Three years ago, Don (Ajene) Wilcoxson was troubled
by the disappointingly low number of African
American students succeeding at Riverside City
College. Along with other faculty members and
an administrator, this Business Administration
instructor conducted an African American Orientation,
which attracted a mere three students. When the
district’s Student Equity Plan confirmed
Wilcoxson’s suspicions regarding African
American student performance, faculty, staff,
and administrators decided to develop a plan
that would directly impact these students. The
result is The Ujima Project. Students who join
this project participate in campus cultural activities,
develop civic leadership through mentorship,
and enroll in learning communities to support
their academic endeavors. Now, Riverside City
College’s African American student orientations
average 60-75 students and their African American
graduation celebration draws 150-225 participants.
As the current president of the student club
explained, “I feel he is trying to make
history with the goals that he has set for himself,
as well as the students he works with on a daily
basis.”
Wilcoxson’s commitment to diversity extends
to other areas on his campus and to the community,
too. He has advocated for proactive hiring procedures
in hope of adding more diversity to faculty ranks,
as well as for a global diversity general education
requirement. He has been instrumental in several
planning initiatives, including learning communities,
supplemental instruction, and one-on-one mentoring,
while also teaching in a learning community.
He has traveled nationally and internationally
with Business Leaders of Tomorrow, a student
club he sponsors, and he works with two African
American and two Hispanic non-profit organizations
to align community and student needs. While working
tirelessly, “the single outstanding quality
[Wilcoxson] brings to all his efforts is his
good humor, respect and affection for all members
of the campus community – administrators,
fellow faculty, staff and students.”
Teresa Guadiana, College of the Sequoias
Teresa Guadiana grew up in a rural southern
Arizona copper mining community, where everyone
shared similar lifestyles, jobs, incomes, houses,
hobbies, and goals. It was only when she left
her community for the University of Arizona that
she encountered the religious, political, economic,
and cultural diversity of her peers. This experience
sparked both her curiosity about the lives of
others and her passion to help them. As both
a general and EOP&S counselor, Guadiana is
known for a number of firsts. As the first EOP&S
counselor at the campus, she helped design and
create new services, such as study skills workshops,
and developed the first degree-applicable course
in college study skills. She implemented an EOP&S
Academic Achievement Ceremony that continues
to draw students, their families, and instructors,
to honor the students’ success. She co-implemented
the first Puente Project at her campus that successfully
transferred over 52% of its students in its first
five years. Her colleagues consider her a “change
agent,” a rare individual whose influence
on others is “life-changing,” and “a
storm of activity,” whose “tenacity
is legend.” Some comments from her students,
who affectionately refer to her as Ms. G, include: “She
is always there,” “She has been a
true inspiration for social change in my community
college,” and “Personally, I owe
Ms. G a lot, and will be indebted for life.”
Guadiana has been the main organizer for the
Cinco de Mayo celebration, and works with leaders
of the other clubs on campus, including Gay Pride,
Disabled Students, Native American, and MEChA,
to participate in the event so that they can
interact with each other. She is a member and
leader in the League of Mexican American Women
and the Association of Mexican American Educators
has honored her as teacher of the year. As noted
by one of her colleagues, “…[S]he
pulls people together, puts them in the same
room, connects them in an activity and gets them
to share. For her, diversity is not another thing
to ‘do.’ Helping people to see and
celebrate difference is part of her nature and
her style is seductive. She not only believes
we can all get along, she makes sure we have
plenty of opportunities to do so.”
History
In Spring 1998, the Plenary Body adopted a resolution (3.03 S98) to create
a diversity award to recognize faculty in California community colleges who
work to promote the success of our diverse student population. The Stanback-Stroud
Award was developed to acknowledge the work of faculty making special contributions
in the area of student success for diverse students. Each college may nominate
one faculty member to receive this prestigious honor that includes a cash
award of $500. All faculty, both inside and outside of the classroom, are
eligible for consideration. Four recipients, one from each area of the state,
will be chosen and honored at the Spring Plenary Session.
Each college academic senate
may forward one faculty nominee for the Academic
Senate for California Community Colleges Diversity
Award, sponsored by the Foundation for California
Community Colleges. The following are guidelines
to be used in making the final selection of one
nominee from each of the four Academic Senate
areas (see college directory for designation
of areas).
1. The candidate must have
contributed to the creation of a campus environment
friendly to student of diverse backgrounds and
interests.
2. The candidate must have
demonstrated success in addressing diverse learning
styles.
3. The candidate must demonstrate
assistance to students from underrepresented
groups to encourage their retention and success
in classes as they move toward their goals, whether
they be occupational, transfer, or other.
Criteria
1. Demonstrated sensitivity to diverse learning styles as shown by specific
examples
2. Demonstrated help to students to encourage retention and success in classes
3. Demonstrated help to students to reach their goals, whether they be occupational,
transfer, or other
4. Demonstrated encouragement of students in encouraging them to become part
of campus life and activities
5. Demonstrated sensitivity to create a campus climate and environment friendly
to students of diverse backgrounds and interests
Regina
Stanback-Stroud
The award was named after the past president of the Academic Senate for California
Community Colleges Regina Stanback-Stroud. In her many roles she has originated,
advanced, and implemented many programs and policies that have significantly
increased the ability of the California community colleges to serve the diverse
population of the state, including student equity and affirmative action in
faculty hiring.
