TaQuilla Kusero

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To help the Schoolcraft College community better understand, support and engage in the strategic theme of IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access), the Office of Equity and Engagement held a launch event in September. The well-attended program in the DiPonio Room of the Vistatech Center – supplemented by an engaged online audience – served as an important starting point to integrate equitable practices into the fabric of Schoolcraft College.

“We were so happy to have so many participating in the IDEA Launch Event and adding their perspectives to how we will move forward in creating a more inclusive campus,” said TaQuilla Kusero, Director of Equity and Engagement. “The event was not only to introduce the goals of IDEA, but to discuss how reaching those goals will take an integrated and structured approach from all of us.”

Also presenting were Catreese Qualls, Research Assistant for the Office of Equity and Engagement; and Dr. Glenn Cerny, President of Schoolcraft College.

What is IDEA?

Here is how Schoolcraft College defines IDEA:

Inclusion

  • An environment where individuals are empowered to use their perspectives, experiences, knowledge, and talent to create change.

Diversity

  • Psychological, physical, and social differences that occur among any and all individuals; The product/outcome of the inclusive and equitable practices of an organization.

Equity

  • Offering individualized support to address barriers that can limit the full participation of an individual or group.

Access

  • Students, employees and community members have equitable opportunities to take full advantage of the education, advancement, and resources that we offer and opportunities for similar outcomes.
Catreese Qualls, Research Assistant for the Office of Equity and Engagement.
TaQuilla Kusero, Director of Equity and Engagement.

“The launch event was an opportunity to share the mission, expectations, and purpose of creating a culture of inclusion, centrally focused on the IDEA Strategic Theme,” Qualls said. “It was a call to action to every member of our campus community to reimagine the way we think, communicate, and navigate within our respective departments and within our campus community. We must work in tandem to achieve success in creating a legacy of hope for generations to come.”

From these IDEA definitions, the College has created specific objectives to make the vision a reality. Those objectives are:

Objective 1

  • Enhance access and success

Objective 2

  • Inclusive teaching, learning and scholarship

Objective 3

  • Cultural engagement and competency

Objective 4

  • Accountability and responsibility

Objective 5

  • Fostering community

Those objectives then ladder up to specific areas of focus for the College’s leadership, faculty and staff, and student population, with action and accountability being at the forefront. Kusero noted in her presentation that progress is not always linear, but it should be incremental and measurable.

“Will it be easy to tear down barriers built by decades of broken systems? Absolutely not, but are we capable and authentically inspired to create change? Yes, we are!” Qualls said.

The DEE team noted that the launch event was the catalyst for more leaders to emerge and to encourage a deeply rooted desire to overcome the past and boldly overcome any obstacles by creating access for opportunities to have the uncomfortable conversations needed to push onward and upward.

“This is the first of many collaborations we will have as we begin to do the work of creating equitable outcomes for students, employees, and the communities we serve,” Kusero said.

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TaQuilla Kusero is the Director of Equity and Engagement for Schoolcraft College, working collaboratively across the campus to integrate equitable practices into the very fabric of the College. A key focus is the IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) strategic theme, which will have a launch event from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 27, in the DiPonio Room of the Vistatech Center. Please read the following interview to learn more about TaQuilla, her office and her objectives.

Q: To start, please tell us a little about your education and professional background, especially your positions at Schoolcraft College.

A: In over a decade of working in higher education, I have worked with underrepresented and historically excluded populations at Lawrence Tech University, The United Negro College Fund in Washington D.C., and the University of Baltimore, along with the last four years at Schoolcraft College in the Distance Learning department. I have owned and operated a wedding and event floral design company, and I’m a part of a former military family, who worked and traveled abroad in Okinawa, Japan; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; and across the U.S., exchanging language and culture. It is really a full-circle moment in my journey to have the opportunity to work with the SC campus community as the new Director of Equity and Engagement.

See, I was a child who suffered from an autoimmune condition that caused total hair loss, leg and joint pain, fatigue and facial rashes that left me in and out of the medical system for a large part of my childhood from the age of 7. I wouldn’t have successfully remained engaged in school, and found my joy in supporting students, if it weren’t for the empathetic and caring teachers, family and community surrounding me.

Even as I dealt with both the very visible symptoms of the condition, and the non-visible pains that made it hard to walk some days, it was the empowering words and actions of the people around me that kept me going and led me to the diversity, equity and inclusion work I do today: Specifically standing up for those who are not able to do it themselves. It was through overcoming the fear and uncertainty of what might be before me that I have been able to embrace and lead change throughout my life.

TaQuilla Kusero
TaQuilla Kusero, Director of Equity and Engagement, previously was a member of the Distance Learning department for four years.

Q: You were named our College’s Director of Equity and Engagement (DEE) in May. First, could you briefly explain your roles and responsibilities in this department? And second, what’s been your focus for the past few months as the Fall 2022 semester gets under way?

A: My role as Director of Equity and Engagement is to work collaboratively across the campus to integrate equitable practices into the very fabric of our institution. This will include developing and utilizing researched strategies, collaborating with stakeholders to set goals, providing professional development and training, and measuring progress. The last few months have involved meeting with stakeholders and laying out a plan to build a systematic approach to collaboration and integration in those areas. We have also been involved in matters of educational reform and development that have begun this summer for the Schoolcraft campus.

Q: Could you briefly explain IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) from both a high level and what it means on a sort of day-to-day basis for the Schoolcraft College community?

A: The overall goals of IDEA are:

  • To create practitioners of equity and inclusion across campus departments, with each department trained to view and implement their work with a DEI lens.
  • To create a student base that is engaged in equity and justice efforts on campus and in their community.
  • To track our progress with campus culture, practice and policy changes on a yearly basis.

IDEA provides five (5) key objectives to guide us in reaching those goals:

  • Strategic Objective 1 – Enhance Access and Success – Enhancing access and success for students, faculty, and staff belonging to structurally excluded populations.
  • Strategic Objective 2 – Inclusive Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship – Devote resources, promote, and incentivize practices that further enhance the teaching, learning and scholarship to ensure that the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion are essential components of a Schoolcraft educational experience.
  • Strategic Objective 3 – Cultural Engagement and Competency – Promote active social and academic engagement to ensure that we center and amplify students’ needs and voices by continuously elevating cultural and intercultural competency in and out of the classroom setting.
  • Strategic Objective 4 – Accountability and Responsibility – Develop mechanisms to continuously assess institutional climate and promote responsibility to a socially responsible Schoolcraft College.
  • Strategic Objective 5 – Fostering Community – Engage in practices that build relationships and partnerships to ensure the sustainability of Schoolcraft College within the greater Livonia community

What that looks like on the ground level is:

  • Creating classrooms, curriculums, and workplaces that include, affirm and utilize the knowledge, perspectives and experiences of underrepresented and marginalized students and employees.
  • Using high-impact practices and frameworks to reform the educational experience from recruitment to graduation, to meet the needs of students.
  • Measuring and collecting quantitative and qualitative information that not only helps us identify where we are in the process of institutionalizing equitable and inclusive practices, but also guides us in how to measure our progress, challenges and create solutions along the way.

Q: What’s on the horizon and what are you looking to accomplish the rest of this semester/calendar year?

A: The rest of this year will be spent building the campuses capacity to create widespread, integrated changes through the establishment of collaborative advisory groups and liaisons to each department. There also will be four areas of focus we will be working on in conjunction with other departments on campus, including:

  1. Identifying practices and policies that have a disparate impact on marginalized and underrepresented people on campus in order to change them.
  2. Developing professional and training opportunities that cover IDEA frameworks and practices, developing learning communities that provide ongoing support, and creating programming to discuss and share solutions for issues that affect us locally, nationally, and globally.
  3. Engage students through leadership development and scholarship opportunities for students who are interested in engaging the campus community in meaningful conversations and activities around topics of diversity, inclusion, equity and social justice.
  4. Making evidenced based decisions based on research and feedback.

Q: How can people get involved?

A: Creating a more inclusive campus is the job of every person in our community, no matter your role or area of expertise. We will be working closely with faculty, departments, students, and groups on campus to integrate strategies moving ahead. We also can be reached at [email protected] if you want to be directly involved in other opportunities throughout the year. We hope that you join us at the IDEA Launch on Tuesday, September 27, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. to hear more about the imperatives of equity and inclusion in higher education, as well as have an opportunity to bring your voices and perspectives to the table as we forge ahead.

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Student Madison Ling graciously shares her perspective

The month of July is Disability Pride Month, and 2022 marks 32 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed into law, prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. 

The first Disability Pride Day event, after the Act was passed, was held in Boston, Massachusetts, later turning into a month-long celebration. The month-long events include making the statement that disabilities are an identity and culture that should be celebrated and that societies structures have to be changed to allow for whole and meaningful participation however someone shows up. 

The Social Model of Disability “looks for ways that society can be planned and organized in order to provide accessibility, independence and opportunity in a way that enables people rather than ‘disables’ them.”

This is a key point for TaQuilla Kusero, Schoolcraft College’s Director of Equity and Engagement. 

“While the ADA creates a base for ensuring that organizations make legal accommodations, how do we go above and beyond that to create a campus that removes barriers and fully empowers people with disabilities to reach their full potential on campus?” she asked.

These questions are all tied to the College’s IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) pillar built into the Strategic Plan. In brief, through meaningful actions, the College will ensure that IDEA is woven into the fabric of everything done for students, faculty and staff.

Schoolcraft College student Madison Ling with Livonia Mayor Maureen Miller Brosnan.
Schoolcraft College student Madison Ling with Livonia Mayor Maureen Miller Brosnan.

Madison Ling, a current Schoolcraft College student who has served the campus in a variety of leadership roles, graciously offered the following perspective:

Schoolcraft resembles a home, community, and all-encompassing experience that I didn’t know was missing from my life until it was there. Living a life with a disability, or as any minority, is not inspirational, nor is it for the faint of heart – it’s reality. There are inconceivable challenges and complications that come attached to any given condition and that give way to frustration, pain, and heartache – feelings and thoughts that are more crippling than any physiologically induced condition by far.

There was a time when I viewed myself as limitless without the slightest uncertainty. Over time, life’s trials and tribulations truly made me begin to question the validity of this inherent belief. Health complications, societally inflicted ableism (whether intentional or not), and ensuing self-doubt were the true source of paralysis in my teen years, not my disability. My mind, once an impenetrable fortress, was crumbling for the first time. My philosophy “I can’t is not an option, but I can try is” and the unshakable confidence I once had in my adaptability were waning. Just when I thought I was down for the count, I came to Schoolcraft College and everything changed.

While I would like to think I took the College by storm, the truth is that this campus and our treasured community took me by the hand, reminded me who I’ve always been, and what life can be with the right support behind you. I went from taking community transit to becoming an independent driver, a young adult unsure of her place in the workforce to a proud student employee, and a socially timid recluse to a decorated student leader that leads with gratitude for where I’ve been and where I’m going. My mindset with regard to the future and my goals have transitioned from “That’s impossible” to “Maybe, I can try” to “Of course I can do that. I am Madison Ling and I’m an unstoppable Ocelot.”

All of this is because I made the #CCSmart decision to come here. I’m unbelievably grateful to have a community composed of friends, faculty/staff, police officers, and an incredible College President that have a healthy balance of being my greatest supporters and being a safety net should I ever fall. Most of all, I’m Ocelot Proud to see the changes developing on our campus and to be a part of making Schoolcraft College a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable place for all.”

Below are some additional resources:

What is the Social Model of Disability and what do the Disability Pride Flag colors mean? 

Schoolcraft College Disability Support Services

Interview with Edythe (Edee) Copeland of the Michigan Works! Association

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Theme of conference was “Women Leading With Resilience In Challenging Times”

Schoolcraft College was well-represented at the 2022 Michigan American Council on Education Women’s Network Conference (MI-ACE) of the ACE Women’s Network. Held June 13-14 at the Suburban Collection Showcase in Novi, this year’s theme of the annual conference was “Women Leading With Resilience In Challenging Times.”

The MI-ACE Women’s Network was formed in 1978 and is the professional network for Michigan women in higher education.

Attending from Schoolcraft College were:

  • Dr. Jodie Beckley, Director, Personal and Professional Learning
  • Joi Durant, Associate, Student Financial Services
  • Tammy Duval, Lab Technician
  • Melissa Gury, Director of Laboratory Sciences
  • Dr. Michele Kelly, Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • TaQuilla Kusero, Director of Equity and Engagement
  • Trennis D. Sweatt, Personal and Professional Learning Programming Coordinator
  • Lori Timmis, Dean of Distance Learning
  • Rena Yuzon, Course Manager, Distance Learning

Dr. Beckley co-presented “Women Leaders of Color in Community Colleges: New Research, Same Challenges” with CharMaine Hines, Ed.D., Vice Chancellor, Academic Accountability and Policy, Wayne County Community College District.

Here are some reactions to the conference from Schoolcraft College attendees:

From Joi Durant, Associate, Student Financial Services:

I was introduced to MI-ACE in 2021 after attending their WOCC (Women of Color Collaborative) and women’s equal pay day workshops. I became involved with the Schoolcraft division of MI-ACE this year and it has been such an impactful experience. This year’s conference focused on defining resilience and finding ways to put the ‘resilience perspective’ into practice. During the two-day conference I was able to attend several workshops, some of which included:

  • Enhancing your Institutional committee involvement
  • (Re) Imagining the Superwoman
  • Women Leaders of Color in Community College: New Research, Same Challenges
  • Women Leading with Resilience during Challenging Times Keynote Address

I found each session to be informative, which led to me feeling excited, empowered and equipped to bring this information back to campus and incorporate this information in conversations that contribute to impacting effective change. It also provided the opportunity to meet and collaborate with colleagues here at the college that I would not otherwise have had the opportunity to work with. I would encourage any woman employed in higher education to consider joining the MI-ACE Network as it provides networking support and training enhance the experience of women in higher education.

From Melissa Gury, Director of Laboratory Sciences:

One of my favorite sessions was “Mental Health Strategies for a More Resilient You” presented by Dr. Nikita Murry, Director of Diversity Education at Central Michigan University. She spoke about what it means to be resilient, and highlighted five ‘Gs’ to make sure to focus on in our lives: Gratitude, Goal Reflection, Girlhood, Goodness, and Gracefulness. I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to attend, and am excited to continue working with the MI-ACE Women’s Network to empower women!

From TaQuilla Kusero, Director of Equity and Engagement:

One valuable practice discussed during the “Mental Health Strategies for a More Resilient You” session, led by Dr. Nikita Murry, Director of Diversity Education at Central Michigan University, was to ask yourself five questions before taking on a new role or opportunity.

  1. Does the opportunity align with your goals?
  2. Am I the right person?
  3. Is this a professional challenge?
  4. Do you see professional growth opportunity?
  5. Will the workload be manageable?

If you can answer yes to these questions, and the role or opportunity is something that fits into your mission, vision and goals, you will be in a better position to deal with more challenging times when they arise. I plan to implement this in the future.

From Trennis D. Sweatt, Personal and Professional Learning Programming Coordinator:

Attending the MI-ACE conference and “The Importance of Wellness and Belonging in the Workplace” session as well as the “Women Leaders of Color in Community Colleges: New Research, Same Challenges” session brought about the following insights for me:

First, as women of color working in higher education, it is essential to know that we belong and that we have the equal opportunity to be valued as a woman and as a leader in our organization. And second, Dr. Hines’ and Dr. Beckley’s research on Women of Color in Mid-Level Administration re-ignited my passion to pursue my Ph.D. in higher education. Our gender and ethnicity should not continue to be a barrier on our path to a leadership role in higher education.

From Lori Timmis, Dean of Distance Learning:

Tuesday’s keynote session with Dr. Stephanie Bulgur, incoming President at Lane CC (Eugene, Oregon), prompted three key takeaways:

  1. Lead from your values
  2. Address the moment with your vision
  3. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable

In the spirit of resilience, as part of the conference theme, Dr. Bulgur affirmed that “comfort and growth do not co-exist.” Likewise, in times of challenge, we have a duty to serve – our students, communities, and the organization.

The presidents’ panel encouraged strategic risk taking, reimagining services, evaluating and enacting change propositions, sharing communications and camaraderie, setting stretch goals to build stamina, developing teams, empowering people, and elevating mentorship. The presidents reminded us that we all serve as educators in different ways with a same end goal.

The afternoon’s plenary session – Do Not Take It for Granted. Focus on International Women’s Resilience – with Manizha Wafeq, President and Co-Founder of the Afghanistan Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry, was a powerful testimony of leadership, courage, and determination in establishing the first women’s chamber in Afghanistan. As the session title implies, women leaders and professionals can and do serve in valuable roles that make a difference.

The fishbowl conversations on leadership engaged session participants to share your voice, collaborate and connect with others, and balance work and other commitments with stress-relieving channels (the good reminder of “me” time).

A final takeaway includes the resources available through the MI-ACE Women’s Network of professional development workshops, committee engagement, and networking events to advance women leaders in higher education.

I will aim, as a leader and looking within, to promote the wisdom shared from the collective session takeaways – encourage dialogue, support engagement and participation, seek growth opportunities, serve assuredly and compassionately, and much more.

From Rena Yuzon, Course Manager, Distance Learning:

This was my first time at the MI-ACE Women’s Network Conference. It was a great experience where I got to meet women from all over the state. One of the best seminars I attended had to do with enrollment challenges for institutions of higher education. I learned about the many factors impacting enrollment in higher education today and will take that back with me in my work scheduling semester offerings.

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Consider attending an event in your area

To help celebrate, recognize and understand more about Juneteenth, TaQuilla Kusero, Director of Equity and Engagement, thoughtfully provided the following essay:

Juneteenth, or June 19th, has become one of the most celebrated holidays that marked the end of slavery in the United States. Though the Emancipation Proclamation took effect on January 1, 1863, most confederate states, and slaveholding border states, continued to enslave Black Americans until Union troops arrived to confront the resistance and enforce the laws over the next few years. In fact, owners of enslaved Black Americans would flee the fighting in the East and move to neighboring states like Texas to escape the Union Army’s grasp, bringing along enslaved people with them. 

TaQuilla Kusero headshot
TaQuilla Kusero, Director of Equity and Engagement

It was not until two and half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, June 19, 1865, that Union troops reached the long holdout city, Galveston, Texas. This incident marked the day the Union took control of the area and announced to the enslaved people still held there that they were now free from the horrors of slavery. 

The original announcement stated:

“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”

This day marked the beginning of what would become a second independence day in the United States and commonly referred to as Juneteenth. Celebrations began the very next year and typically included, music, food and religious gatherings. This period also brought about what is known as the Reconstruction era. Between 1865 and 1877 the nation attempted to bring southern states back into the political process and create a new relationship with newly freed Black Americans, but this period was short-lived, as a new wave of segregationist laws and restrictions effectively made black Americans second-class citizens for another 90 years until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. 

During this time Juneteenth celebrations diminished, then experienced a resurgence in the 1970s-1990s. The recognition of Juneteenth has grown by leaps and bounds over the past two decades as awareness of it has spread through the media, popular TV shows and statewide celebrations. Over 40 states now recognize Juneteenth as a holiday, with a handful of those states working to establish it as an official paid federal holiday.  

How Juneteenth is celebrated is a very individual practice, just like most other holidays. Some celebrate with grand outdoor events, including food, rodeos, live performances, historical reenactments and fireworks. Some use it as a time to reconnect with nature by going hiking, camping or to the beach. Others use it as a time to continue the fight for equitable rights in the U.S. The true embodiment of this holiday is that you are free to celebrate it the way you see fit.  

If you are unfamiliar with the holiday and would like to take part in its traditions, please find an event near you. It is one thing to learn about the history in a book or article, and another to participate in the festival of freedom to which this holiday represents. 

The Detroit Free Press has a list of Juneteenth events.

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To help celebrate, recognize and understand more about Juneteenth, TaQuilla Kusero of our Distance Learning team thoughtfully provided the following essay:

Juneteenth, or June 19th, has become one of the most celebrated holidays that marked the end of slavery in the United States. Though the Emancipation Proclamation took effect on January 1, 1863, most confederate states, and slaveholding border states, continued to enslave Black Americans until Union troops arrived to confront the resistance and enforce the laws over the next few years. In fact, owners of enslaved Black Americans would flee the fighting in the East and move to neighboring states like Texas to escape the Union Army’s grasp, bringing along enslaved people with them.

A red black and green logo that reads: "Juneteenth Freedom Day"

It was not until two and half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, June 19, 1865, that Union troops reached the long holdout city, Galveston, Texas. This incident marked the day the Union took control of the area and announced to the enslaved people still held there that they were now free from the horrors of slavery.

The original announcement stated:

“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”

This day marked the beginning of what would become a second independence day in the United States and commonly referred to as Juneteenth. Celebrations began the very next year and typically included, music, food and religious gatherings. This period also brought about what is known as the Reconstruction era. Between 1865 and 1877 the nation attempted to bring southern states back into the political process and create a new relationship with newly freed Black Americans, but this period was short-lived, as a new wave of segregationist laws and restrictions effectively made black Americans second-class citizens for another 90 years until the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed.

During this time Juneteenth celebrations diminished, then experienced a resurgence in the 1970s-1990s. The recognition of Juneteenth has grown by leaps and bounds over the past two decades as awareness of it has spread through the media, popular TV shows and statewide celebrations. Over 40 states now recognize Juneteenth as a holiday, with a handful of those states working to establish it as an official paid federal holiday. 

How Juneteenth is celebrated is a very individual practice, just like most other holidays. Some celebrate with grand outdoor events, including food, rodeos, live performances, historical reenactments and fireworks. Some use it as a time to reconnect with nature by going hiking, camping or to the beach. Others use it as a time to continue the fight for equitable rights in the U.S. The true embodiment of this holiday is that you are free to celebrate it the way you see fit. 

Many cities across the country, including here in Michigan, are having their very first Juneteenth celebrations this year, so if you are unfamiliar with the holiday and would like to take part in its traditions, please find an event near you. It is one thing to learn about the history in a book or article, and another to participate in the festival of freedom to which this holiday represents.

The Detroit Free Press has a list of Juneteenth events online.