Question 1. Please provide a brief biography that explains how you
believe your educational and professional background will benefit Dallas
College.
Growing up in Dallas, just a couple of blocks from
the Eastfield College campus, Dallas College was actually my first example of
higher education. Like many Dallas College students, I was the first in my
family to graduate from high school, which meant I didn't have family members
who could help me navigate the college application process. I was fortunate to
be a part of the Upward Bound program since my sophomore year of high school,
and the staff were able to help my mom and I fill out college admissions and
scholarship applications, FAFSA, and even better understand what the difference
between a loan and a grant were.
Once I began college, I quickly learned that while I had
attended magnet schools in Dallas ISD, I was still under-prepared for the level
of coursework required of students at my university. Like many of our students
in Dallas County, I balanced taking classes while also working multiple
part-time jobs, and trying to find ways to stay engaged in student
activities/leadership. I saw many peers struggle and some either graduated late
or didn't graduate at all. When I graduated, I decided that I wanted to learn
more about how I could impact change for students like myself, and decided to
begin a graduate program for Educational Leadership, with a specialization in
higher education. Since then, I've worked in both higher education and PK-12
education and have a better understanding of the different gaps that exist in
our education system.
My personal and professional experiences allow me to have a
better understanding of the types of students Dallas College serves and their
needs, because I was once of them. As a first generation high school and
college graduate, I understand the many challenges and barriers that
exist for many students at Dallas College, including the need for additional
support services and increased access to information and the options available.
As a former educator, I know the gaps that exist in our students' educational
experiences, which make accessing and succeeding in higher education more
difficult. My experiences as a higher education professional also give me some
insight into the challenges faculty and staff face when interacting with the
system. These experiences will benefit Dallas College through my service as a Trustee,
because they provide a level of context that is required for serving the Dallas
College community. I would also leverage my ability to build coalitions with
others to ensure that the will of our community is represented at the table.
Question 2. What is the role of the elected Board of Trustees from
your perspective? How does that role relate to your individual input as an
elected trustee?
The role of the elected Board of Trustees is to serve the Dallas
College community (students, faculty, and staff) + the Dallas County
community (both their districts & the greater community at-large) through
vision-setting, goal-setting and progress monitoring, budget setting, and
coalition-building with external partnerships. As elected leaders, it is
extremely important that Trustees are consistently engaging with their
constituents to help keep them informed about changes and decisions that can
impact their communities. These interactions with the community should also
help to inform how our elected officials ultimately make decisions, which is
why regular conversations are important for both the Trustee and the
communities they serve.
As a Trustee, it's important that they constantly seek
feedback/input from the people their decisions impact, such as students,
faculty, staff, and community members. Decisions made by elected Trustees
should be representative of their constituents and ultimately serve the best
interest of those communities. If elected, I commit to creating consistent
opportunities for community engagement and information sharing to ensure more
people in our communities are aware of the happenings at Dallas
College.
Question 3. What is the role
of Dallas College in the educational marketplace in Dallas County? What is your
agenda to continue to improve the quality and availability of educational
programs to the citizens of Dallas County?
Dallas College is a hidden gem in the Dallas County community. While
Dallas College has served our community for over 50 years, it unfortunately
still remains one of Dallas' best kept secrets. If more people in our community
knew more about the amazing options for learning offered at Dallas College, I
truly believe we'd be able to begin closing the income disparities that exist
in Dallas County. Dallas College is in a unique moment in time, as it is
currently undergoing the transition to one college, and is doing heavy
marketing to share more about the options offered for people in our community.
Dallas College currently offers some of the best tuition rates in the state and
the partnership with the Dallas County Promise program makes higher education
practically free for graduating high school seniors at partner schools. The
College also offers an array of degree and certification programs, along with
different courses that the community can engage in. The problem is that not
enough people in our community actually know about it or how to access it.
If elected, I would work with students, faculty, and staff to
learn more about their experiences and their ideas for improving the quality of
the programs offered. As the folks who interact with the Dallas College system
the most directly, their feedback would be imperative to reimagining the Dallas
College of tomorrow. I also believe that the role of a Trustee is to work in
collaboration with their constituents, so I would partner with different groups
to co-create a vision and plan for improving the quality and availability of
educational programs at Dallas College. The mission of Dallas College is to
"work to ensure that Dallas County is vibrant, growing, and economically
viable for future generations" and this mission can be achieved by
ensuring that more people in our community have access to the learning and the
resources to successfully complete their certification and degree programs.
Education has the power to change the trajectory of a person's life, and can
ultimately impact future generations. As a Trustee, I commit to partnering with
as many people that are necessary to decrease/eliminate the barriers that make
it difficult for students to access these opportunities.
Question 4. If elected, how will you advocate for Dallas College
students, employees, and colleges, in your dealings with business, the
community, other public servants, and voters?
If elected, I am committed to
consistently engaging with Dallas College students, employees, and the colleges
to ensure that their perspectives are always at the forefront of any decisions
the Board makes with regard to businesses, the community, other public
servants, and voters. As a Trustee, I'd work to create strong partnerships with
these groups through consistent communication and engagement. Staying informed
about the experiences of Dallas College students and employees would allow me
to best serve as a representative when engaging with external partners (i.e.,
businesses, the community, other public servants, and voters). As an advocate
for these communities, I'd be better positioned to create space for their
voices to be shared through the Board's decisions and policies. Ultimately, my
goal would be to serve in the best interest of our groups to ensure we provide
the necessary support for our students, faculty, and staff.
Question 5. How would you propose to make Dallas College the
premier employer for prospective faculty and staff, in order to recruit and
retain a diverse and inclusive workforce that mirrors the community we serve?
Faculty and staff play an integral part in the success of Dallas
College, which is why consistently getting feedback from this group is
necessary. Faculty and staff experiences can truly impact many aspects of the
institution's success, so learning and gaining insight about what's working and
what isn't working for this group can create opportunities for continued
improvement. As a former educator, I understand the role that negative
experiences can have on an employees work and their decision to stay. I know
that Dallas College has some of the best faculty and staff in Dallas County,
and it's important we can continue to provide employees with the best working
environment and benefits to continue serving our students.
I would propose collecting feedback and data from faculty and
staff at regular intervals, and learning directly from these groups what they
need to continue serving our students. I'd also seek additional feedback from
students, in order to better understand the needs of students. As Dallas
College seeks to recruit and retain a more diverse and inclusive workforce,
applying an equity lens would also allow the College to better understand how
to create strategies and resources for different groups of faculty and staff.
Analyzing data through an equity lens would also provide more direct insight
into how to address challenges faced. Overall, creating opportunities to
consistently interrogate and analyze policies, practices, and behaviors will
allow Dallas College to be strategic and action-oriented when it comes to
recruiting and retaining the best faculty and staff in Dallas
County.
I’d
also love to see continued recruitment of faculty and staff directly from our Dallas
County community, including former Dallas College students/graduates. There is
something very powerful about having the opportunity to serve others with
similar backgrounds or even identities as yours, for both the student and the
faculty/staff member. The perspectives they can bring to the classroom/role has
the potential of enhancing a student’s experience in the classroom.
Also,
investing in faculty and staff development can positively impact their
experience and development in their roles.
Proposed Resolutions, Proposed Amendments to the DCCFA Bylaws, and Proposed Amendments to the DCCFA Constitution 2020-2021 submitting during the November 13th convention. Many thanks to Dr. Jennifer Hudson-Allen and Dr. Nathaniel Means for their work in compiling these resolutions. After reviewing these, please complete our confidential DCCFA Convention Resolutions survey to provide your opinions on these resolutions, as well as some proposed bylaw and constitutional amendments to be addressed at a future convention.