- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock /news-archive/tag/melvin-beavers/ ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Mon, 27 Jun 2022 17:20:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Participates in Institute on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Campus Centers /news-archive/2022/06/27/trht-campus-center/ Mon, 27 Jun 2022 17:20:34 +0000 /news/?p=81774 ...]]> A team of employees from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and the City of Little Rock attended a virtual training June 21-24 to learn the TRHT framework and create an action plan to create a new TRHT Campus Center at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is the only Arkansas university that participated in this year’s training. In addition to the University of Arkansas, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will be the second Arkansas university to create a TRHT Campus Center. The team consisted of Dr. David Montague, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs, Amber Jackson, equity program manager for the City of Little Rock, Rebecca Feldmann, assistant professor of clinical education at William H. Bowen School of Law, Dr. Richard Harper, dean of students, and Michael Johnson, director of development and external relations. The TRHT Campus Center Initiative Training prepares the next generation of leaders and thinkers to break down racial hierarchies and to dismantle the belief in a hierarchy of human value. The program is based on five pillars – narrative change, racial healing and relationship building, separation, law, and economy. Each center implements its own visionary action plan, based on the TRHT framework, to promote racial healing through campus-community engagement. “The growing importance of, and the need for, truth-telling, narrative change, and racial healing is evident by the number of institutions that elected to attend the institute,” said Tia Brown McNair, AAC&U vice president for diversity, equity, and student success and executive director for the TRHT Campus Centers. “We remain humbled that our colleagues continue to partner with us on this effort to build more just and equitable institutions and communities.” In preparation of applying to be accepted for TRHT training by AAC&U, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock team members consulted with TRHT Campus Center employees at the University of Arkansas and Oklahoma State University-Tulsa. Institutions were selected based on their vision for their Campus Center, the demonstrated commitment of leaders on campus and in the community to the goals of the Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation framework, and their ability to provide evidence for the need of a Campus Center in their community. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock has a strong history and commitment to using and leveraging data to assess problems and how they might manifest themselves within the community and on campus,” Montague said. “A more recent 2021 Campus Climate survey of faculty, students, and staff revealed some disheartening, but poignant information about issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) on campus. We have a diverse student body, and we want to have something that reflects Little Rock’s important history in the civil rights movement. Our hope is for the center to serve as a catalyst for various campus and community initiatives.” The Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation Campus Center training and network is administered through the American Association of Colleges & Universities in partnership with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Newman’s Own Foundation. In partnership with the City of Little Rock, the campus center at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will use truth, racial healing, and transformation as a means to change both the city and university’s cultural competency. “We are excited to participate in this Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation training and support the work of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock team as they engage their campus community in the critical work of DEI,” Jackson said. The center’s mission is to deepen the community engagement footprint by strategically strengthening our commitment to robust economic development, social justice, and an increased focus on BIPOC student and faculty recruitment and retention. “We want people to come together to share their lived experiences, no matter what that may be,” said Dr. Melvin Beavers, the Chancellor’s DEI fellow. “The center creates a safe place for people to talk about race and racism where people won’t be judged.”]]> ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Inaugural Juneteenth Celebration on June 20 /news-archive/2022/06/15/juneteenth-2/ Wed, 15 Jun 2022 14:04:36 +0000 /news/?p=81683 ...]]> The celebration will provide ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students, employees, alumni, and friends with the opportunity to celebrate African American history and culture. The day will feature a Juneteenth historical reenactment and a Black-owned food truck festival as well as the release of a cookbook. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock is proud to hold our first annual celebration of Juneteenth,” Chancellor Christina Drale said. “With our diverse campus community, the celebration of this important holiday highlights our commitment to creating a culture of inclusion and belonging while remembering this important moment in our nation’s history.” June 19 is annually celebrated as Juneteenth, the oldest national commemoration of the ending of slavery in the country. The holiday originates from June 19, 1865, the day the last slaves in the country were freed in Galveston, Texas, at the end of the Civil War. “I am so happy we are celebrating Juneteenth,” said Dr. Melvin Beavers, Chancellor’s DEI Fellow and director of first-year writing. “It gives us the opportunity to educate and reflect on the nation’s history. Additionally, it gives all a chance to come together to discuss our shared goals for racial justice at our institution and within our communities.” The celebration begins with a “Taste of Juneteenth,” a Black-owned food truck festival from noon-2 p.m. The food truck festival will include Goldfingers Woodfired Pizza, Spud Love, Jefferson Mobile Grilling, and Cheesecake On Point. Food trucks will be located on Campus Drive. Faculty, staff, and students may pick up tickets for an entree and a dessert at a table next to the Campus Bookstore in the Donaghey Student Center starting at 11:30 a.m. As part of its inaugural Juneteenth celebration, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will host a reenactment of historic Juneteenth events at 1 p.m. June 20 in the Donaghey Student Center Ledbetter Hall. S. Juain Young & Artists United is a multi-faceted, multi-talented, diverse performing arts group who has inspired and educated audiences across the state and country. They will perform a 20-minute Juneteenth reenactment in which enslaved Africans learn of the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. Following the reenactment, the audience will gather into small groups for discussion and reflection. An education table will be available outside Ledbetter Hall with fliers containing fascinating facts and reading recommendations. The Office of the Chancellor and the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association are sponsoring the event. Speakers will include Chancellor Drale with opening remarks, Dr. Danyell Crutchfield Cummings, president of the Alumni Association, will introduce the reenactment, and Dr. Beaver with closing remarks. The celebration will also include the launch of a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Juneteenth Celebration Cookbook that contains family recipes from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students, employees, and alumni. The cookbook will be available for download on ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s diversity, equity, and inclusion website at a later date.]]> ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Inaugural Campus Juneteenth Celebration /news-archive/2022/05/23/juneteenth/ Mon, 23 May 2022 13:01:22 +0000 /news/?p=81619 ...]]> June 19 is annually celebrated as Juneteenth, the oldest national commemoration of the ending of slavery in the country. The holiday originates from June 19, 1865, the day the last slaves in the country were freed in Galveston, Texas, at the end of the Civil War. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock is proud to hold our first annual celebration of Juneteenth,” Chancellor Christina Drale said. “With our diverse campus community, the celebration of this important holiday highlights our commitment to creating a culture of inclusion and belonging while remembering this important moment in our nation’s history.” The celebration will provide ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students, employees, alumni, and friends with the opportunity to celebrate African American history and culture. Additionally, the celebration will feature a “Taste of Juneteenth,” a Black-owned food truck festival from noon-2 p.m. June 20. “I am so happy we are celebrating Juneteenth,” said Dr. Melvin Beavers, Chancellor’s DEI Fellow and director of first-year writing. “It gives us the opportunity to educate and reflect on the nation’s history. Additionally, it gives all a chance to come together to discuss our shared goals for racial justice at our institution and within our communities.”]]> ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to Host Virtual Lectures to Celebrate National Day of Racial Healing /news-archive/2022/01/11/racial-healing/ Tue, 11 Jan 2022 16:00:26 +0000 /news/?p=80843 ...]]> The W.K. Kellogg Foundation started the National Day of Racial Healing (NDORH) in 2013 as part of its new Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation initiative aimed at revolutionizing the way that foundations fund nonprofits working on social issues. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will join communities and campuses across the state in celebrating a weeklong schedule of events in observance of the National Day of Racial Healing. The first event, “Dave Tell Talks: Remembering Emmett Till,” will take place from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, via Zoom. The event is free and open to the public. Participants may register for the event . ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, Racial Barriers Committee, Student Government Association, and Center for Arkansas History and Culture as well as CALS Roberts Library will present an evening of conversation and learning with Dr. Dave Tell, co-director of the Institute for Digital Research in the Humanities at Kansas University, facilitated by Dr. Guy Lancaster, Arkansas historian and author. Since 2014, Tell has been the lead investigator on the Emmett Till Memory Project, a collaborative, public, and digital humanities project. His 2019 book “Remembering Emmett Till,” tells the complete story of Emmett Till’s commemoration in the Mississippi Delta.

The first event, “Dave Tell Talks: Remembering Emmett Till,” will take place from 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, via Zoom. The event is free and open to the public. Participants may register for the event at this link.

Till was a 14-year-old African American teenager who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955 after he was accused of offending a white woman in her family’s grocery store. Till’s killers were found not guilty by an all-white jury in 1955. They publicly admitted to the crime in a 1956 magazine article. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will also host a virtual panel, “The State of Diversity and Equity in Arkansas,” from 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20, via Zoom. The event is free and open to the public. Participants may register for the panel . Donald Wood, executive director of Just Communities of Arkansas, will facilitate an engaged conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion in sectors across the state with perspectives from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock scholars and community professionals in education, city management, law, religious studies and cultural affairs. The panelists include:

Dr. Melvin Beavers, assistant professor of rhetoric and writing and inaugural chancellor’s fellow for diversity, equity, and inclusion at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Beavers has been engaged in national conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion with specific attention on antiracist pedagogies and writing assessment.
Tamika Edwards, special advisor to the CEO on diversity, equity, inclusion, and engagement at Central Arkansas Water. She has 20 years of experience in public policy and community development. Prior to Central Arkansas Water, she served as the executive director of the Social Justice Institute at Philander Smith College, director of governmental affairs at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, director of public policy at Southern Bancorp Community Partners, and community affairs specialist for former U.S. Sen. Blanche Lincoln.
Dr. Rebecca Glazier, associate professor in the School of Public Affairs at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Her research is focused on religion, framing, and U.S. foreign policy. Since 2012, Glazier has directed the community-based research project, Little Rock Congregations Study, which seeks to understand how congregations’ community engagement impacts the community, places of worship, and their members.
Dr. Dionne Jackson, chief equity officer for the City of Little Rock. Jackson has previously served as Hendrix College’s first chief diversity officer and executive director of AR Kids Read.

In addition to the lectures, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock will also hold a virtual open mic night from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 21, with the theme of racial healing. This evening of music, poetry, comedy, and inspiration will be centered around equity, diversity, and healing. Anyone who would like to perform or attend should register . Sponsored by the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Racial Barriers Committee and the Graduate Student Association, the evening will be emceed by Ron McAdoo, aka Ron Mc the Hiphoptimist, a nationally recognized spoken word poet, sought out personality, exhibiting professional artist, motivational speaker, actor, author, and seasoned educator. The special featured guest will be Osyrus Bolly, artist and activist, who combines his passion for the arts and social justice to create his own platform for liberation arts. He is also a member of the nationally-ranked poetry slam troupe Foreign Tongues. Visit this website for more information about the 2022 National Day of Racial Healing events.]]> Beavers Appointed First Chancellor’s Fellow for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock /news-archive/2022/01/05/beavers-dei-fellow/ Wed, 05 Jan 2022 14:48:13 +0000 /news/?p=80742 ...]]> Rhetoric and Writing at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, has been selected as the inaugural Chancellor’s Fellow for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). “Dr. Beavers has a proven track record of thought leadership and academic research concerning antiracist pedagogies as a means for broader social change,” Chancellor Christina Drale said. “As the Chancellor’s DEI Fellow, he will have a larger platform from which to guide our institutional endeavors toward more diverse, equitable, and inclusive outcomes.” The fellow is responsible for helping to coordinate and support all diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives on campus including DEI training, diversity recruitment, and retention for both students and employees, program development, curricular development, and policy advising. “I’m thrilled and excited to be in this new position that is needed and warranted at our institution,” Beavers said. “I really want to be a part of a team effort to reshape how we approach diversity, equity, and inclusion at the university.” In his new role, Beavers will work with existing diversity groups on campus to enhance and coordinate their activities and will also advise the chancellor and cabinet on new initiatives to improve outcomes in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Beavers is a published writer and frequent speaker on the subject of diversity and inclusion. He recently delivered a presentation at Bentley University on “Embodying Race and Language in the Writing Classroom; Becoming an Antiracist Writing Program & Becoming an Antiracist Writing Instructor.” He is also a member of the Institute of Race, Rhetoric, and Literacy, a national organization of scholars that provide expertise on antiracism. Beavers has also written a chapter,” My Journey Toward Antiracist Pedagogy and Praxis: My Language and Identity,” for the “McGraw Hill Instructor’s Guide: Writing for College, Writing for Life.” In addition, he has been working with the Council of Writing Program Administrators to make the outcomes for first-year writing programs more inclusive. These outcomes are often used to evaluate college writing programs and to set goals for writing classes. “It’s about developing an idea of language diversity and pushing against the assumption that there is only one standard way that students should use their language in the writing classroom,” Beavers said. Beavers earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Central Arkansas as well as a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Beavers joined ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2015 as an instructor. He’s also the director of first-year writing at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. His research interests involve writing program administration, composition pedagogy, online writing instruction, rhetorical theory, and popular culture studies. In this position, Beavers said he would love to work with fellow faculty members to showcase how faculty are bringing DEI solutions into the classroom. “I would love to start an intergroup dialogue with other colleges and departments and find out what other faculty are doing that we can spotlight and highlight,” Beavers said. “In my class, I highlight BIPOC scholars and writers that are writing about racial issues or things that help us have these difficult conversations. This is one way faculty can move toward centering diversity within their classrooms.”]]> ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Empowers Student Success Through Strong Start to Finish Initiative /news-archive/2021/12/01/strong-start-to-finish-initiative/ Wed, 01 Dec 2021 20:19:57 +0000 /news/?p=81867 ...]]> In partnership with the University of Texas at Austin’s Charles A. Dana Center, the (SSTF) initiative is an effort by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and the state’s institutions of higher education to make sure that all students who start college underprepared are enrolled in co-requisite support courses that will help them succeed in their college courses. “It is exciting to see how student outcome data can give us insights on where to intervene with curricular and student support to make a meaningful difference in our students’ lives,” said Dr. Erin Finzer, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs. “Our math and composition faculty and advisors have taken advantage of SSTF’s professional development in scaling co-requisite support, multiple measures placement, supporting diverse student needs, and equity dashboards to build upon improvements already underway in their developmental courses.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock implemented Strong Start to Finish in 2020. The goal of the program is to reduce the number of students who stop out of college after unsuccessful attempts at math and composition gateway courses. This goal supports ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s urban mission and its diverse student body. The initiative also empowers students as mathematical and composition learners and prepares them to use these skills in their personal and professional lives. Three ��Vlog��ý Little Rock employees took on leadership roles to implement the Strong Start to Finish effort. They include Dr. Annie Childers, associate professor and graduate coordinator in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Dr. Melvin Beavers, assistant professor and director of composition in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing, and Carla Griffin, student development specialist for the College of Science, Technology Engineering and Math. The Strong Start to Finish Initiative focuses on creating a co-requisite support in developmental courses. Students who are enrolled in developmental reading and writing courses should also take a credited course co-currently. The Department of Rhetoric and Writing implemented this learning model in 2013. “Students placed in our Composition Fundamentals course also take the credit-bearing Composition I course during the same semester with the same instructor,” Beavers said. “This is what’s called the ALP (Advanced Learning Placement) model. We are using the ALP model for students that need additional support in writing while taking the credit- bearing Comp I course. We are exploring ways to create a reading course that serves a similar function.” As the director of first-year writing, Beavers is using the information he learns from the SSTF workshops to inform decisions about placement and programmatic assessment in gateway composition courses. “The Strong Start to Finish program is helping us to see the gaps and blind spots in particular divisions or units so we can create interventions that truly align with our vision and mission as an institution of higher learning,” Beavers said. “My goal is to walk away from these workshops with a more well-rounded view of how the writing program can ensure that our program meets the needs of our students and that we are providing a more equitable path to success. We want to make sure that we are eliminating any, if not, all barriers for students taking first-year writing.” In mathematics, the Strong Start to Finish initiative will create more equitable student outcomes in mathematics pathways through multiple measures placement, co-requisite support, offering quantitative literacy courses as well as college algebra, and other data-informed interventions. “This program will help students save money and graduate faster because they won’t have to take college preparatory classes,” Griffin said. “It’s especially helpful to students who are not majoring in STEM. These students can go directly into their college-level math class with a straight path to graduation.” Childers, who has been leading the Strong Start to Finish initiative with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, said the program is helping the math faculty learn new skills that are making them better teachers. “In the past year, this has been some of the most valuable professional development I have ever received,” Childers said. “Our math faculty are doing amazing things with multiple measures placement, co-requisite support, and scaling QMR, and our composition faculty are asking some fascinating assessment questions that we are talking about scaling out to campus through diversity dashboards. It is exciting to see how data can truly allow us to pinpoint areas to intervene and make all the difference in our students’ lives!” Faculty members from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics are working with the Office of Records and Registration to implement a new algorithm that combines high school GPA and test scores to determine what math class a student is placed in. “This math index helps students get placed in the right math pathway for their majors,” Childers said. “Our developmental students get enrolled in a co-requisite model. Our success rates are much higher when we incorporate our corequisite models. We are placing students in the most appropriate math course that they have the best chance of being successful in. We hope these students are being placed in a class where they have every chance of being the most successful student they can be.” The math index is being tested this semester, and academic advisors should be using the index to place students in math courses next year. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock joining this initiative has been very beneficial to our campus,” Childers said. “It’s really helped with the administration and professors being on board and promoting these goals. At the end of the day, it’s all about helping our students be successful and be the best students they can be. That is the hope and goal of the project.” Educators are also working to make the transition from high school to college math education more successful. Finzer serves as the central Arkansas co-lead of the 9-16 Math Pathways initiatives. “While we are working to improve math education at the college level, we will be using some of these same interventions at the high school level,” Finzer said. “We hope to align the mathematical curriculum between high school and college. Instead of putting every kid in algebra in high school, you put them in a quantitative literacy course where they learn a whole lot of practical math and statistics for life skills.” The initiative also includes collaborating with high school teachers and creating partnerships where colleges and universities provide math tutors and peer mentors for high school math students.]]> On the road to success /news-archive/2018/12/21/cynthia-mclellan-2/ Fri, 21 Dec 2018 17:12:15 +0000 /news/?p=73021 ...]]> McLellan takes online and hybrid classes in the Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program. The hybrid class requires her to come to campus once a week. “This is my dream, and there’s not a sacrifice I won’t make to make this happen for myself,” she said of the weekly drive. McLellan lives in Mena, a rural community on the state’s western edge, where she has worked in social services for more than 20 years. For the past 10 years, she has been the social services director at Rich Mountain Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. “I wanted to help others to face their challenges,” she said. “It’s my love. Even if I wanted to leave it, it would follow me.” McLellan earned an associate degree in 1999 from a two-year community college in her native New Jersey. She’s always known that she needed to complete a four-year degree for her career field, but accessibility has hampered her from doing so up until now. With a job she loves, and a husband, a stepson, and grandchildren all rooted in Mena, moving wasn’t an option, and educational opportunities in her community are limited. “I am unable to relocate,” she said. “I have to work and meet my responsibilities here.” McLellan, 45, had been searching for an online program when she discovered ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Bachelor of Social Work was the perfect fit. Her previous college credits transferred to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, and she started the program in fall 2018 as a junior. She received a lottery scholarship, which helps offset tuition costs. At the time she was accepted, the online program was at maximum capacity, but there was a slot in the hybrid program, which allows students to complete courses mostly online with periodic meetings on campus. “Without this online program, I would be unable to attend college. There is no other program available to me,” she said. “With this online program, I’m able to continue working and attend the college and take courses I need, and it plugs right into what I’m doing for a living. The courses I’m taking help strengthen what I do at the nursing home, and the nursing home will benefit from me getting a degree.” Right now, she’s taking five courses – 15 credit hours – while working full-time. Thursdays are the only days she spends on campus, but her Thursday class isn’t the same week after week. The courses rotate, so that on one Thursday, she’ll have Human Behavior in Social Environments with Professor Tina Paxton. The next week, she takes Policy I with Kathleen Logan, and the next week, Diversity with Kent Wolf. She takes advantage of the weekly trips, arriving early to meet with her academic advisors or professors. Beginning in January, she’ll have all online classes, which will mean less drive time and more study time. Right now, she’s holding four As and one B. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s online BSW program began in Fall 2018 and has 17 students. Dr. Stephen Kapp, director of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s School of Social Work, says online programs are particularly helpful for training workers in high-demand areas. “In rural areas, there’s an absolute shortage of social workers,” Kapp said. “Through online programs, we’re able to build capacity in those areas.” Online classes can be challenge, McLellan said. “You have to be self motivated and stay on top of deadlines,” she said. “I have to do that in the workforce anyway.” For the most part, though McLellan has been impressed with the way technology provides ways for meaningful interaction between her and her professors and other students. On the first day of her first Persuasive Writing class, she logged on and watched a video of professor Melvin Beavers welcoming her to class. In her Diversity class, she’s working on a small group project. One of her classmates lives in Hot Springs and two live in Little Rock. With Google Docs and Google Slides, the group often works on projects simultaneously. “Distance learning is no longer just reading and writing,” she said. “I’m interacting with my professors and other students. We’re chatting and collaborating.” On a recent night, she was working on a group project for Behavior Class and a fellow student needed help. “We exchanged phone numbers, and worked on paper online together,” she said. It is a profession to which McLellan feels a strong calling – perhaps because at one point she was on the receiving end of social services. In 1995, as a mother of four children, trying to go to college in New Jersey, McLellan struggled with poverty – even experiencing homelessness at one point. She got enough money together to stay in a motel where she could take public transportation to a community college. “After getting that degree, I was able to provide for my family,” she said. “With an education, you have power to make choices. I got myself out of poverty and broke the cycle.” Her daughter graduated from SAU last year with a 4.0 GPA and is now a kindergarten teacher. Her son joined the U.S. Army and is working toward a college degree in computer science. “It’s my turn now,” she said. “I really want that BSW for myself. It will be the icing on the cake for me.” Photo by Benjamin Krain]]>