Yes We Can: Reaching Students During the Obama Era

The Obama Campaign successfully reached out to a record-breaking number of young-adults. We witnessed unprecedented efforts to reach students as well as communities, and to raise consciousness around politics and voting, grass-roots organizing, and social justice. In his March 2008 talk on race in the US, then-candidate Obama spoke candidly and from personal experience about race relations, attempting to be inclusive of all Americans. In this address, President Garcia asks how we can take a page from the Obama campaign, connect with our students, understand the people we serve, and provide an education that will close the achievement gap. Using film clips, she will show how the spirit of inclusion and methods that worked for the campaign can be translated into high-impact learning activities that are effective for student learning, as well.

Mildred García, Ed.D., is the seventh president of California State University, Dominguez Hills and the first Latina president in the California State University system. Dr. García is a good fit for one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse universities in the western United States. Named to Hispanic Business magazine's 100 Most Influential Hispanics list for 2007, President García brought with her a commitment to multicultural alliances and belief that these coalitions strengthen students' self-development and opportunities, in addition to strengthening institutions and communities. From 2001 to 2007 Garcia served as President of Berkeley College (NY), where she championed the cause of access with success. Prior to Berkeley, she served at Arizona State University (1997-2001), Montclair State University (1986-1996), and Hostos Community College of City University of New York (1979-1986). García is a scholar in the field of higher education focusing on equity in higher education and its impact on policy and practice. Among the books she has authored are Succeeding in an Academic Career, which focuses on how faculty of color can succeed in higher education; Assessing Campus Diversity Initiatives; and Transforming the First Year of College for Students of Color (with Laura I. Rendón and Dawn Person). García is an active member of the American Council of Education, where she serves on its Board of Directors. She is also on the Editorial Advisory Board of AAC&U's Peer Review; on the Advisory Board for Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education; and is a founding board member of the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships.

García received a Doctor of Education as well as a Master of Arts in higher education administration from Teachers College, Columbia University; an M.A. in business education/higher education from New York University; a B.S. in business education from Bernard Baruch College of City University of New York (CUNY); and an A.A.S. in legal secretarial sciences in business from New York City Community College of CUNY.