This document summarizes a presentation given by Oscar Collins and Nicole Young about supporting student leaders of color at predominantly white institutions. The presentation discusses how traditional leadership norms may not align with cultural norms for some students of color. It also reviews research showing challenges student leaders of color face, such as isolation, pressure to assimilate, and lack of mentors. The presentation includes discussions of different types of leadership opportunities, traditional vs. cultural leadership styles, and case studies to explore best practices for advising diverse student leaders. The goal is to establish holistic approaches that consider students' whole experiences.

1. Authentic Paths: Supporting
Student Leaders of Color
Navigating to Academic and Co-
Curricular Success
Presented by
Oscar Collins, M.Ed
Associate Director for Academic Support, Center for Multicultural Advancement & Student
Oscar Collins, M.Ed
Associate Director for Academic Support, Center for Multicultural Advancement & Student
Success, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Nicole Young, MFA
Operations Manager, Student Activities and Involvement/Center for Student Development,
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
New England Conference
for Student Success
October 11, 2013

2. Session Abstract
Students of color who aspire to be student leaders at
predominately white institutions (PWI) typically follow
norms of what leadership means that are set by the
institution. This “leadership norm” is often not best
suited for some students of color due to how leadership
is defined in their own communities. A workshopis defined in their own communities. A workshop
intended for both student affairs and academic affairs
professionals, this presentation and facilitated
discussion seeks to begin a conversation that would
lead to establishing a holistic, community-wide approach
to mentoring and advising this population of students.

3. Session Outline
• Introductions
• Why is this topic important?
• What does the research say?
• What type of leadership opportunities exist?• What type of leadership opportunities exist?
• Paid vs. Volunteer?
• Case Study Activity
• Outcomes/Recommendations
• Final Questions/Summary

4. Why is this topic important?
• To provide an overview of current research and
trends related to supporting students of color who
aspire to become leaders on PWIs campus.
• To engage participants in an interactive session to• To engage participants in an interactive session to
identify best practices we are currently engaged in
and to share ideas that work!
• We were these students!

5. “We need to take this notion of socialization very seriously
because it directly impacts retention.”
-Dr. Charles Taylor (2011)
Professor of Education, Edgewood College
and Roar Enterprises, Inc.
http://www.diversitybenefitseveryone.com/tenproblemsthatstudentsofcolorfaceoncampus.html

6. What does the research say?
Themes regarding the impact of taking on a leadership role
• Isolation and Alienation (Taylor)
• Being the spot of color in a predominately white organization (Museus
and Harris 32)
• Mirroring experiences of classroom
• Personal Cost of Leadership (Arminio et. al. 2000 501 )
• Lower GPA
• Misguided priorities
• Cultural appropriation
• Loss of privacy
• Fear of not being able to meet “lofty” or “contradictory” expectations

7. What does the research say, con’t.
• Pressure to Assimilate (Arminio et. al. 502)
• Leadership norms and structure incongruent with cultural norms
• Hierarchy vs. collaboration encouraged/discouraged
• Lack of faculty and staff role models and visibility of leaders of
color amongst the administration, both in academic and student
affairs (Arminio et. al. 501)
• Social and institutional climate impact experience (Taylor; Beatty et. al.• Social and institutional climate impact experience (Taylor; Beatty et. al.
2010)
• Negative campus climates: racial and class issues on campus
• Mono-cultural curriculum
• Majority/mainstream leadership norms do not encourage direct
confrontation/conflicts within organizations (the angry black man
syndrome)
• Dissection of academic and student affairs (they do not coexist)

8. Paid vs. Volunteer Leadership?
The “Paid” Leader
• Resident Assistant
• Orientation Leader
• Athlete
• Student Employment
The “Volunteer” Leader
• Student Government
• Student Organization
• Cultural Interest
• Social interest
• Student Employment
• Peer Advisor/Mentor
• Social interest
• Political interest
• Academic interest
• Religious Interest
• Community/Civic Engagement
• Greek Life
• Historically Black
• Multicultural
• Historically White

9. Why do students engage in
leadership experiences?
The “Paid” Leader
• Opportunity to earn
money while attending
college (work study)
• Minimize additional
The “Volunteer” Leader
• Dependant on how and
who engaged them.
• The Human Connection
• Minimize additional
obligations to earn
money
• Earn a degree with
possibility of pursuing a
passion (Athlete)
• The Human Connection
• Resume Building
opportunity
• Because everyone else
is doing it?

10. Traditional Leadership Styles and
Your Student
• Types of Leadership Styles
• Autocratic Leadership
• Bureaucratic Leadership
• Charismatic Leadership
• Democratic/Participative
Leadership
• Questions to Consider
• How does your institution
incorporate, adapt, use, or
consider current trends?
• How do you train your student
leaders to lead others? Which
styles do you train your
students to lead by?
Leadership
• Laissez-Faire Leadership
• People-Oriented/Relations-
Oriented Leadership
• Servant Leadership
• Task-Oriented Leadership
• Transactional Leadership
• Transformational Leadership
• What styles do you prefer your
student leaders use?
• In thinking about the
leadership style and your
institution, how do you think
your student leader is
perceived by their peers?

11. The Social Change Model of Leadership
and Student Leaders of Color
Where is your student?

12. Case Study Time
• Participants will be asked to form five groups.
• Each group will be presented with a scenario to discuss
and identify ways to best support the student in the
scenario
• Groups will have 10 minutes for discussion
• Once small group discussion is done, the group will be
asked to come together and a representative from each
group will share responses and considerations from
your group.

13. Case Study Questions
• Do you and/or your office take into consideration all
aspects of the student’s life when offering
leadership advise?
• How do the current leadership norms positively or• How do the current leadership norms positively or
negatively impact this student?

14. Liem Nyugen
• Liem arrives at your office 15 minutes late, as usual, for
his weekly check in regarding an upcoming event for his
organization. You start by sharing with him that the
contracts cannot be completed because his treasurer
hasn’t gone through the required training. Liem erupts
in anger because he thinks you are treating him and hisin anger because he thinks you are treating him and his
organization unfairly. He goes on to say that ‘you don’t
get it’ and if this event doesn’t happen he will get ALL
the Vietnamese students together to protest because
you (the predominately white staff) are all racists and
don’t care about students of color.

15. Lynn Woodstock
• Lynn is one of your student managers for a student-run business on
campus. As the student manager of the “Earth ‘n’ Crunchy” she is
responsible for setting schedules, monitoring the payroll and budget for
the business. She reports out that for the current month of October
business is going well and she projects that there will be a profit. When
you check in regarding the student employees, Lynn asks for your advise
on how to deal with a ‘difficult’ employee. Lynn shares, “..this girl
operates on ‘CP time’.” And, even though she has given her several
verbal warnings, the employee continues to be late. Lynn goes on
operates on ‘CP time’.” And, even though she has given her several
verbal warnings, the employee continues to be late. Lynn goes on
further to say that this may be acceptable for where the employee is from
but not here! Also, Lynn is worried that she will come across as racist
because she thinks the employees long dread locks are unsanitary
because she knows that people with dreadlocks don’t wash their hair and
even if she wore a hairnet a dreadlock might accidently get into the vat of
granola.

16. Shemar Morales
• Shemar runs into your office, out of breath, because he
overbooked himself with appointments for the day and he is
coming from his appointment with his academic advisor. The
reason he needs to meet with you is because he is in jeopardy
of flunking out and his academic advisor told him he needs to
drop all his ‘unnecessary’ responsibilities and focus on hisdrop all his ‘unnecessary’ responsibilities and focus on his
academics. Based on this advise, Shemar wants to step
down from his role as Vice President for Diversity issues in the
Student Government. He also thinks he should step down
from the role of president for his fraternity. Prior to Shemar
sharing this information you intended to ask if he would be
willing to serve on the Chancellor’s committee on diversity as
a student representative.

17. Shemar Morales
• Shemar came into your office because you emailed him to
discuss his academic plan due to the fact that you are
concerned with his academic progress. Specifically, you are
concerned that he failed a prerequisite to his upper level
science courses. Shemar arrives on time though he is out of
breathe and noticeably nervous. You begin the conversation
by sharing your concerns for his academic progress. Evenby sharing your concerns for his academic progress. Even
though you only have 15 minutes until your next appointment
you try to engage him to discuss his options because you
don’t think he will be successful if he continues in the major.
Through out your conversation you suggest to him that he
may need to prioritize his responsibilities outside of the
classroom so that he can dedicate more time to studying.

18. Melissa Whitedeer
• Melissa arrived at your office for a scheduled appointment with you to
discuss how to start a student organization for Native American students
on campus. During your conversation, she shares that her reason for
wanting to start the group is to create an organization where fellow
Native American students can learn about other tribal nations and to
have an annual Pow-Wow on campus. Further in your conversation
Melissa very clearly states that she wants this to be an organization only
for Native American students because she is “tired of those white
students thinking that the only thing Native Americans do is make dream
for Native American students because she is “tired of those white
students thinking that the only thing Native Americans do is make dream
catchers”. She also asks about the leadership structure that is required
by Student Activities where there must be a President, Treasurer and
Secretary to be a recognized student organization. She would rather
have a ‘council of elders’ who would lead the organization and make
decisions through consensus.

19. Large Group Discussion Questions
• Why does a student take on leadership roles?
• How does your campus/office currently support the students of color in
being successful?
• What are some best practices that you would share?
• Why is it important to identify the ‘why’ in “why did the student become• Why is it important to identify the ‘why’ in “why did the student become
involved?
• What is your campus’ definition of diversity and is it truly inclusive… only
as an insertion and/or is the mission statement (document) a living
document?
• Is there flexibility in your campuses leadership norms for alternative
forms of leadership?
• Should their be academic requirements to student leadership… GPA
class year

20. Your Institution and Its Cultural
Compentencies
• What are the current stories of student leaders of color? Who is
the narrator of these stories?
• What communities were the students welcomed into upon first
engagement?
• Are there any examples of best practices for student and
academic affairs to work together in supporting the WHOLEacademic affairs to work together in supporting the WHOLE
student that your campus is currently pursuing?
• What is the relationship between academic and student affairs?
Is one put above another… who has the privilege?
• How can they work together?
• At what point in a student’s academic career should we advise
them to take on leadership roles? Should there be a systematic
approach?

21. Final thoughts & reflections
• If the campus doesn’t support, at an institutional level,
students of color … do students of color see themselves
as an equal member of the community?
• Do you understand the challenges students of color face
at PWI’s when trying to fit into it’s cultural and leadershipat PWI’s when trying to fit into it’s cultural and leadership
norms?
• What is the culture on your campus when it comes to
decision making? What evidence (both anecdotal and
research) is used when advising students, both in
academic and student affairs?

22. Works Cited
Arminio, Jan L., Sandra Carter, Steven E. Jones, Kevin Kruger, Nance Lucas, Jamie
Washington, Nancy Young, Angela Scott. “Leadership Experiences of Students of
Color.” NASPA Journal. 37.1. (Spring 2000). 496-510. Web. Accessed 10 Sep. 2013.
Beatty, Cameron C., Antonio A. Bush, Eliza E. Erxleben, Tomika L. Ferguson, Autumn T.
Harrell, Wanna K. Sahachartsiri. “Black Student Leaders: The Influence of Social
Climate in Student Organizations.” Journal of the Indiana University Student
Personnel Association. 48-63.
http://www.indiana.edu/~iuspa/journal/editions/2010/Beatty%20et%20al.pdf
Personnel Association. 48-63.
http://www.indiana.edu/~iuspa/journal/editions/2010/Beatty%20et%20al.pdf
Museus, Samuel D. and Frank Harris. “Success Among College Students of Color: How
Institutional Culture Matters.” Managing Diversity: (Re)Visioning Equity on College
Campuses. Ed. T. Elon Dancy II. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, 2010. 25-43.
Taylor, Charles. “Ten Problems that Students of Color Face on Predominately White
Campuses.”
http://www.diversitybenefitseveryone.com/tenproblemsthatstudentsofcolorfaceo
ncampus.html

23. Thank YOU!
• Oscar R. Collins
Associate Director for Academic Support, Center for
Multicultural Advancement and Student Success
oscarc@admin.umass.edu
413-545-1932413-545-1932
• Nicole M. Young
Operations Manager, Student Activities and Involvement
nmyoung@umass.edu
413-577-2307