SAN
FRANCISCO, Calif. April 18, 2009 The
Academic Senate proudly conferred the 2009 Stanback-Stroud
Diversity Award on Jaye Van Kirk, a professor
of Psychology at San Diego Mesa College who uses
her professional life to improve the quality
of education that historically underserved students
receive on her campus, and especially in her
field. Past President Regina Stanback-Stroud
(1993-95) presented Van Kirk with the Diversity
Award at the Academic Senate for California Community
College s annual Spring Plenary Session.
Her leadership has engaged hundreds of
students to pursue all levels of the academy, said
Stanback-Stroud when presenting Van Kirk with
the award.
Van Kirk has been an integral part of two highly
successful student-oriented initiatives on her
campus: Bridges to Baccalaureate, a program that
focuses on getting individuals from underserved
groups into four year institutions, and Psi Beta,
the Honors society for Psychology. Bridges and
Van Kirk have produced a remarkable caliber of
students which has lead several universities
to become very interested in collaborating with
San Diego Mesa College. The Bridges program at
San Diego Mesa been so successful that it was
recognized by the National Institutes for Health
(NIH).
Community college students learn to understand
that no matter what their circumstance, they
have an opportunity to improve themselves through
education. Their circumstances should not define
who they are or what they will be able to contribute
to society, said Van Kirk.
Van Kirk has made diversity and excellence cornerstones
in her career and has published several articles
on these subjects. She was one of only 35 speakers
invited from the United States to the Oxford
Round Table at Oxford University to discuss the
challenges that ethnic women face in seeking
higher education. This is a topic Van Kirk is
especially well-suited to discussing, due both
to her extensive work with ethnic students and
the challenges they face, as well as her own
first-hand experience in the matter.
She inspired me to present my research
at a scientific conference which is unheard of
for an undergraduate student from a community
college. This was a monumental feat because she,
a woman of color, mentored me, another woman
of color, in a world that still lacked diversity, said
C. Iva Galvez Macaspaic, in her letter of support
for Van Kirk, her mentor and former professor.
Van Kirk hasn t simply enriched the lives
of her students at San Diego Mesa; she has taken
the time to reach out to local high school students
and encourage students from underserved groups
to pursue careers in Psychology. She truly believes
in and embodies the ideal that all students regardless
of race, gender, or any other affiliation deserve
the very best.
I have yet to find any former or current
student that feels less indebted to her than
I, wrote Jason Daniel, adjunct faculty
member at San Diego Mesa College and former student
of Van Kirk s.
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.
SAN
FRANCISCO, Calif. April 18, 2009 The
Academic Senate proudly conferred the 2009 Stanback-Stroud
Diversity Award on Jaye Van Kirk, a professor
of Psychology at San Diego Mesa College who uses
her professional life to improve the quality
of education that historically underserved students
receive on her campus, and especially in her
field. Past President Regina Stanback-Stroud
(1993-95) presented Van Kirk with the Diversity
Award at the Academic Senate for California Community
College s annual Spring Plenary Session.