit y. A P h.D. is rrequired; equired; A BD s w ith a fifirm rm ccompletion ompletion date date by by August August 2015 2015 will will also a ls o productivity. Ph.D. ABDs with b onsidered. bee cconsidered. A andidates must must apply apply online online at at http://www.econjobmarket.org/. http://www.econjobmarket.org/. Applications Applications must must include in c l u d e Allll ccandidates a ccover over lletter, etter, ccurriculum urriculum vvitae, it ae , g raduate transcripts, transcripts, evidence evidence of of effective ef fec tive teaching teaching and and graduate sscholarship, cholarship, and and a o ne -page sstatement t at e m e nt o eaching p hilosophy. Applications Applications will will be be accepted acce p t e d one-page off tteaching philosophy. u nt il D ecember 15, 15 , 2014. 2014 . IInterviews n t e r v i e ws w ill b onduc ted aatt the the ASSA ASSA meetings meetings in Boston. B os ton . until December will bee cconducted R ecommendation lletters etterss sshould hould address addreess potential potential for for effective ef fec tive teaching teaching and and potential p o t e nt ial Recommendation ffor or re esearch productivity. produc tivity. research F or m ore iinformation nformation aabout bout tthe he Ec onomics department depar tment at at Lafayette L afayet te College College see see our our webpage webpage at at For more Economics h ttp://Economics.Lafayette.edu. http://Economics.Lafayette.edu. L afaye t t e C Lafayette College ollege iiss ccommitted ommit t ed ttoo ccreating reating a ddiverse iver se ccommunity: ommunit y: oone ne tthat hat iiss iinclusive nclusive aand nd rresponsive, esponsive, aand nd iiss Allll m members College ssupportive uppor tive ooff eeach ach aand nd aallll ooff iits ts ffaculty, acult y, sstudents, tudents , aand nd sstaff. t a f f. A ember s ooff tthe he C ollege ccommunity ommunit y sshare h ar e a maintaining, which rresponsibility esponsibilit y ffor or ccreating, r e a t in g , m aint aining , aand nd ddeveloping eveloping a llearning ear ning eenvironment nvironment iin nw hich ddifference if ferenc e iiss vvalued, alue d , College eequity quit y iiss ssought, ought , aand nd iinclusiveness nclusiveness iiss ppracticed. rac tic ed. LLafayette afaye t t e C ollege iiss aan n eequal qual oopportunity ppor tunit y eemployer mployer aand nd women minorities. eencourages nc ourages aapplications pplic ations ffrom rom w omen aand nd m inor ities .
Dean School of Business The University of Indianapolis is conducting a national search for the Dean of the School of Business. The Search Committee invites letters of nomination, applications (letter of interest, full resume/CV, and contact information of at least five references), or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting the University. Review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made. It is preferred, however, that all nominations and applications be submitted prior to January 25, 2015. For a complete position description, please visit the Current Opportunities page at www.parkersearch.com. Laurie C. Wilder, Executive Vice President & Managing Director Porsha L. Williams, Vice President 770-804-1996 ext: 109 pwilliams@parkersearch.com || eraines@parkersearch.com The University of Indianapolis is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from women and minorities.
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The University of South Florida System is a high-impact, global research system dedicated to student success. The USF System includes three institutions: USF; USF St. Petersburg; and USF Sarasota-Manatee. The institutions are separately accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. All institutions have distinct missions and their own detailed strategic plans. Serving more than 47,000 students, the USF System has an annual budget of $1.5 billion and an annual economic impact of $4.4 billion. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference.
Administrative and Executive Positions: Chiropractor (Orthpaedics & Sports Medicine) Senior Director, Director (USF Health Development) Director (Student Academic Support Services) Director (Compliance) (Intercollegiate Athletics) Director (Advancement) (Muma – College of Business) Physician’s Assistant (Dermatology Department) Sr. Associate Vice President (Population Health & Payment Innovation)
Faculty Positions:
College of Engineering Instructor, Assistant, Associate, Full Professor (Electrical) Assistant, Associate, Full Professor (Mechanical Engineering) Associate/Full Professor (CyberSecurity) (3) Assistant Professor (Center for Urban Transportation Research) Professor (Chemical & Biochemical) College of Medicine Assistant Professor (General Academics Pediatrics) Assistant Professor (Pediatric Pulmonology) Assistant/Associate Professor (Global Health) Associate/Full Professor Epidemiology & Biostatistics Assistant Professor (Child Psychologist) Assistant Professor (General Psychiatry) College of Public Health Assistant, Associate, Full Professor (Health Policy Management) Assistant Dean (Teaching Innovation & Quality Enhancement) College of Arts & Sciences Assistant, Associate Professor (Chemistry) (4) Assistant Professor (American Politics) Assistant Professor (Contemporary Africa) Assistant Professor (Marine Biology) Assistant Professor (Psychology) (USF Sarasota) Assistant Professor (Organismal Biology) (USF Sarasota) Assistant Professor (School of Mass Communications) Assistant Professor (Communication Sciences & Sciences) College of Behavioral Community Sciences Assistant, Associate, Full Professor (Criminology) Assistant/Associate Professor (Speech-Language Pathology) Associate Professor (Rehabilitation) College of the Arts Assistant Professor (Contemporary Critical Theory/Musicology) Assistant Professor (Piano) Assistant Professor (Painting & Drawing) Assistant Professor (Theatre/Musical Theatre) College of Education Instructor (Elementary Education) (2) Open Rank Faculty Tenure Track (Cybersecurity Education) College of Business Open Rank Faculty (Information Systems & Decision Sciences) (2) For a job description on the above listed positions including department, disciple and deadline dates: (1) visit our Careers@USF Web site at https://employment.usf.edu/applicants/jsp/shared/Welcome_css.jsp; or (2) contact The Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, (813) 974-4373; or (3) call USF job line at 813.974.2879. USF is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution, committed to excellence through diversity in education and employment.
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ead ake the L grees T s a in t a L lated De in Law-Re nn Cooper om o by Mary A s t ook.c d a s r tl Champion you nicou . t i Law Firm portunities bm pa 15 Su o@his mber Latino Op s inf Dece and IssueMendoza ia by lv by Sy d of Dean A New Kind at Brooklyn Law Appointe School . Stern by Gary M rams and Prog ted n io t la is en Leg Undocum Support s in Florida Student rly Allen by Kimbe bat s to Com ampus t r o ff E w C Ne ssault on Sexual A DiMaria by Frank
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Priming the Pump… Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? By Miquela Rivera, PhD Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Better yet, where is San Diego? espite the Internet and pervasive globalization students – including Latinos – often lack basic knowledge of geography, yet geography holds much information and many skills necessary to succeed in higher education. Some might question whether or not geography should simply be an elective in high school. Why bother with knowing the capital of Somalia? How does the tundra in the Arctic Circle apply to daily life elsewhere? What greater good does knowledge of geography serve? Plenty. And learning about geography starts young. The infant who examines and coordinates his hands is developing a sense of personal geography – learning the terrain and functions of his own body. Proprioception – knowledge a person has of his personal physical position, posture and balance – helps any human orient himself to others. Before learning things more complex, children begin to learn where they fit and what they are to do, especially in relation to other people. Spatial relations – the next step in learning how the world is connected, piece-by-piece – develop in young children by making puzzles, using building blocks and fitting geometric shapes together. The toddler who knows the surroundings of home can also learn about the signs and buildings located near other places he frequents, including schools, churches, doctors, stores and parks. He might generally know the way to Nana’s house if she lives nearby though he likely won’t know the name of any streets en route. And watch the Latino kindergartener fascinated as the needles of the traditional compass in his hand shift as he changes his own direction. He is learning how to use the tools of geography and the principles on which the discipline is founded. Since traditional Latinos often have strong ties to the land, geography is an ideal vehicle for opening the door to history, sociology, anthropology and foreign languages. A place and its people can be more interesting and relevant for a Latino student if they are also somehow connected to the student’s own life. The great “aha!” of why people
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do what they do comes more often to students through geography – that self-discovery of things near and far, and how they are connected. Geography also teaches the Latino child that there are places beyond those he knows from direct personal experience. It moves the boundaries set by those with whom the child is familiar and lets him imagine what lies beyond. Besides knowing that the great unknown can be an exciting place (contrary to what some friends or family might say), children develop schemas of how people and places fit together through geography. As Latino students hear about the traditions and customs of unfamiliar people in unknown places, they can see the similarities and differences between themselves and others around the world. The social and cultural capital accrued through travel and exposure to diversity that also contributes to success in higher education can be developed through formal and informal inquiry about land, terrain, topography and lifestyles. So even if a family can’t afford or chooses not to travel, the Hispanic student who studies geography can be widely versed in world cultures and traditions and more prepared for the wide range of people he may meet in college. Finally, geography supports students learning math and science. A Latino student can learn to use mathematical coordinates to locate places on a traditional globe or map (sorry, Siri, some fundamental skills are still needed by Hispanic students everywhere). But reading maps or graphs develops skills in abstract reasoning. Geography will pique the Hispanic student’s interest as it opens the doors to geology, ecology and economics. As the pieces of information fall into place, the Latino student can reason and infer, understand relationships between concepts and develop questions with far-reaching implications. Geography helps the Latino student tie the individual pieces of the world together and begin to understand his place within it. And that’s a crucial step towards higher education. Miquela Rivera, PhD, is a licensed psychologist with years of clinical, early childhood and consultative experience. She lives in Albuquerque, N.M.