Democracy's College: Research and Leadership in Educational Equity, Justice and Excellence for All

In this episode, Chequita Brown talks with Kate Danielson of the organization Foster Progress, as well as with Anna Wandtke and Tricia Wagner of Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois. The group discusses how to cultivate a foster-friendly culture at Illinois community colleges.

In this episode, Dr. Francena Turner talks with humanities educators at community colleges in California and North Carolina about the importance of the humanities to community colleges and to community college students. The guests also share the challenges they've faced during COVID-19, as well as the challenges they've experienced in introducing students to skills learned through the humanities t...

In this episode, Nathaniel Stewart talks with Mauriell Amechi, Regina Gavin Williams, and Blayne Stone Jr. about how the transitions and pathways to postsecondary education are similar and different for Black former foster care students. The scholars also discuss key elements to successfully connect foster care youth to educational resources that help advance the postsecondary education opportunit...

In this episode, José Del Real Viramontes talks with Santiago Bernal, Alfred Herrera, and Dimpal Jain about how community colleges, four-year colleges, and universities can work together to develop and enhance a transfer-receptive culture.

In this episode, Dr. Nolan L. Cabrera joins OCCRL Director Eboni Zamani-Gallaher to examine whiteness and discuss various areas of racism. Dr. Cabrera is an associate professor of educational policy studies and practice at the University of Arizona.

In this episode, OCCRL Director Eboni Zamani-Gallaher talks with Rita Ali and Jennifer Foster about implementing paths toward equity for underrepresented individuals in career and technical education and in the CTE workforce. Ali is the vice president of workforce and diversity at Illinois Central College, and Foster is the deputy executive director for the Illinois Community College Board.

In this episode, Nina Owolabi, a research assistant at OCCRL, talks with Heather Blicher about the many possibilities as well as the challenges of open educational resources for instructors and institutions. Blicher is a coordinator of librarian services for two campuses at Reynolds Community College in Richmond, Virginia.

In this episode, Heather McCambly and Lorenzo Baber talk about the intersections of racial justice, educational philanthropy, and the needs and roles of community colleges in the COVID-19 postsecondary landscape. McCambly is a doctoral candidate at Northwestern University who is studying the intersections of racial justice and educational philanthropy. Dr. Baber is an associate professor of higher...

In this episode, OCCRL Director Eboni Zamani-Gallaher talks with Dr. Ann Edwards about college readiness in math and about curricular alignment. They also discuss issues related to placement and developmental mathematics courses, guided pathways, math pathways, and student participation in STEM. Dr. Edwards is a senior research associate and the director of learning and teaching at West Ed.

In this episode, OCCRL Director Eboni Zamani-Gallaher talks with Dr. Heather Shotton about the multiple and nuanced ways that universities perpetuate settler colonial aims of eraser for Indigenous students. Dr. Shotton is an associate professor in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and the director of the Indigenous Education Initiatives at the University of Oklahoma.

In this episode, Colvin Georges Jr., a research associate at OCCRL, talks with Dr. Nidia Ruedas-Gracia about what it means to have a sense of belonging and discusses her research in this area. They also discuss how a sense of belonging affects college students from historically minoritized racial groups.

In this episode, OCCRL research assistant Chequita Brown continues the conversation about foster care youth by talking with Patricia Palmer about accessing available resources in Illinois for youth-in-care who want to pursue a secondary education.

In this episode, OCCRL research assistant Chequita Brown talks with Maddy Day about the Fostering Success Michigan initiative and the impact of campus-based support programming on foster-care collegians' postsecondary access and retention. Day is a consultant for the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative at the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

In this episode, Dr. Eboni Zamani-Gallaher, the director of OCCRL, talks with Dr. Paul Gorski about advancing racial equity work, as well as about diversity and inclusion efforts in education. Dr. Gorski is the founder of the Equity Literacy Institute and EdChange.

In this episode, Dr. Marci Rockey, a project coordinator at OCCRL, talks with Betsy Barefoot and John Gardner about their efforts to support higher education institutions in advancing equitable outcomes for students, especially as it relates to transfer.

In this episode, Krystal Andrews of OCCRL talks with Dr. Penny Pasque about implicit bias and policy practices in higher education. Dr. Pasque is a professor in the Department of Educational Studies at Ohio State University.

In this episode, Jason Keist of OCCRL talks with Dr. Stephen John Quaye about what prompted his journey into higher education. Keist and Quaye also discuss issues pertaining to student support, issues related to intergroup dialogues about race, and about civility on college campuses. Dr. Quaye is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Studies at Ohio State University.

In this episode, Colvin T. Georges Jr. of OCCRL talks with Dr. William A. Smith about racial battle fatigue. Dr. Smith is a professor and the chair of the Department of Education, Culture & Society at the University of Utah.

In this episode, Kristal Raheem interviews Dr. Muhammad Khalifa about culturally responsive school leadership. Dr. Khalifa is a professor and Beck Chair of Ideas in Education at the University of Minnesota.

In this episode, Dr. Amanda Smith talks with Dr. Heather Fox about integrating equity into program review. Smith is the dean of transitional opportunities and career education at Rock Valley College.

In this episode, HyeJin Tina Yeo, a research assistant at OCCRL, talks with Dr. Hei-hang Hayes Tang about democratizing higher education through community colleges in Hong Kong.

In this episode, Dr. Eboni Zamani-Gallaher, at OCCRL, talks with Dr. Estela Mara Bensimon about reclaiming the racial justice meaning of equity. Dr. Bensimon is a professor of higher education at the Rossier School of Education and the director of the Center for Urban Education at the University of Southern California.

  In this episode, HyeJin Tina Yeo at OCCRL talks with Dr. OiYan Poon about racial justice among Asian Americans and the current attacks on affirmative action. Dr. Poon is an assistant professor of Higher Education at Colorado State University.

In this episode, Marci Rockey at OCCRL talks with Dr. Claire Crawford, BRIDGE Research Fellow at the Center for Research in Race and Education at the School of Education at the University of Birmingham, about transnational whitelash in educational policy and practice.

In this episode, Chauntee Thrill at OCCRL talks with Dr. Asif Wilson, associate dean of instruction at Harold Washington College, about asset-based approaches to developmental education.