During our first fireside chat, we had the opportunity to gain insights from Dr. Jennifer Brown, the Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at California Polytechnic University - Pomona. Dr. Brown’s diverse and varied background in higher education made for a fascinating conversation with Mentor Collective Co-Founder and CEO Jackson Boyar. We're delighted to highlight the many themes that emerged from this event on the Mentor Collective blog and uplift Dr. Brown's inspirational words.
Dr. Brown generously shared her best practices as a seasoned leader, whether AI is a threat or an opportunity for educators, how CPP is mapping resources across the seven dimensions of wellness, and her personal wellness rituals that allow her to remain present and balanced.
We’ll be sharing her thoughts across all of these topics on our blog, but felt it was best to start with one of Dr. Brown's guiding principles for her work in academic affairs – inclusive excellence.
More Access. More Opportunity.
“From my perspective, inclusive excellence means modeling the behaviors and principles you want to see and expect from your campus community. I want folks to engage in diverse and rich cultures; I want them to be respectful and have a passion for knowledge. I want them to come to one another with respectful curiosity, even when the topics at hand might be controversial.”
Dr. Brown's journey from undergrad to masters to doctorate to higher-ed leader is, without a doubt, impressive. What makes it even more inspirational, however, is her deep understanding that a successful journey doesn't mean a clear pathway. Like a modern-day reinterpretation of The Wizard of Oz, Dr. Brown shared that her academic journey took her to a variety of institutions and led her to experiences that ultimately shaped the leader she's become. Among the most influential were the mentors that guided her and reinforced a sense of belonging among her peers, academia and in higher education broadly.
Dr. Jennifer Brown: I started out as an engineering major and found out that, I needed and wanted to do something different. I embraced the fact that I liked to help people and I like to see change. In thinking about my North Star [as a leader], and thinking back to my experiences – some of the troubles, trials and tribulations –
I think about folks who are not at the table and their voices. I think about a person who can lead with integrity. That's my North Star. I want to leave places better than how I found them. I think of myself as a change maker and that access to education changes lives. How can I provide more access, more opportunity?
I started off at Illinois, did two years in engineering, and figured out that wasn't for me. I then went to a community college and transferred back into the university, where I found a love for undergraduate research in my last year. That is what prepared me for my master's degree.
When I went for my doctorate, I understood the value of mentorship. I saw the difference that it made when folks were able to give me the information that was needed just to be successful and to level the playing field. That has not been lost on me.
I also think about the times that people have judged me prematurely because I didn't have access to information or I didn't know something. I think about those things as I lead.
When I was going through the tenure track faculty at Purdue, I was thinking about the number of senior faculty members, women – and the combination thereof – that reached out to me to show me that I belonged. They showed me that I could do it, that I was supposed to be there. I have taken that with me everywhere. I am supposed to also show others that they belong and that they can be like me...or not like me. I am quirky. I am different. I think differently. I embrace that other folks have thoughts that are different from my own. Those are some of the core things that I bring to my leadership."
Inclusive Excellence
In addition to a commitment to access and equity-minded strategies for student success, Dr. Brown leads with what she calls "inclusive excellence;" a philosophy that means modeling the leadership behaviors and principles she would like to see within a campus community and maintaining a respectful curiosity in all discourse.
Dr. Jennifer Brown: F rom my perspective, inclusive excellence means modeling the behaviors and principles you want to see, and expect, from your campus community. Someone shared with me – and it was quite the compliment – you walk the walk. And so I want folks to engage in diverse and rich cultures. I want them to be respectful, have a passion for knowledge, come with respectful curiosity towards one another, even when the topic at hand might be controversial...there still needs to be a healthy level of respect. Higher-ed institutions are really big on shared governance – I'm a big believer in shared governance – but there are times where being heard and consulting does not always equal 100% agreement. What I try to do is to hear what it is that you're looking for. What are the underlying principles? Is there something I can dig into deeper? For me, inclusive excellence is about understanding your community, gaining trust, being vulnerable, allowing for mistakes, and intentionality.
Discover More Insights from the Full Fireside Chat with Mentor Collective Co-Founder Jackson Boyar
Learn more about Dr. Jennifer Brown's Role at Cal Poly Pomona
Mentor Collective is a proud partner of Cal Poly Pomona's Bronco Navigators peer mentorship program. To learn more about how your institution can centralize mentorship and provide timely access to critical campus resources via peers and alumni, contact us for a consultation tailored to your institutions goals.