Wednesday, October 18, 2023
10:00-11:00 a.m. CST

Dr. Michael Baston
President, Cuyahoga Community College

“Preparing Now for Next, Everyone Has a Role in Student Success”

In the dynamic landscape of higher education, the path to student success is an ever-evolving journey that requires a collective effort from all stakeholders. Dr. Michael Baston delves into each individual’s critical role in fostering and supporting student achievement and lifelong success. Dr. Baston explores how educators, administrators, policymakers, and communities can collaborate to create an empowering environment that nurtures students’ growth and potential. Emphasizing the importance of proactive preparation by embracing innovation, fostering inclusivity, and leveraging technology, we can equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in the rapidly changing world. This thought-provoking presentation provides attendees with valuable insights and actionable strategies to empower students for future success. Attendees will leave with a renewed sense of purpose and actionable ideas to implement within their roles and organizations. Dr. Baston will energize and empower participants to champion student success as a collective mission, ultimately transforming the educational landscape.

About Dr. Michael Baston

Dr. Michael Baston is the fifth president of Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) in Cleveland, Ohio. He is a national thought leader on the role of community colleges in shaping educational success; supporting regional workforce needs and economic growth; championing diversity, equity, and inclusion reforms; and developing executive leadership teams.

As Tri-C president, Dr. Baston focuses on strengthening the college’s nearly 60-year mission of providing high-quality, affordable, and accessible education and services. Since becoming president in July 2022, he has promoted access and success for the 41,000 credit and noncredit students attending Tri-C’s four campuses and other locations throughout the Cleveland area.

As a national Guided Pathways and Equity Transfer Initiative coach for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), Dr. Baston is noted for his work with leadership teams at two- and four-year colleges across the nation, helping them integrate student success initiatives to advance college completion and labor market entry success. Among many other professional honors and activities, Dr. Baston is co-chair of Jobs for the Future’s Policy Leadership Trust and a member of the AACC Board of Directors Executive Board, chairing its Audit and Finance Committee. He received the National Council on Student Development’s Terry O’Banion Gold Prize in 2015 and the NAACP Community Leadership Award in 2010.

Before leading Ohio’s largest community college, Dr. Baston served as president of Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York. During his 2017-2022 tenure, he led numerous initiatives to spur growth and increase educational pathways. Under his guidance, the college launched a new hospitality and culinary arts center; developed career and English skills academies to address middle-skill workforce needs; and significantly increased grants, capital, and other funding. Before joining Rockland Community College, Dr. Baston was vice president of student affairs and associate provost at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, New York. Dr. Baston began his career as an attorney representing various educational institutions and social justice organizations. His work with academic clients led him to pursue a second career in academics as a professor of legal studies and business and as a student affairs administrator.

Dr. Baston holds a B.A. from Iona College, a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, and an Ed.D. from St. John Fisher College.

Thursday, October 19, 2023
10:00-11:00 a.m. CST

Akilah Siti Easter
Dean, Urban Agriculture
Olive Harvey College

“The Cannabis Path in Urban Agriculture”

The Urban Agriculture Department at Olive-Harvey College has had tremendous growth and development of its courses, student population, and partnerships across Chicago and the nation. Olive-Harvey College’s is the first Urban Agriculture Department at City Colleges of Chicago, and it hopes to create a great foundation for its sister colleges. The history of Native Americans, African Americans. and People of Color has a significant linkage to Urban Agriculture in the Americas. With its campus greenhouse, Olive-Harvey College is excited about the opportunity to grow food from native lands that represent the diverse culture found on the Southside of Chicago and its student population. The Urban Agriculture Department is focused on social equity through the growth of various plants and activities that bring its community back to the land. Akilah Siti Easter’s goal is to offer a strong academic curriculum to empower students with the knowledge of plant science and environmental advocacy, as well as how to take back the land in their community. This passion was rooted in Urban Agriculture at a very young age. As a fourth-generation farmland owner, the power of growing your food and understanding the environment is a skill set that cannot be taken away from our culture or our students’ educational experience. With the combination of academic rigor, innovation, and unique educational opportunities for our community and students, Olive-Harvey College’s Urban Agriculture Department will grow its offerings while relying on its roots of culture and perseverance. Akilah Siti Easter discusses the significance of equity in a cannabis curriculum and the process of developing equitable programming and curriculum to serve a diverse Urban Agriculture audience.

About Akilah Siti Easter

Akilah Siti Easter serves as the Dean of Urban Agriculture at Olive Harvey College of the City Colleges of Chicago where she has worked for 11 years.  As a tenured Assistant Professor with, Akilah has assisted with the development of the Applied Cannabis Studies curriculum pathway, authoring courses in Cannabis Science, Cannabis Processing, Cannabis Field Practicum, and Entering the Cannabis Industry. She continues to develop curriculum under the Urban Agriculture Department at Olive Harvey College with emerging pathways in Urban Agriculture and Community Advocacy. Akilah’s zeal for agriculture began in her childhood years on her family farm, which she now owns as a fourth-generation farm girl. Akilah hopes to bring the history of agriculture back to the Black community and communities of color in urban settings, with a goal of righting the wrongs and building true equity in the urban agriculture and cannabis space. Akilah is also a culture and etiquette expert for over 25 years and has shared her expertise on various cultural topics, including cannabis etiquette, with The New York Times, NBC, Parents Magazine, Fox 32, Crain’s Business, and many other media outlets.

Friday, October 20, 2023
10:00-11:00 a.m. CST

Dr. Christine Harrington
Professor, Department of Advanced Studies, Leadership and Policy, School of Education and Urban Studies, Morgan State University

“A Campus-Wide Approach to Supporting Student Career Development”

Students enter community colleges seeking to develop the knowledge, skills, and credentials needed to pursue or advance their careers, yet many students arrive unsure of career goals or the steps needed to enter their field of interest. Discover how collaborative and institutional-level approaches to career development can help students, especially those from historically marginalized communities, engage in career exploration and planning, build and expand professional networks, and develop essential skills needed to enter and succeed in a variety of careers. To fully support the career development of students, faculty, student services providers, and other campus leaders can team up to design and deliver a series of learning experiences that help students determine their path and achieve their career goals. Leave inspired and ready to develop or enhance campus-wide efforts to support career development!

About Dr. Christine Harrington

Dr. Christine Harrington is an expert on student success and teaching and learning with over 20 years of experience in higher education. Currently, she is a Professor, Department of Advanced Studies, Leadership and Policy, in the School of Education and Urban Studies at Morgan State University.  Previously, she worked at Middlesex College for 18 years in a variety of roles including professor of psychology and student success, director for the Center for the Enrichment of Learning and Teaching, first-year seminar course coordinator, counselor, and disability services provider.  Christine also served a two-year appointment as the Executive Director for the Center for Student Success at the New Jersey Council of County Colleges.  Christine is the author of numerous books and articles related to teaching and learning on teaching, learning, and student success and is frequently invited to give plenary presentations at national and local conferences as well as at colleges and universities across the nation.