Anyone who works in communications knows that it’s easy for productive conversions to turn dark and hurtful, particularly when it comes to issues like race and identity. Dr. Mordecai Ian Brownlee leans into the difficult parts of these conversations in his work as a leader, teacher, mentor, speaker, and more. He joins us this week to discuss the need for spaces where we can freely share our own experiences and learn from the experiences of others. We also talk about how to set a positive example on social media and use it to lift people up, rather than get dragged into the latest conflict of the day.

Mordecai currently serves as the Vice President for Student Success at St. Philip’s College. Effective July 15, 2021, he will serve as the sixth President of the Community College of Aurora within the Colorado Community College System. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Morgan State University School of Education & Urban Studies and the University of Charleston School of Business and Leadership, as well as a higher education columnist for EdSurge.

His mission as an educator is to work collectively with all stakeholders to create a safe and equitable learning environment that promotes student inclusion, student engagement, and student success. That mission comes through loud and clear in this conversation.

Links to cool stuff: 

• Mordecai’s website
• Mordecai on Twitter

We’re a year into the pandemic, and many of us are getting ready for commencement and everything that the end of the school year brings. Anyone feeling a little (or maybe a lot) of burnout? Ken Schneck has been there and joins us this week to share his journey from student affairs professional to an administrator in his mid-20s to a tenured faculty member and published author.

Ken found himself burned out at age 35 and spoke up about what he was experiencing. The message resonated more than he ever thought it would and became the catalyst for launching his speaking and writing career. In this episode, Ken talks with us about that journey and the advice he now gives to his students in the Leadership in Higher Education program at Baldwin Wallace University.

Ken also talks with Lougan and Jenna about how escaping the grind of administrative work allowed him to pursue a writing career and tell the stories of Ohio’s LGBTQ communities.

Links to cool stuff: 

• Ken’s website
• Ken on Twitter
• Ken on LinkedIn
• Ken’s HuffPost article “Student Affairs Administrators Get Suicidal Too”
• Baldwin Wallace University Leadership in Higher Education
• Download the episode transcript

There’s a big stir in central Maine this fall, and Dr. Melik Peter Khoury is in the middle of it. As President of Unity College, he recently announced a plan to move fully to distance and hybrid learning — a move that included layoffs and furloughs for dozens of faculty and staff and the potential sale of the physical campus.

Dr. Khoury describes these changes as not only essential to keeping the college open during COVID-19, but also as part of a bigger vision he has for what education should look like. He sees a world in which students can break free of the traditional campus model and get the information they need to solve society’s greatest problems right away, without waiting four years or more to graduate.

Sound ambitious? It is, but Khoury stands by it and joins us this week to discuss. You might not agree with everything he says about higher ed, but it’s hard to deny that he has a vision and is passionate about making it a reality.

Links to cool stuff: 

• Dr. Khoury on Twitter
• Dr. Khoury on LinkedIn
• Unity College

Ron started a new job as the Assistant Director of Residence Life and Student Conduct at Northwestern in May — in the midst of a pandemic and just before protests against racial violence began across the U.S. Both of these events directly impact Ron’s work both now and in the fall. Despite all the turmoil, he remains collected and more motivated than ever to create an inclusive environment for Northwestern’s students. 

Ron and Lougan worked together at Belmont, but Lougan was not able to join this interview so Jenna caught up with him to talk about his history as a campus organizer and whether it’s possible to address public health and racial justice at the same time. We also discuss Ron’s work as a tour guide and organizer for Black travelers and where he wants to go once travel resumes.

Ron holds a master’s in college student affairs from the University of West Georgia and is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in student affairs leadership at the University of Georgia.

Link to cool stuff

• Ron on LinkedIn

While a lot of colleges and universities talk about ending racism and inequality on their campuses, Carah Ong Whaley and her team at JMU dove headfirst into taking action. Carah is Associate Director of the Center for Civic Engagement, which has put together weekly virtual discussions on topics related to racism, policing, and more. She is also part of an effort to rename JMU buildings currently named for well-known racists in history. As you’ll hear, she’s active in both the #JMUchangethenames social media campaign and working behind the scenes with university leaders.

We recorded this episode on June 18. Stay tuned to the end of the show on what’s happened at JMU since then.

Links to cool stuff

• Carah on Twitter

• Carah on LinkedIn

• JMU Center for Civic Engagement

• Democracy Matters podcast

Eric Stoller is the vice president of digital strategy at GeckoEngage. You may know him from his articles on Inside Higher Ed, his speaking engagements and his consulting work around digital engagement. He’s always loved doing marketing and public relations, but never wanted to work for an agency. Eric’s experiences in student development services at University of Illinois Chicago and enrollment management at Oregon State University really cemented interest in the intersection of technology and student success. He’s had an incredible and unique journey through the world of higher education. 

Links to cool stuff

• Eric on Twitter
• Eric on LinkedIn
• GeckoEngage

For our second international episode, we sat down with Melissa Mae Cheater, the digital content manager at Western University in London, Ontario, Canada. Melissa is also the founder of #PSEWEB (Post Secondary Education Web), a Canadian offshoot of the Higher Education Web Professionals Association here in the US. During the show, we chat about the differences between student life in the US and Canada. Melissa also shares her thoughts on how departments across campus can better work with their communications teams to celebrate success. 

Links to cool stuff: 

• Melissa on Twitter
• Melissa on LinkedIn
• Melissa’s website
• #PSEWEB
• Link Journal article on Melissa’s #heweb18 presentation

Talk about a higher ed superhero, Thea Zunick serves as the director of student life at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. On top of that, she is an adjunct professor University of the Sciences and Montclair State University while volunteering for AFA, NASPA, and greek organizations. She talks about the platforms that online classes can use to create engagement. The group talks about how meetings can be unproductive at times. 

Links to cool stuff: 

• Thea on Twitter
• Thea on LinkedIn

Ed Cabellon is the director of administration for the division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Bridgewater State University, and just completed his 2nd Boston Marathon! We talk about The Avengers (don’t worry, no spoilers), and find out which Avenger Ed would be. Jackie shockingly holds her own in a conversation about comic books and superheroes. Ed tells us about empowering students through work opportunities while simultaneously capturing authentic content that he shares in a unique way to help relate to incoming students and their families.

Links to cool stuff: 

• Ed on Twitter
• Ed on LinkedIn
• BSU Life Website

Peyton Lipscomb is the retention initiatives coordinator at University of West Florida. Her undergraduate advisor in economics suggested her pursue a career a higher education since she loved serving the campus of Mississippi State. She oversees an initiative called Anchor Down for freshmen. Their events are focused around a theme and it issues stickers to professors and students with questions to ignite conversation.

Links to cool stuff: 

• Peyton on Twitter
• Rap and Wrestling Connection Podcast