MSCHE Pillars of Change

MSCHE

Over the course of its history, the identity of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) has been closely aligned with assuring trust and instilling confidence in higher education. As an institutional accreditor, the Commission prides itself on advocating for honest self-reflection that results in meaningful change at our institutions.Encouraging institutional change has never been more important than it is today, where institutional actions, policies, or procedures may reveal disparate impact on an increasingly diverse student population. For institutions that share the results of deep and thoughtful self-reflection, the Commission supports and applauds their efforts. Because the Commission recognizes that it holds an important voice and space within the higher education community, it has launched this podcast series to spotlight highly-effective institutional practices that have made a difference in the lives of our students through diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. read less

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Episode 11 - John B. King, Jr., SUNY Chancellor

Episode 11 - John B. King, Jr., SUNY Chancellor

In the 11th episode of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Pillars of Change Podcast, Commissioner Havidán Rodríguez, President of SUNY at Albany, hosted John B. King, Jr., Chancellor of The State University of New York (SUNY) and former U.S. Secretary of Education within President Barack Obama's cabinet.The two discussed the role of higher education in promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in today’s political climate, how leaders can communicate the value of increasing campus diversity, and SUNY’s greatest DEI challenges and opportunities.SUNY is the largest comprehensive system of public higher education in the United States, serving nearly 1.4 million students across 64 campuses.

Season 4

Episode 11 - John B. King, Jr., SUNY Chancellor

Episode 11 - John B. King, Jr., SUNY Chancellor

In the 11th episode of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Pillars of Change Podcast, Commissioner Havidán Rodríguez, President of SUNY at Albany, hosted John B. King, Jr., Chancellor of The State University of New York (SUNY) and former U.S. Secretary of Education within President Barack Obama's cabinet.The two discussed the role of higher education in promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in today’s political climate, how leaders can communicate the value of increasing campus diversity, and SUNY’s greatest DEI challenges and opportunities.SUNY is the largest comprehensive system of public higher education in the United States, serving nearly 1.4 million students across 64 campuses.

Episode 12 - Monroe Community College President DeAnna Burt-Nanna on Supporting Student Parents

Episode 12 - Monroe Community College President DeAnna Burt-Nanna on Supporting Student Parents

In the 12th episode of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Pillars of Change Podcast, Commissioner Susan Looney, President of Reading Area Community College, hosted DeAnna Burt-Nanna, President of Monroe Community College (MCC) in New York. The two discussed MCC’s initiatives to support student parent learners. MCC is one of four U.S. community colleges collaborating with the national nonprofit Education Design Lab to help raise completion rates for single mother learners, and it is the first college in the U.S. to collect data on their students’ marital and parental status to uncover student parent needs. In spring 2022, MCC launched Single Mom Success Design Challenge to provide critical holistic support and referrals to community resources for single mom learners. The college serves more than 23,000 students across four campuses and offers more than 100 degree and certificate programs.

Season 3

Episode 8 - Félix Matos Rodríguez, Chancellor of The City University of New York

Episode 8 - Félix Matos Rodríguez, Chancellor of The City University of New York

In this episode of the MSCHE Pillars of Change Podcast, Dr. Félix Matos Rodríguez, Chancellor of The City University of New York (CUNY) System, engages with Dr. David Rehm, Commissioner and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania, about the system efforts to eliminate remedial courses in math and English and replace them with corequisite, credit-bearing courses accompanied by the academic support necessary for student success. Dr. Matos Rodríguez, through his advocacy, focuses on system-wide change and highlights CUNY initiatives designed to help students continue their educational journeys.

Episode 9 - East Stroudsburg University Career and Independent Living and Learning Studies (CILLS)

Episode 9 - East Stroudsburg University Career and Independent Living and Learning Studies (CILLS)

In this episode of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Pillars of Change Podcast, Dr. Valerie D. Lehr, Commissioner and Professor of Gender Studies/Government, St. Lawrence University (NY), engages with leaders from the East Stroudsburg University (PA) Career and Independent Living and Learning Studies (CILLS) program.Dean of the College of Education, Dr. Brooke Langan; CILLS Program Director, Dr. Domenico Cavaiuolo; and CILLS Program Coordinator, Dylan Doran; share with our audience how the CILLS program provides a high-quality learning experience and necessary support within a university setting to help young adults with intellectual and other developmental disabilities develop life skills. The program prepares individuals to live independently and lead productive lives in their communities.

Episode 10 - Student Researchers

Episode 10 - Student Researchers

In the 10th episode of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Pillars of Change Podcast, Davie Gilmour, Chair of the Commission, hosted three students who presented Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) research at the MSCHE 2023 Annual Conference. Davie was joined by Sahtrese McQueen, an undergraduate student at Pace University (NY), whose research analyzed controversial topics and threats on freedom of student newspapers; Mackenzie Wise, a graduate student at Baruch College of the City University of New York, whose research focused on the struggle of first-generation students and cultural integration; and Vidya Surti an undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh, whose research examined classroom disability inclusivity.

Season 2

Episode 6 - Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, President of University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Episode 6 - Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, President of University of Maryland, Baltimore County

For the past three decades, University of Maryland, Baltimore County has become synonymous with Dr. Freeman A. Hrabowski, III. He is nationally celebrated for his results-driven commitment to inclusive excellence, collaborative approach to leadership, and mentorship that pairs high expectations with strong support. In this episode of the MSCHE Pillars of Change Podcast, Dr. Katherine Conway-Turner, MSCHE Vice-Chair and President of Buffalo State College, explores the impact Dr. Hrabowski has had on his students, faculty, and staff in shaping conversations surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion issues as well as striving to meet the challenges of society . UMBC's model of distributed leadership brings a variety of voices to the table to help move campus discussions forward by incorporating self-reflection.

Episode 7 - Dr. Havidán Rodriguez, President of the University at Albany

Episode 7 - Dr. Havidán Rodriguez, President of the University at Albany

Dr. Havidán Rodríguez has a long and distinguished career in higher education and has been guiding SUNY at Albany (UAlbany) since 2017, accelerating UAlbany's success toward reaching its vision to be the nation's leading diverse public research university. However, Dr. Rodríguez's impact extends beyond UAlbany. In this episode of the MSCHE Pillars of Change Podcast, Dr. Jim Sunser, President of SUNY Genesee Community College and member of the MSCHE Executive committee, speaks with fellow MSCHE Executive Committee member Dr. Rodríguez about his leadership of SUNY's Hispanic Leadership Institute, which was created to support, retain, and foster the success of emerging Hispanic and Latinx leaders across the State University of New York (SUNY), the largest comprehensive university system in the United States.

Season 1

Episode 1 - Dr. Katherine Conway-Turner, President of SUNY Buffalo State

Episode 1 - Dr. Katherine Conway-Turner, President of SUNY Buffalo State

In the inaugural episode of MSCHE's Pillars of Change, Dr. Davie Gilmour, President of Pennsylvania College of Technology and Vice-Chair of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education interviews Dr. Katherine Conway-Turner, President of SUNY Buffalo State, who also serves as an MSCHE Executive Committee member.

Episode 2 - Dr. Wayne Frederick, President of Howard University

Episode 2 - Dr. Wayne Frederick, President of Howard University

Middle States Commission on Higher Education Executive Committee member Dr. Carl Person welcomes Dr. Wayne Frederick, President of Howard University, to the MSCHE's Pillars of Change podcast for an engaging and wide-ranging conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion issues.

Episode 3 - Pat McGuire, President of Trinity Washington University

Episode 3 - Pat McGuire, President of Trinity Washington University

Dr. Katherine S. Conway-Turner, President of SUNY Buffalo State and a member of the Middles States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Executive Committee, sits in the interview chair for this edition of the MSCHE Pillars of Change podcast. Dr. Conway-Turner, who was interviewed in the inaugural podcast, speaks with Pat McGuire, president of Trinity Washington University. Their conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in higher education takes on more relevance coming the day after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of killing George Floyd.

Episode 4 - Dr. Aminta Breaux, President of Bowie State University

Episode 4 - Dr. Aminta Breaux, President of Bowie State University

In this wide-ranging interview, Lloyd Ricketts, Vice President and Treasurer at the College of New Jersey as well as Treasurer of the Commission and a member of the Executive Committee speaks with Dr. Aminta Breaux who serves as the 10th president of Bowie State. At Bowie State, the oldest historically Black university in Maryland, Dr. Breaux is committed to ensuring that every student develops an entrepreneurial mindset to achieve success in the workplace and the community, and has added programming to support that call.

Episode 5 - Dr. Margaret McMenamin, President of Union County College

Episode 5 - Dr. Margaret McMenamin, President of Union County College

Since being named president of Union County College in 2010, Dr. Margaret McMenamin has aggressively pursued an agenda centering on improving student success outcomes. During her tenure at Union, the College has more than quintupled its IPEDS graduation rate and been recognized by the Aspen Institute for Community College Excellence and Association of Community College Trustees. MSCHE Commissioner Mr. Michael Collins interviews Dr. McMenamin, a former Commission Chair, on the success found at her community college and the role of higher education in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.