Expert advice and effective strategies for community college leaders who endeavor to embed equity and social justice in institutional policies, practices, and structures Pamela Eddy and Kim VanDerLinden offer discerning guidance for advancing social justice and addressing persistent opportunity gaps in US higher education in A Blueprint for Equity-Driven Community College Leadership. Eddy and VanDerLinden argue that, given the diverse population of students that community colleges serve, these institutions are uniquely positioned to enact impactful equity-informed agendas that can promote social change, remedy inequitable and unjust structures and systems, and build opportunities for all students to be successful. They encourage presidents, provosts, directors, and faculty at community colleges to seize the chance afforded by COVID-19 upheavals to address urgent issues of equity on campus. Drawing from interviews and surveys of longtime community college leaders as well as literature on community college leadership and social justice initiatives, Eddy and VanDerLinden outline a three-part model that can strengthen collaboration among institutional leaders and create resilient, equitable communities of practice. They advise stakeholders to increase self-awareness through reflective exercises and examination of personal bias. Their model directs leaders to develop contextual competency by evaluating external forces that influence focus in institutions of higher education, including employer and community needs; state and national campaigns and calls for graduates; and backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) measures. This insightful work gives community college leaders across all positions and titles an introduction to strategies to promote organization-level change.
Pamela Eddy is the associate provost of faculty affairs and faculty development and a professor of higher education in Educational Policy, Planning, and Leadership at William & Mary. She serves as a consultant for campuses, system offices, and on funded grants regarding strategies to support community college student success and to promote leadership development. Kim VanDerLinden is a clinical assistant professor at the University at Buffalo (SUNY) in the Interdisciplinary Social Sciences program. Her research is focused on assessment strategies and organizational processes that support student success, as well as administrative leadership and the ways in which data-driven leadership can transform higher education.
"As higher education leaders and policymakers experience explicit backlash against equity-centered practices, Eddy and VanDerLinden provide intentional strategies for transforming community colleges toward their egalitarian promise. Developed from extensive research, this volume serves as a valuable tool for those committed to elevating economic and social justice through educational institutions."--Lorenzo DuBois Baber, professor and director of the Office of Community College Research and Leadership, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign "Eddy and VanDerLinden offer a compelling examination of inequities impacting racially minoritized and other marginalized students attending America's community colleges. This book provides a framework as well as practical solutions for creating inclusive and equitable environments necessary for leaders to address and dismantle systemic barriers, ensuring that all students have access to the resources, opportunities, and support they need to succeed."--Eboni M. Zamani-Gallaher, Renee and Richard Goldman Dean, School of Education, University of Pittsburgh, and executive director, Council for the Study of Community Colleges "Transformative leadership that focuses on equity and social justice requires leaders to move from critical reflection to critical analysis to critical action. Eddy and VanDerLinden provide a blueprint for such leadership--encouraging leaders to reflect on their own positionality and bias in order to model and empower others to take action to advance equity-centered work."--Yolanda S. Wilson, president, College of Southern Maryland
