In this episode, we talk with Sarah Garlick of UWE Bristol in the UK. She shares her story and how she’s using her past experiences to support students’ wellbeing and provide counseling on mental health related challenges. Sarah knows college campuses can feel lonely and it can difficult to get engaged, so she walks us through what UWE Bristol is doing to help students through adversity. Sarah Garlick currently serves as the Deputy Head of Student Support (Wellbeing) at the University of the West of England in Bristol, England.

In this episode, we chat with Dr. Kevin McClure (University of North Carolina Wilmington) about his experience with broad-access institutions and regional colleges and universities. We also discuss the future of work and how the higher education landscape is changing for both current and future faculty members. Kevin shares about retaining employees, why people stay and why they leave, and how he’s helping current students prepare for careers in higher ed. Dr. Kevin McClure currently serves as the Wendy and Dell Murphy Distinguished Scholar and Associate Professor of Higher Education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. He is also the Director of Public Engagement at the Alliance for Research on Regional Colleges, a research center dedicated to the advancement of regional colleges.

Karen Oehme from Florida State University joins us to talk about the components of academic resilience and how we can actually train our brains to become more resilient in the face of adversity. She shares how she and her colleagues at FSU are helping students learn how to bounce back and press on in the face of mental, academic, and emotional challenges. Karen currently serves as the Director of the Institute for Family Violence Studies at Florida State University and is the chair of the Academic Resilience Consortium. LINKS: Chart 1: The Components of Academic Resilience Chart 2: The Brain's Happy Chemicals to Fight Stress The Academic Resilience Consortium Conference (October 25-26, 2022)

Dr. Nancy Hutchins from Texas A&M University joins us to talk about the importance of building relationships and fostering a sense of belonging on a large campus where it’s easy to get lost. She shares how her team is giving students confidence to take initiative and find areas in which they can grow and engage in order to be successful. We also discuss how to support first-generation students and transfer students as they transition into a large university. Nancy currently serves as Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of Diversity & Inclusion at Texas A&M Mays Business School.

Dr. Tyra Madison from Miami Dade College shares about the college's leading practices for combining mathematic success and emotional intelligence to improve student outcomes. Dr. Madison also shares her intriguing research on the impacts of transfer and articulation policies on transfer student graduation rates. Tyra currently serves as the Grant Academic Manager for Opening the Gateways: Mathematics Success and Emotional Intelligence—a Title V grant at Miami Dade College.

Dr. Shannon Deer from Texas A&M shares her research on how businesses and higher education institutions can help women facing major social challenges, such as incarceration, poverty, addiction, or engagement in the sex trade. She discusses the skills and abilities unique to women overcomers and how their resilience and motivation can positively impact generations to come. Dr. Deer currently serves as the Interim Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs at Texas A&M Mays Business School. Also in this episode, Shannon shares insights from her and Cheryl Miller’s book, "Business Doing Good: Engaging Women and Elevating Communities.” You can find their book on Amazon or their website businessdoinggood.org.

Mortenous Johnson, TRIO Director at Central State University, shares how an HBCU is engaging students and their families to help shape first-generation student success. Mortenous shares how servant leadership plays a role in aligning the university faculty and staff to help improve student outcomes. We also discuss how the university is helping families understand the bigger picture of the investment in a college education.

Arthur Ortiz shares how a diverse inner-city private university is preparing students for workplace success and addressing the growing post-traditional student population. We discuss his new and innovative practices for improving student success from enrollment to graduation. We also talk about how his university is partnering with corporations to help open doors for students looking to gain work experience, explore career paths, and pursue a meaningful career after graduation. Arthur Ortiz is the VP of Enrollment & Student Engagement at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX.

Dr. Joisanne Rodgers shares her research on the importance mitigating institutional barriers and its impact on student success among post-traditional students at a public university. Hear how Success Coaches are effectively addressing institutional barriers with the goal of improving retention and graduation success.

Dr. Angela Bartee shares her research on the importance of creating a sense of belonging and its impact on student retention among first-generation and post-traditional students at a large university. Hear how various initiatives within a first-generation student program are effectively creating a sense of community with the goal of improving retention and graduation success. Dr. Angela Bartee is the Director of Alumni Engagement, Stewardship, and Special Giving at Golden Gate University. She has extensive experience in higher education, having previously served at Agnes Scott College, Virginia Commonwealth University, William & Mary, Stephens College, and The George Washington University.