College of Communication and Information (CCI) Faculty Researcher Faye Jones participated in a Keynote Panel for the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) at the 30th Institute on Teaching and Mentoring in Tampa, Florida, which has become the largest gathering of minority doctoral scholars in the country. The Institute gives the issue of faculty diversity a national focus and provides scholars with the strategies necessary to survive the rigors of graduate school, earn the doctoral degree and succeed as members of the professoriate. Jones spoke alongside SREB President Stephen Pruitt, President-in-Residence of the United Negro College Fund Charlie Nelms, while SREB Program Specialist Tiffany Harrison moderated the panel.
SREB works with over 16 member states to improve education and provide policymakers reliable data to inform sound policies. During the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, SREB provides resume training, leadership development, business advice, help with writing grants, and overall mentoring for all students.
During the panel, “Luncheon and Keynote: The Changing Face of Higher Education: The Harvard and UNC Supreme Court Cases,” the panelists discussed diversity in higher education and the STEM fields. Jones spoke about the lack of resources in many of our K-12 schools and the need to identify how low-income students will be afforded the opportunities and achieve success on standardized tests, advanced placement, experiential learning and other factors involved in admissions to postsecondary institutions, compared to schools in more affluent communities. The panelists shared their visions regarding bringing in companies and having different programs instilled in higher education.
Jones emphasized that for students to succeed in higher education, multifaceted and productive dialogues are crucial in maintaining authenticity throughout and ensuring that all students will have resources available to aid them in receiving a valuable education.
“I am excited to have been able to be at the table and to have participated in the largest gathering of doctoral students and underserved students. When you have all those bright minds in one room, what you get are great relationships that lead to new partnerships, new ideas, and innovation,” Jones told CCI.
FSU is among 401 emerging Hispanic-Serving Institutions (eHSI), and Jones’ goal is to explore what it means to serve the Latiné community authentically and what this would look like for student affairs, admissions, student life, and faculty.