<meta name="google-site-verification" content="cIysTRjRVzTnQjmVuZAwjuSqUe0TUFkavppN8dORD0Q" /> Bart Patterson | Nevada State College: Committed to Serving African-American Students | The Urban Voice An Online Directory of Businesses Owned and Operated by African-Americans

Nevada State College: Committed to Serving African-American Students


Since Nevada State College’s inception in 2002, diversity and inclusion have been at its core. Nevada State celebrates the storied backgrounds of its campus community. It operates with a shared commitment to represent and serve the diverse population of Nevada and to encourage the exchange of ideas that respects and honors the lived experiences of students, staff, and faculty. With that in mind, Nevada State fosters a culture of inclusive excellence so campus community members can live authentically, fully engage, and flourish. In order to strengthen the college and move its mission forward, there is intentional and ongoing reflection to meet evolving needs of the campus, surrounding communities, and the state of Nevada.

 

This dynamic and diverse college campus truly is representative of Nevada today. African-Americans are important and influential members of its leadership team. During the course of the past year, Nevada State has proudly welcomed five African- American women to key leadership positions: Dr. Stefanie Coleman, dean of students, Office of the Provost; Dr. Shartriya Collier, associate dean of education, School of Education; Berna Rhodes-Ford, Esq., general counsel, Office of the President; Sharnee Walker, director of the Disabilities Resource Center (DRC); and Dr. Dorothy (Dee Dee) Campbell, interim dean of liberal arts and sciences, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Prior to these recent hires, other African-American women who have been in their leadership positions at Nevada State for longer terms include: Lakiasha Hollingsworth, director of TRIO-SSS (Student Support Services); Dr. Kimberly Williams, TRIO Upward Bound; and LaNelda Rolley, director of marketing and communications.

 

The leadership team at Nevada State keeps an eye on the horizon, and the future has never looked brighter for the second-fastest growing college in the nation. From its 511-acre campus vantage point nestled at the foot of Mount Scorpion in Henderson, there are expansive views of the Las Vegas Valley and limitless opportunities are clear to see as well. As luck would have it, Nevada State is graced with the natural beauty of its surroundings. All of the other great elements of this vibrant college, however, have happened by design. There is a comprehensive master plan in place and every aspect of it is geared toward the creation of an exceptional student experience which, of course, starts with the people. Fresh faces and perspectives are always a welcome addition to this growing campus community.

 

Lakiasha Hollingsworth, who joined Nevada State in 2012, has had various roles with increasing responsibilities before attaining her current position. By accepting a part-time summer STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) instructor position with TRIO Upward Bound, she made her initial move out of the corporate world as a design release engineer at Chrysler and Ford. Since then, she has been an Upward Bound program coordinator, a part-time math instructor, the coordinator of developmental math, and an academic advisor. She feels invested in Nevada State and Nevada State has invested in her.

 

As Hollingsworth explains, “All of those experiences led me to my position now as director of TRIO-SSS. I wanted to grow my career at Nevada State because of the family-type work environment and what it provides for the future of so many students. I am appreciative of how Nevada State was patient with me as I made the transition from a corporate environment into higher education. I love working here because of the students we serve. These students are from the same background as me. Being able to share my knowledge and experience with students means so much to me. It’s my way of giving back, and I especially love working with TRIO-SSS. We are funded to serve 140 students who are first-generation, low-income, or disabled. This past year, we have seen students complete their academic degree programs, we have a 90 percent persistence rate and 94 percent good academic standing rate.

 

Our program offers so much to our students – from financial literacy workshops, academic planning, career planning, peer mentorship, access to laptops and calculators, free printing, grant aid, and, most importantly, a staff that cares about their future.”

 

New to Nevada State, Dr. Stefanie Coleman came from a community college in Chicago Heights, Illinois where she was the director of first-year experience. She says the immediate attraction to Nevada State was the opportunity to be a part of building a college. Dr. Coleman is eager to share her thoughts on this new endeavor. “As dean of students, my current area of oversight is Advising, DRC, Care Team, Student Life, Conduct, and Residential Life. The College has a Student Life Strategic Plan that provides a very nice blueprint on how to expand student life. I wasn’t surprised to see Service Learning as a major theme in the plan. Service Learning is a great way for students to get involved in the community through organized service activities and earn college credit. As a former NAIA cheerleading coach, I’m excited about growing intramural and club sports which is the steppingstone to NCAA sports. My creative side is also excited about the opportunity to grow creative and cultural activities, developing a Greek-life program, and encouraging students to create clubs that are important to their personal growth. There is plenty of data that confirms students who participate in student life activities have better retention, stronger GPAs, and graduate from college. Students feel connected to the campus when they participate in activities on campus. I’m going to try my best to develop a student life portfolio that offers something for everyone.”

 

Nevada State has the right slate of four-year degree programs and proven support services to attract students and facilitate their success. There currently are more than 45 in-demand majors and minors offering such as education, nursing, business, psychology, biology, communication, visual media, criminal justice, and deaf studies. A quality college education can be accessible and affordable; Nevada State College costs about 40 percent less than the state universities and 72 percent of Nevada State students receive financial assistance in some form of federal, state or College aid. There are also many college and community scholarships available. A multifaceted support system is in place to keep students on track. Some examples of this include the Nepantla Summer Bridge Program (between high school and college), The Writing Center, TRIO Student Support Services, course assistants, and mandatory advising, all of which are effective in helping students progress toward the successful completion of their degrees. Nevada State has additional initiatives with targeted assistance specifically for African-American students. Among them are the OBODO African- American Student Task Force, “KING OF JEWELS” Men of Color Youth Conference, and “I AM KING” Collegiate Retreat for Men of Color.

 

Nevada can and must do a better job of proactively serving its African-American students. Nevada State takes that responsibility seriously and has the right plan and genuine commitment to make it happen. African-American students are welcomed, valued members of the campus community. That message is conveyed in various ways through the college’s leadership, programs, support services, financial aid/scholarships, and diversity overall. Learn more about all that Nevada State has to offer by going to nsc.edu – and register for a campus tour at nsc.edu/tour.

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