Higher Education Program Faculty, Students Participate in Professional Conferences

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LJ Shelton, center, front row, took part in a group presentation with fellow members of the Emerging Faculty Leader Academy at NASPA.

Last year, LJ Shelton was chosen to participate in the Emerging Faculty Leader Academy of the Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, also known as NASPA. This year, Shelton took part in a presentation at the NASPA annual conference by her group.

It was just one of several presentations and other involvement in professional conferences by faculty members and graduate students in the higher education program at the University of Arkansas. Shelton is a clinical assistant professor in the program, and she coordinates the master's program.

The one-year emerging faculty leader program is designed for faculty members who want to gain knowledge, techniques and experience in order to develop and sustain a fulfilling faculty career. The group's presentation was titled "Successfully Starting Your Faculty Career in the Academy: Resources and Insights from NASPA's Emerging Faculty Leader Academy Second Cohort."

They also welcomed in the next cohort. One member from each of seven NASPA regions is chosen to participate in online and in-person professional development and educational sessions in order to gain additional knowledge and skills about being a leader as a faculty member.

Research projects that Mike Miller and Dave Gearhart, professors of higher education, conducted with U of A graduate Everrett Smith were featured at the annual meeting of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges in Dallas. The presentations were titled "Community College Crowdfunding: New Strategy or Latest Fad?" and "Planned Giving in Community College Development Efforts: Plans, Strategies, and Luck."

Miller also presented "Social Capital Influence on Community College Attendee's High Impact Activities" with a former U of A colleague at the same meeting. And, he presented his research with David Tolliver, a public policy graduate student, titled "Graduation 101: Critical Strategies for African American Men College Completion" at the annual meeting of the Eastern Educational Research Association in Florida.

Michael Hevel, associate professor of higher education, presented "A Century of Research in Student Affairs: An Interactive Retrospective" at the NASPA meeting with colleagues from five universities.

Shelton also is serving a three-year term on the board of the ACPA (College Student Educators International) Commission for Professional Preparation. She coordinated research grants and the writing awards process. She presented a research poster with U of A graduate Juan Robles, who is now a program coordinator of the Purdue Latino Cultural Center. Their poster was titled "Masters of Cultural Competence: A Higher Education Diversity Course Analysis.

Master's students attended both the NASPA and ACPA conferences and held a reception with the U of A Division of Student Affairs at NASPA.