Cultivating Potential

VERNON B. HARPER JR
CSU BAKERSFIELD INTERIM PRESIDENT

Who or what inspired you to continue pursuing new and higher leadership roles, and how were you influenced by the presence or absence of people of color in these positions?  

Though I didn’t know it at the time, the seeds of my desire to serve as a leader in higher education were planted when I was a doctoral student at Howard University. For the first time in my life, I was surrounded by students, professors and university leaders who looked like me. My most powerful memory of my time at Howard was this feeling of being affirmed without a word, without ever knowing that I was seeking affirmation. You are affirmed by your existence. We travel through life as people of color in the United States and we don’t know the void we carry until it is filled. That’s what happened to me at Howard, and it is the same experience I want to provide to students in Bakersfield. 

I also owe an incredible debt of gratitude to my parents—neither of whom graduated from college—for investing their hopes in me and always believing that the America of my future would be a more just and equitable place than the one they knew in the Jim Crow South of their youth. Their refusal to surrender to despair and the internal fortitude and grace they demonstrated in the face of racism has had a profound impact on my life.

In my career in education, I have been fortunate to serve with a number of principled leaders who have seen in me a spark that they took the time to nurture and develop. One of the most influential was Dr. Horace Mitchell, the first African American president of CSUB, who invited me to become part of the team in Bakersfield. It was the best professional decision of my life when I accepted that invitation.

The CSU places high importance on diversity, equity and inclusion. Why are these values important in higher education and how do you ensure your campus is an inclusive environment for students of color?

It is an incredible point of pride that all campuses in the CSU—including Bakersfield—are centered around the core principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. Yet as an educator and leader, I am most inspired by the virtues that are born of our DEI efforts: empathy, compassion and, most important, the dawning recognition in our students that the understanding that comes when we connect with people who are different from us expands our own hearts and souls.

But a commitment to fostering a DEI culture also has other benefits that follow our students for the rest of their lives. Exposure to diverse populations makes us more competitive economically, socially and politically in a global landscape that rewards leaders with the ability to bridge differences, bring people together and find common ground in a chaotic marketplace of disparate voices, views and interests.

The breadth and depth of CSUB’s efforts span the entire university, and every member of our team contributes to this priority. But we are especially proud of a new initiative called the Black Students Success Council that consists of administrators, faculty, staff and students. The council will take our support of Black students to another level and help guide efforts to establish a Black Student Center, which would aim to increase recruitment and enrollment efforts for Black students.

How do you use your platform as a university president to effect change in the African American community?

As the new interim president of CSUB, I’m just getting started in the role. But I have had the honor of serving in Bakersfield since 2016, and in that time, I have championed many initiatives at CSUB aimed at closing equity gaps, increasing graduation rates and retaining students of color, particularly young Black men in that critical period between their freshman and sophomore years. The support systems that we have developed in recent years, particularly as an outgrowth of Graduation Initiative 2025, have provided critical research and data that form the foundation for outreach to students who are struggling to continue their studies. And we are seeing the results of those action plans.

Here in the heart of the Central Valley, friendship and engagement matter. Bakersfield’s small-town values and well-deserved reputation for warmth and hospitality belie our growth into a major California city. CSUB’s most recent presidents—Dr. Horace Mitchell and Dr. Lynnette Zelezny—made tremendous strides in forging a bond between the university and the communities we serve, and there is potential to build even stronger connections and expand our footprint into neighborhoods throughout the region. At a recent NAACP banquet, several community members thanked me for showing up in support, and I was moved and disarmed by their sincerity. The lesson I took away is one that I will carry with me in every interaction with our community, including our Super Sunday outreach, when several CSUB leaders fan out across the city to address African American congregations: Never underestimate the power of showing up.

THOMAS PARHAM
CSU DOMINGUEZ HILLS PRESIDENT

Who or what inspired you to continue pursuing new and higher leadership roles, and how were you influenced by the presence or absence of people of color in these positions?  

I come to my role as the chief executive of a campus with a posture as a reluctant leader who, if truth be told, never aspired to be a university president or even a senior executive. On the contrary, I was content being a psychologist of African descent, and an African-centered one at that, whose roles and duties as academician, clinician, scholar and researcher, administrator and consultant were enough for me to manage.

And yet, the invitations to serve in higher levels of the organization hierarchy that I received in my career echoed the voice of my first mentor and mzee [respected elder], the great psychologist and contemporary father of the Black psychology movement Dr. Joseph L. White. He reminded me to consistently produce excellence, and that excellence would bring me opportunities. He was also clear that in the context of one’s trajectory toward career success, the key to mental health, particularly for a young Black man or woman in the field of psychology in America, was to develop and create a broad range of choices and options in one’s endeavors. It also helped to see other people of color and of African descent in these roles. CSU Bakersfield President Emeritus Horace Mitchell, Ph.D., and former University of California, Irvine Chancellor and current UC President Michael Drake, Ph.D., are two examples I can point to who were not only role models but symbols of possibility and potential for me.

The CSU places high importance on diversity, equity and inclusion. Why are these values important in higher education and how do you ensure your campus is an inclusive environment for students of color?

Higher education is about the cultivation of the human spirit and human potential. And yet, that cultivation must consider the cultural mores, values, customs and traditions diverse people bring with them on their journey through life. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are essential elements in higher education and impact everything from faculty and staff composition, curriculum offerings, the instructional methodology and system of pedagogy an instructor employs, the student experience on campus and the relationship of a campus to the community in which it is located. Equally important, students should be able to see themselves reflected within the fabrics of the university community and attention to DEI helps that.

Regarding insuring that my campus is a diverse and inclusive environment, I tend to engage in a multi-pronged approach. One strand of that approach puts great intentionality of ensuring that we have a competent and capable, yet diverse, student body, staff, faculty and senior executive leadership team. Increasing the pipeline of applicants and providing opportunities to review credentials of students, staff, faculty and senior administrators in the admissions, human resources and academic department domains where each segment apply is also important. However, making real and authentic DEI progress demands that we move beyond simplistic yardsticks of diversity progress like counting demographics. That’s where the second strand emerges. For me, diversity is not just percentages of race, gender, etc. Diversity is a question that asks if policies and practices of our institutions and agencies change as a function of our demographics, or whether they are contaminated with the racism, sexism and biases that are too pervasive in the human condition. It is that level of review and interrogation that helps us be a truly diverse and inclusive environment.

How do you use your platform as a university president to effect change in the African American community? 

Throughout my professional life as a psychologist, academician, clinician and senior administrator, I have been blessed with a platform to use my voice, my writing and my behavioral activities to effect change. That posture has been enhanced since becoming a university president. As a president, I speak to my university community with an uncompromising clarity about our campus's ability to transform and move from where we are to where we might be, if only we can close that attitudinal and behavioral gap between aspiration and actualization. Externally, I stay involved in and engaged with the larger African American community, participate in national and community-based organizations and write articles and commentaries on issues that impact various segments of our nation's citizenry for various local and national periodicals like Inside Higher Ed and the Los Angeles Sentinel. 

TOM JACKSON JR.
CAL POLY HUMBOLDT PRESIDENT

Who or what inspired you to continue pursuing new and higher leadership roles, and how were you influenced by the presence or absence of people of color in these positions?

My leadership experience in higher education is rooted in student affairs. Having worked closely with students, I have seen firsthand the power of opening doors to education. It has been—and still is—amazing to see what students are capable of when they have access to opportunities and resources that are often out of reach for many, including underrepresented young people. They flourish in an environment where their dreams are seen as concrete, achievable goals. Given the chance to shine, students can change the trajectory of their lives. I'm inspired by their dedication and their commitment to bettering themselves through education.

My own life trajectory has been influenced by many factors and people. My parents instilled perseverance to withstand the naysayers I would encounter. Early supervisor Joe Poell inspired me to pursue graduate school. Mentor Dr. Charlie Fey, who is still one of my closest friends, opened the door to doctoral programs for me and befriended me through a more than 35-year career, so far. There are others who are diverse in their own ways. A few were of color; most were not. But they valued our relationship, they valued me and they valued the work of helping students. Their passion for helping others comes out every single day in the work that I do as a university president.

The CSU places high importance on diversity, equity and inclusion. Why are these values important in higher education and how do you ensure your campus is an inclusive environment for students of color?

There is no question that diversity continues to be the source of strength for all campuses in the CSU system. That's why amplifying the voices of students who may not otherwise be heard is critical to providing a positive, meaningful educational experience at Cal Poly Humboldt. Our students—45 percent of which are people of color—bring with them their unique perspectives and life histories which ultimately make us stronger as a university and as a campus community. Cal Poly Humboldt also plays a major role in diversifying the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workforce. As of the 2022-23 academic year, 41 percent are Pell Grant recipients and 37 percent of STEM majors are people of color. Fifty-one percent of STEM majors are women while 41 percent of STEM faculty are women. And 48 percent of recent Cal Poly Humboldt graduates were the first in their families to earn a college degree.

I look at these figures and I'm in awe of the resilient spirit of students who have overcome personal and financial hurdles to graduate from Cal Poly Humboldt. That's all the more reason campus resources are dedicated in support of these students and continue to play an important role in their success. In the spirit of staff and faculty helping others, we have programs like the Cultural Centers for Academic Excellence. The centers support academics and create a sense of belonging for students of color. They are also homes away from home where students can receive peer mentoring, be involved in cultural programs and build a community.

As a campus, we are not just trying to help students of color succeed while they are in college. We have an obligation—a duty—to help students succeed beyond college and in society. To help them find their voice and their life's passion is a service to a greater good. The person who will discover the cure for Alzheimer's disease, cancer and other diseases will be a college graduate. That graduate may also be a person of color. We cannot afford to lose any students who are in the pipeline for a degree. The one we do lose might have been the one to make a history-making discovery later in life.

How do you use your platform as a university president to effect change in the African American community?

This is a very personal question to me. My grandmother lived during a time when African Americans weren't allowed to pursue an education beyond the eighth grade. Still, she believed in the power of books and of education. She passed those values on to her children including my father who passed them on to me. Two generations later, I am proud to say that, like so many students across the CSU system, I am the first in my family to earn a college degree and the only one to earn a doctorate.

I am also a university president who is African American and also Filipino, Native American and Irish, and I am honored to be an educator who makes tangible changes by supporting opportunities for people of color. Those opportunities include the continuing push to hire diverse administrators and faculty. Additionally, we have a new position that supports outreach and partnerships with local Tribal nations. Being a person of color in a leadership role carries with it incredible opportunity and responsibility. Through my story and the stories of other leaders in the CSU, we can show students what is possible after graduation. Despite the obstacles that may come their way, students can serve their communities and help to solve the many challenges our world faces today.

The CSU partners with African American communities to increase the college preparation, enrollment and graduation rates of students across the state of California. Learn more about these efforts.