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The Ed.D. in Community College Leadership program at New Jersey City University hosts a FREE annual Community College Showcase every summer.  The Community College Showcase provides community college leaders from across the nation with an opportunity to showcase their work, learn from others, and engage in networking. This is a VIRTUAL event.

Community College Showcase:  Centering Care and Equity in a New Landscape

2.9.23 and 2.10.23 12:00 p.m. EST - 4:30 p.m. EST

Register Now (It's free and open to all who are passionate about the community college mission)

Note:  Sessions will NOT be recorded this year.

Keynote Speakers

Opening Keynote Presentation

Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart

Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, President for Amarillo College Love x Learning: Moving from Equity Initiatives to Transformational Institutions

Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart currently serves as President for Amarillo College, named a Top Five Institution and Rising Star for the Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence in 2021.

Russell’s leadership is focused on improving student success through systemic and cultural change centered on one word: love. Russell developed the systemic Culture of Caring targeting removal of poverty barriers that was featured in The Atlantic (June 2018) and in the documentary on AmazonPrime, The Antidote, from Oscar Nominated and Emmy Award winning directors Kahane Cooperman and John Hoffman.

While his calling is education reform, his passion is family. His wife, Tara, sons Christopher and Campbell, daughter, Cadence, and dog, Sadie, fill his life with beauty and joy.


Closing Keynote

Jairo (Hi-rrow) McMican

Jairo (Hi-rrow) McMican, Associate Director for Equity Initiatives at Achieving The Dream

Understanding the Dichotomy between Transactional and Transformational Equity

Jairo (Hi-rrow) is the Associate Director for Equity Initiatives at Achieving The Dream. He has spent the last 16+ years working in higher education split between academic and student services at two different universities, University of North Carolina-Asheville and North Carolina Central University; and two community colleges, Durham Technical Community College and Central Carolina Community College. Mr. McMican previously served in a split role serving as the Dean of College Access Services at Central Carolina Community College (CCCC) and The Director of Equity and Pathways for the North Carolina Student Success Center. Jairo is currently working on his Ed.D. in Adult and Community College Education at North Carolina State University. Mr. McMican was also a 2019 Achieving the Dream Fellow, 2020 Belk Center Fellow, and a 2021-2022 Education Design Lab Designer in Residence and currently serves on the editorial board for AACRAO’s Strategic Enrollment Management. In addition, Jairo facilitates ‘Inclusive Teaching for Equitable Learning’ modules for ACUE as well as ‘Agile Administrator’ modules for the American Council of Education (ACE).


Thursday, February 9, 2023

12:00 p.m. - 1:15 p.m Welcome and Keynote:  Love X Learning:  Moving from Equity Initiatives to Transformational Institutions

Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, President for Amarillo College

The fundamentals of higher education are broken. The higher education structures for learning, finances, and employment place colleges and universities at risk of losing the political and social support necessary to survive. Companies are creating their own learning and training systems. Politicians are politicizing equity work.  Our current higher education systems are producing the exact results for which they are designed – dreadful graduation rates and shocking student debt. Higher education must rebuild ourselves back into economic relevancy and social and political support. Instead of “higher edding” solutions (wrapping innovation in cumbersome bureaucracy and complex procedures and policies), we must embrace the practical and personal if we are going to close equity gaps. For the technologies, curriculum, skills, and their subsequent successes to be realized – higher education must first rethink and rebuild its culture. Yet, the foundation of this necessary transformation may surprise. Our innovations, revisions, and reimaginations to close equity gaps will only work if we rebuild our cultures around one concept – love.

 

1:30 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. Breakout Sessions

Presented by Christina Herbin, MA, LPC, NCC, Washtenaw Community College

The course climate is a key aspect of creating an inclusive classroom. The instructor-to-student and student-to-student interactions set the tone of the classroom. Creating inclusive spaces is the responsibility of everyone. Learn strategies to create a classroom climate that embraces students’ varied identities, experiences, and backgrounds. We will discuss practical strategies for how to build an inclusive course climate for all students to learn.

Moderate interactivity, Target Audience: Faculty, Staff

Presented by Christopher Marx, SUNY Ulster

Over the past few years, a handful of community colleges have adopted an economic mobility coaching model, called Mobility Mentoring, to enhance adult student advisement. This research-based model has proven highly effective for community organizations. This workshop will present data supporting the effectiveness of coaching as an adult advisement strategy and an overview of the Mobility Mentoring model. The facilitators will present current research on how community colleges are adapting this model for adult students and lead discussions on ways that participants could impact their advisement teams with similar approaches.

High interactivity; Target audience: All

Presented by Morgan Stierman, Brookdale, Community College

As technology becomes more prominent in our classrooms, it becomes increasingly important to recognize and combat inequity in digital literacy among students. The structure and content of many gateway courses, often including first year writing, include an assumed level of digital literacy skills in students that often exceeds their actual ability level. This presentation will establish a set of best practices for first year writing and other gateway courses to implement to help familiarize students with the expectations and digital literacy skills required at the college level, and will further demonstrate the link between these skills and student retention/success rates. 

Moderate interactivity, Target Audience: Faculty.

Presented by Fatimah Broxton, Union College

This session will inform educational stakeholders about housing insecurity and homelessness among Black Male community college students and the subsequent impact on retention and graduation rates. 

Moderate interactivity; Target audience: all.

Presented by Valerie Fasanello, Nassau Community College (SUNY)

The COVID 19 pandemic has taken a tremendous toll on higher education. It has widened the gap for students with social, economic and learning differences. These gaps have led to unprepared college freshmen. This workshop will discuss credit bearing courses paired with developmental courses to achieve academic success. 

High interactivity, Target Audience: Faculty and Administrators.

Presented by Kerri-Ann M. Smith, Ed.D., Brian Mitra, Ed.D, and Amaris Matos, Queensborough Community College (CUNY)

This presentation contextualizes the perspectives of three administrators around the development of a college-wide strategy to close equity gaps that makes the work of producing equitable outcomes belong to everyone. The presenters will provide concrete examples of how the college’s commitment to equity has been operationalized in the areas of student affairs and academic affairs, using data disaggregation, developing antiracist guidelines to improve curricula, and designing structural support systems and mechanisms to promote student well-being and equity for all.

Minimal interactivity; Target Audience: All

2:15 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. Break

2:45 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Breakout Sessions

Presented by Dr. Debra D Bragg, Professor Emeritus and Dr. Angela Davis from Durham Technical CC, Bragg & Associates, Inc.

A partnership involving Dr. Angela Davis and Dr. Debra Bragg is the focus of this interactive session on equity-minded practice. The presenters who have worked together for more than 5 years on equity-focused projects in Florida, North Carolina, and Washington, as well as with Advance CTE to facilitate equity-minded practitioner leadership in the community college context. The presenters will share their experiences and challenges enacting equity-minded leadership, including exploring the role of critical reflective practice, story-telling, inquiry-based problem solving, and collaborative engagement with faculty, staff, students and other stakeholders of their community colleges.

High interactivity; Target audience: all.

Presented by Malkiel Choseed, Ph.D. and Matt DelConte Ph.D., Onondaga Community College

 

This session informs participants about the structure and outcomes for the State University of New York’s Developmental English Learning Community, which ran from 2018 to 2021 and was comprised of 27 campuses with Onondaga Community College (OCC) as the lead, providing professional development, mentoring, and other support. In addition, participants will learn how OCC enacted further dev ed reforms on its own campus, ultimately re-structuring its entire non-credit reading and writing programs, and see data documenting our successes. We have learned to see dev ed in all its forms as an equity issue and address it as such.

High interactivity; Target audience: Faculty, Administrators, Policy Makers

Presented by Rhian Waterberg, MassBay Community College

“Safe space" has been used to reference comfort in addressing and supporting students who experience marginalization on campus, with particular focus on the experiences of queer students. Is the promise of safe space being fulfilled? Is the hope for safe space attainable? This workshop will challenge participants to reorient their approach to supporting students who experience marginalization away from safety and toward bravery. This reorientation provides opportunities for greater focus on how we create a campus climate in which bravery across the institution centers students facing marginalization while addressing individual agency to fulfill the promises of educational equity.

High interactivity; Target audience: faculty, student service professionals, administrators, staff, executive management. 

Presented by Dr. Gambi White - Tennant, Passaic County Community College

This interactive session will provide a safe space for participants to share their questions about becoming a culturally relevant teacher (CRT) or deepen their practice as a culturally relevant practitioner. Participants will learn new CRT strategies as well as how to retool old strategies to better support diverse learners. Please bring your challenges and successes in implementing culturally responsive and/or revelant teaching practices as we will use these "real life" experiences to create a rich professional development learning experience.

High interactivity; Target audience: Faculty 

Presented by Kelly DaCunha, DSocSci, Professor of Prevention Science, Wilmington University, Nichol Killian, DSocSci, Assistant to Dean of Math, Science, and Health Professions, Mercer County Community College, Alexandra Salas, PhD, Vice President for Digital Learning & Innovation, Neumann University, Kristen Wilson, DSocSci, Director, Behavior Services, Rowan College of South Jersey

Trauma is pervasive, pernicious, and ubiquitous. In our peri-COVID world, each of us have experienced some type of stress, anxiety, or even trauma due to responses to the pandemic. These stressors may exacerbate or re-ignite previous or concomitant stress. Our session will provide trauma awareness and strategies to build resilience in this peri-covid era. The focus of the discussion will center on what is trauma; who experiences trauma; and how traumatic experiences impact content mastery and retention. We will then suggest how educators and administrators in community colleges can promote resilience and a trauma-informed worldview for student retention and success. 

High interactivity; Target audience: all.

Presented by Yoel Rodriguez, Ph.D. (Professor), Anna Ivanova, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor), and Antonios Varelas, Ph.D. (Professor)

CUNY Hostos Community CollegeHostos Community College (CUNY)

Providing historically marginalized students with much needed support is crucial for their academic success, personal well-being, and ability to contribute to society. The Hostos BMI TEAM program provides mentoring, tutoring, networking, STEM Boot Camps, and socioemotional services to create pathways for these underserved students. We have successfully leveraged resources and collaborated with other programs to serve students. In our presentation, we will share the practices and approaches we have implemented to improve students’ college experiences. The participants will engage in fruitful discussion and explore ways to adapt these practices to meet the needs of their own students.

Minimal interactivity; Target audience: all.

Presented by Donna M. Rogalski, Ed.D., Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, State of New Jersey

This session will showcase a recent study of 20 middle level student affairs professionals leading change at their community college. By attending this session, attendees will learn about the themes elicited from this research, recognize authority, reflect on their own experiences, and discover opportunities to improve the care for those in the middle. Whether you are situated in the middle, supervise the middle, or aspire to the middle, every attendee will leave this session with practical ideas to create a caring environment for the middle level professional.

High interactivity; Target audience: all.

3:45 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Networking Conversations


Friday, February 10, 2023

12:00 p.m. - 12:45 p.m Breakout Sessions

Presented by Fabiola Riobe, Zenya Richardson, Monica Jackson, Christina Merriweather, Rockland Community College

The foundation of any relationship is the relationship one has with themselves. The proverbial saying “You can’t pour from an empty cup” demonstrates the urgency with which we must take the necessary steps to ensure that we can keep up with the growing demands of these uncertain times. Self-care is not only a recommendation but a need, like food, shelter, or water. You will hear authentic stories of defiance, resilience, and lessons learned from facing obstacles. Most importantly, you will leave with a self-care action plan that can facilitate going from surviving to Thriving.

High interactivity; Target audience: all.

Presented by Ellen Wasserman, Joshua Hardt, Community College Research Center (CCRC) and Odessa Community College

Supporting online learners, especially in STEM courses, to develop the learning skills and mindsets for success is a critical focus for faculty, staff, and administrators. Researchers from the Postsecondary Teaching with Technology Collaborative will discuss how broad-access institutions can leverage technology and a framework of metacognitive, motivational, and applied learning approaches to support students in online STEM courses. Faculty at Odessa Community College will describe examples of online STEM teaching practices and course design that foster student success. Participants will be invited to share ideas and collaborate in small groups to identify strategies for fostering learning skill development. 

High interactivity; Target audience: all.

Presented by David Buck, Howard Community College

According to Peter Elbow, “Grading tends to undermine the climate for teaching and learning. Once we start grading their work, students are tempted to study or work for the grade rather than for learning.” Imagine rewriting the narrative of assessment to include student agency, where we tap into students’ intrinsic motivation to labor with a focus on the learning process rather than a graded product. Imagine creating courses as natural critical learning environments where students are encouraged to pursue meaningful questions, set and pursue personal learning goals/targets, take an active role in their assessment, and choose the evidence that best demonstrates their learning. Imagine courses in which narrative feedback and student reflections replace the transactional, inequitable nature of traditional grades. An interesting proposition, no? Join us as we explore the equity and freedom promised by ungrading!

Moderate interactivity; Target audience: faculty, student service professionals, administrators

Presented by Lorrie Frederick, Community College of Baltimore County -CCBC

The Community College of Baltimore County’s First-Year Experience Summer Bridge Program supports academically underprepared first-year students as they transition to college. The program includes two core components: (1) an Academic Development 101 course and (2) co-curricular engagement. CCBC staff will provide details about the program’s structure and how they fostered students’ connections to the college and one another through co-curricular experiences. The program’s transition to a virtual format still accomplished the same goals as the on-campus program. In fact, the virtual format has allowed students to excel at a higher rate than their peers who participated in previous on-campus cohorts.

Minimal interactivity; Target audience: faculty, student service professionals, administrators, staff

Presented by, Michele Campagna, Leonore Rodriques, Katie Giardello, SUNY Westchester Community College and the CUNY ASAP Replication program

The CUNY ASAP model has successfully produced equitable increases in momentum and completion. Inspired by these results SUNY WCC piloted Viking ROADS in 2018. MDRC provided evaluation support for the 2019 and 2020 cohorts revealing that ROADS participants achieved greater persistence and momentum than their counterparts. Furthermore, the 2018 cohort’s three-year completion rate is twice as high as that of the college. This session will describe the CUNY ASAP model and replication efforts underway nationwide. Presenters will review the model’s critical elements and the steps involved in replication. Outcomes data and their importance for continuous improvement will be discussed.

Moderate interactivity; Target audience: All

Presented by Beth Richards, College of the Mainland

This session will focus on a male minority support group created at a small community college designated as a Hispanic-serving institution. A brief literature review on the importance of supporting minority males will be discussed, which will segue into the need for such support groups. Discussion time will be provided for participants to engage in discourse regarding their experience with similar groups or support services. The presenter will conclude with an explanation of proposed additional support services to be implemented to improve student success outcomes and create more equitable opportunities for minority males. 

High interactivity; Target audience: student service professionals, administrators, staff.

12:45 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Break

1:00 p.m. -1:45 p.m. Breakout Sessions

Presented by Koun Eum, Ellen Quish; Paul Arcario; Anthony Cordio  , LaGuardia Community College (CUNY)

We will present the LaGuardia Community College’s support program to promote regular practice of mindfulness among students and faculty. We implemented mindfulness practice with First Year Seminar students utilizing free online mindfulness practices and trained interested faculty and Student Success Mentors. We will discuss various aspects of creating such initiative, ways to integrate existing on- and off-campus resources, and utilization of the “train-the-trainer” model to increase the sustainability of the program. 

Moderate interactivity; Target audience: Faculty, Student Service Professionals, Administrators, Staff

Presented by Ashley Jenifer LCPC, Community College of Baltimore County -CCBC

Students and professors are all busy. We are connected to many responsivities and needs at once: school, work family, personal lives. Sometimes we just need a time out, but what would that look like in a virtual class while still completing course work obligations? In this session, attendees will learn student-centered virtual teaching strategies to foster classroom community, collaborative pacing, increase student advocacy and course completion. 

Moderate interactivity; Target audience: Faculty, Student Service Professionals, Administrators, Staff

Presented by Forrest C. Helvie, CT State Community College

The session will begin with polling participants about the makeup of their organizations to begin to reflect on how diverse leadership is at their campus. Next, we will explore some of the literature that explores the benefits of a diverse professional community and leadership. Finally, we will offer some strategies for how campuses can grow a diverse body of leaders from within their own college community. 

High interactivity, Target Audience: Faculty, Administrators, Staff, Exectutive Management

Presented by Brian P Kapinos, Michael Buccilli, CT State Community College

The Connecticut Board or Regents approved the Holistic Case Management Policy in April 2020 which mandated that the community college system reduce its advisor ratio from 750-1 to 250-1 per advisor along with implementing a holistic case management approach to better support all Connecticut community college students with a specific emphasis on closing equity gaps within the state. This presentation is to provide an overview of the work done within the Connecticut Community College system on the Holistic Case Management rollout which includes enrollment and retention data for all 12 Connecticut Community Colleges currently implemented with a Holistic Case Management model. 

Moderate interactivity; Target audience: all.

PResented by Latoya Bond, Community College of Philadelphia

Online students are assumed to be independent, self-guided, and have the necessary technical skills and equipment to participate. However, online students consist of students with varying technology skill sets, limited academic skills, and may need more resources. This workshop will discuss a study conducted to explore online students' needs and how student service areas can get involved to support online student success. Student service areas may sometimes feel limited in how to reach online students. This workshop will empower you to think outside of the box and, through collaboration, provide improved resources and advocate for online students. 

Moderate interactivity; Target audience: student service professionals, administrators, staff.

Presented by Kelly Jackson, Camden County College

The Giving Tuesday Fair at Camden County College is a multi-campus, multi-unit initiative that anchors the culture of giving at the college. It involves clubs, teams, honor societies, academic departments, and individuals in a service and fundraising initiative. Everyone can give in different ways and on a different scale. There are opportunities for giving that are not financial. The recipients of the collections are both campus (example, food pantry) and community organizations. We include our city and suburban campuses, satellite locales, and even have an online presence. Giving and service can be for everyone.

Minimal interactivity; Target audience: Student Services Professionals, Executive Management, Foundation

1:45 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. Break

2:15 p.m. -3:00 p.m. Networking Sessions

3:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Keynote and Closing Remarks:  Understanding the Dichotomy between Transactional and Transformational Equity

Jairo McMican, Associate Director for Equity Initiatives at Achieving The Dream

Rocking chairs move but don’t go anywhere. Unfortunately, a lot of folks unintentionally commit to ‘rocking chair’ equity efforts. Some reasons include folks possessing good intentions and fear of getting it wrong to others not fully committing because it is a low priority. This presentation will explore the roots of these approaches and what can be done to evolve equity efforts from transactional to transformational. We all have work to do to substantiate how we care for students and each other.

 

Tips for Writing an Excellent Conference Proposal

1. Follow the Proposal Guidelines and Rubric (if provided)

Before you begin writing the proposal, review all the resources provided. This includes all the elements of the proposal and the rubric if one is provided. It can also be very helpful to review past conference agendas to see what others have presented at past events.

2. Connect to the Conference Theme

If there is a conference theme, connect your content to it!

“A clear connection to the conference theme and something the participant can walk away with and take back to their institution and begin implementing right away. This might be a one-pager about the project or implementation, immediate access to the slides, or a resource that can be used again and again.” - Tammy

3. Know Your Audience

Craft your proposal with your intended audience in mind. Think about what your intended audience needs and develop a proposal that speaks to these needs. Help the audience see why they will not want to miss your session.

Think about the current challenges community college professionals are facing on campus and how your session will inspire them to tackle these challenges.

4. Clearly Share the Goals and Outcomes

Use action verbs to communicate what participants will be able to know, think, or do after participating in your session. Refer to resources on Bloom's taxonomy to assist you with developing strong, clear outcomes.  

Example: Participants will be able to:

  1. Describe the benefits of an online tutoring model.
  2. Identify resources needed to implement online tutoring.
  3. Discover at least three strategies to increase student learning via online tutoring programs.

5. Choose an Informative Title and Description

The title is one of the most important parts of your proposal. The title is what participants will see first and it will often determine if participants will even read your description.  The description is the second most important part of your proposal because descriptions help participants decide which sessions to attend. The title and description are usually the only sections of your proposal that will later be publicly shared on the agenda if your proposal is accepted.

Be sure that the title and description clearly share the purpose and scope of your session. Titles and descriptions that create a sense of urgency, promote curiosity, demonstrate benefits, and promise solutions or strategies often capture the attention of the audience. Although many appreciate creative titles, it is most important to accurately communicate the focus of the session. Being specific can provide clarity and generate excitement.

General:  A Mentoring Program for First-Year Students

Specific:  Recruiting Mentors:  Three Effective Strategies

6. Use Simple Language

Use language that is familiar to most professionals in the field.  Avoid jargon and acronyms that others may not know.  Short, simple sentences are easier for the reader.

Remember that the reviewers are likely reading numerous proposals so make it easy for them to learn about your plans for the session. Participants will also be scanning through numerous breakout session options, so it is important to make it easy for them to understand the focus of the session.

7. Provide Resources

Practitioners value resources that they can bring back to their campus. Share what resources you will be providing. Giving details about these resources can help the reviewer see the value. Instead of saying a handout will be provided, tell readers what type of handout. For example, a syllabus checklist will be shared.

"A good conference proposal for me provides an opportunity for our attendees to walk away with tangible tools and information that they can bring back to campus to implement change." - Veronica

8. Share the Impact and Back it Up

In your proposal, highlight the value of what you will be sharing in your session. Explain why this session is so important by emphasizing the impact on student success and equity. Sharing the evidence behind the approach strengthens the proposal. Reference the research, theory, or assessment data that supports what you are sharing in the session.  Sessions that reference research, theory, and data are often perceived to be more credible.   

 "Effective proposals solve problems using research- based innovative programs, practices, and policies for the betterment of all people." - Sandra

9. Provide Enough Details so Reviewers Know What the Audience Can Expect

Providing specifics about the content and what will happen during your session helps the reviewers determine if the session will meet the needs of their audience.

Instead of saying teaching strategies will be shared, name the teaching strategies you will be focusing on in your session. For example, this session will focus on two active teaching approaches- the Jigsaw Classroom and Interteaching.  

Instead of saying the audience will be engaged through various activities, describe what engagement activities you will be using.  For example, the audience will be engaged via several prediction poll questions and one brief breakout room conversation on ways to engage students outside of the classroom.

10. Write a Draft First and Keep it Blind

Draft your proposal in a Word document first. Attend to word count limits in various sections.  When ready, cut and paste the content into the proposal form.

Be sure to avoid including identifying information in the proposal itself (except where presenter information is requested).  Most reviews are blind, meaning they are anonymously reviewed by committees. Instead of saying This session describes an orientation program at Your College, you can say an orientation program at a large, urban community college in the Northeast will be described.

Give yourself time to revise the draft before the proposals are due. Write your proposal draft and revisit it a few days later. You will likely find ways to improve it. Always return to the proposal guidelines and rubric to ensure you have provided all the required information. Share your draft and a copy of the rubric with a colleague for feedback before submitting it.

I suggest to carefully review the proposal criteria before composing the proposal and to incorporate the criteria into the proposal. -Fathia 

Community College Showcase Proposal Form Requirements

  • Title of presentation (maximum of 15 words) 
  • Connection to Conference Theme of Partnering for Success:  Please tell reviewers how your session relates to the theme (up to 100 words)
  • Brief Session Description:  Tell conference attendees what your 45-minute session is about so they can decide if they would like to attend your proposed session.  This will be shared on the conference website.   (up to 100 words)
  • Learning Outcomes- What will participants be able to do after attending the session?  List approximately three.
  • Potential Reach and Impact of Session- Tell reviewers how your proposed session will benefit participants and impact student success? (up to 100 words)
  • Outline of Presentation (up to 500 words)- Provide reviewers with an overview of what will happen during the session.  Please include any activities/tools you expect to use during the Zoom session.
  • Interactivity:  Online conference attendees find it helpful to know what to expect during the session so we will indicate a category for each session.  Please indicate which category best fits your proposed session.
    • High: includes discussions in large group or breakout rooms
    • Moderate: includes some polls and/or use of the chat feature
    • Minimal: mostly presentation
  • Target Audience