Guest Editor Royel M. Johnson, Associate Professor of Higher Education and Social Work

Dear Colleagues:

I am pleased to serve as guest-editor for this month’s newsletter. As some of you may know, I recently joined USC in January after four years on the faculty at Pennsylvania State University, where I was also Associate Director for the Center for the Study of Higher Education. I am delighted to join such a vibrant intellectual community and work alongside brilliant colleagues and students in the Pullias Center.

The theme of this month’s newsletter is “Institutional Transformation for Racial Equity.” Racial Equity refers to a state or condition in which one’s educational opportunities, experiences and outcomes are not contingent on their race/ethnicity. Advancing racial equity, thus, requires us to reimagine institutional structures, their function, and their material effects for racially/ethnically minoritized people. In this issue, you will learn about some of the work we are engaged in with colleagues from around the country to help higher education leaders carry out their institutional responsibility for advancing racial equity.

I’m excited to share insights about the conception and premise of my new book Racial Equity on College Campus: Connecting Research Practice (SUNY Press). The volume provides a clarion call to action for leaders to address racial/ethnic disparities on college and university campuses, while also providing actionable steps and strategies to do so. You will also learn about the work we are engaged in with colleagues at Penn State to increase the use of critical research by scholars of color in policy decision-making at the state and federal levels.

We are also excited to announce the winners of this year’s Delphi Awards, a new project my colleague Tatiana Melguizo is working on with Harvard’s CEPR and the Los Angeles Community College District, and the ASHE Early Career Award given to our Pullias colleague Dr. Adrian Huerta.

Thank you for reading, engaging and sharing.

In Solidarity,

The Covid-19 pandemic affected why students choose to enroll in the Los Angeles Community College District,how they attend classes, and what they go on to do. 

Now, Pullias and Co-PI Tatiana Melguizo are partnering with researchers from the Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) at Harvard University and the Los Angeles Community College District to evaluate how the system is using technology to respond to the pandemic’s challenges and reimagine how students access learning.

Our Research-Practice Partnership with Harvard's CEPR and the Los Angeles Community College District is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar. Learn more here.

The Pullias Center, in partnership with the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) has selected two winners of the Delphi Award for 2022. Dominican University (CA) and Montgomery College (MD) will each receive $15,000 cash awards to continue their work to support adjunct, contingent, and/or non-tenure-track faculty (NTTF) in promoting student success.

In addition, the University of Texas, San Antonio and University of California/University Council–American Federation of Teachers, Local 1474 are acknowledged as Delphi Award finalists for their successful work toward supporting non-tenure-track faculty.

Mark your calendars now for the 2023 Pullias Lecture! Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Shirley Malcom, Senior Advisor and Director of SEA Change at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world's largest general science organization.

The title of her talk is "No Equity Without Systemic Change: My Personal Journey." The event will be held at the USC Town & Gown Ballroom on Tuesday, March 21 at 11am. For more information, contact Diane Flores at the Pullias Center.

I​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​n this webinar, produced with the American Council on Education (ACE), leading scholars and practitioners shared insights from the recently-released report, Shared Responsibility Means Shared Accountability: Rethinking Accountability Within Shared Equity Leadership.

On Thursday, Oct. 17 from 12-1pm PDT, join Dr. Zoe Corwin and the USC Institute for Addition Science as they host Danielle Ramo, Ph.D., Chief Clinical Officer of BeMe Health, and an Adjunct Associate Professor of Psychiatry from UC San Francisco. "Using digital tools to reduce substance use and improve mental health among young people,' is the topic of this talk, sponsored by the USC Research Collaboration Fund.

Learn more and register for the free lunchtime, hybrid event by clicking here.

Adrianna Kezar, Elizabeth Holcombe, Darsella Vigil, Pullias Center for Higher Education and the American Council on Education (2022). Download the Publication Here.