THREE’S COMPANY

Episode One: Bridging the Gap—What Does DEI Look Like in

Academic and Non-Academic Student Programming
Hosts: Jireh Reduque, Aresia “Rere” Smith, and Chris Skinner
Special Guest: Karnell “Dr. K” McConnell-Black EdD
May 10th, 2023
6:00 – 7:30 pm PST

ABSTRACT:
Supporting students looks different from inside and outside of the classroom. In addition, DEI efforts can
change given the academic or non-academic context. In this episode of Three’s Company, three colleague
besties attempt to delve deeper into the realm of DEI programming and how it can best support our
students before, throughout, and after, their college journey. We are excited to launch this new podcast by
welcoming the infamous scholar-practitioner, Dr. K, and hear about their experiences in efforts in DEI
work in higher education. We hope to learn from the nuggets of knowledge they drop by examining their

own past, present, and future interactions with DEI. Happy listening! 😊

SPECIAL GUEST
Karnell “Dr. K” McConnell-Black EdD

Dr. Karnell McConnell-Black (he/him) is the vice president for student life at Reed College in Portland,
OR. He has over 15+ years of experience in higher education. Karnell has a bachelor’s degree in
communication, a master’s in education, and a doctorate in education. He has served in a variety of
professional roles including coordinator of orientation and first-year programs at Loyola University
Chicago; director of student involvement, leadership, and orientation; and vice president of student affairs
and dean of students at Westminster College. He also served as the president for the Association of
Orientation, Transition, and Retention in Higher Education (NODA) and is the current chair of the
NASPA 2023 Western Regional Conference.

Karnell’s professional philosophy is guided by an inclusive excellence praxis that centers the student
experience as fundamental in defining the success of the institution (Kuh et al., 2005). As a result, he
brings a focus to how senior-level administrators balance the market needs of institutional sustainability
and the impact of student-centric measures that enhance a student’s ability to navigate the world post-
college. Additionally, he illuminates the meaning-making processes that underserved students engage in
when navigating non-academic elements of college (i.e. outside of class college experiences).

THE HOSTS:
Jireh Reduque (she/her/siya)

Jireh Reduque is a first year pursuing a M.Ed in Seattle University’s Student Development
Administration program. She currently works at the University of Washington Bothell working as a
Program Specialist for the Student Engagement and Activities office. Her student leader experiences at
her alma mater, Seattle Pacific University, fostered her passion for working with underrepresented
students and providing them with the best student experience. Born in the Philippines, raised in a military
upbringing, Jireh navigates the world with a cross-cultural lens and strives to provide a welcoming
environment where students can show up as their authentic selves. Jireh is a proud first-generation
student, Pilipina-American, small business(es) owner, and plant mom.
Aresia “ReRe” Smith (she/her/hers)
Aresia Smith is a first-year student in Seattle University’s Student Development Administration program
working on a Master of Education. She currently holds a graduate assistantship in Housing and Residence
Life at Seattle University as an Assistant Area Coordinator for Campion Hall, a first-year residence hall.
Coming from a family of Student Affairs professionals (mom is an Academic Advisor, while dad works
in Education and Outreach at Washington State University), she has grown up on the campus of many
universities, even living in a male residence hall as a child. Aresia began her own Student Affairs journey
as a Resident Assistant her senior year in undergrad and through mentorship and encouragement decided
to pursue Student Affairs as a career.
Christopher (Chris) Skinner (he/him/his)

Chris Skinner is a first-year student int Seattle U’s Student Development Administration program,
pursuing his Master of Education. He works as one of the Assistant Area Coordinator for Campion Hall
in SU’s Housing and Residence Life office (accompanied by ReRe). Chris’s parents have been in
education his whole life, and he entered student affairs by accident after loving working as an orientation
leader at Loyola University Chicago. In his work, Chris recognizes the privileges that come with his
varying identities and uses them to lift others up to do the work that needs to be done. In a Jesuit context,
Chris truly believes in caring for the whole person and ensuring that every student’s need, whether
physical, mental, or spiritually, are met.

AGENDA/TIMELINE/OUTLINE
(aiming for 50-60 min for recording)
  Dr. K joins us before we record (5 min)
o Welcome and quick introductions and brief timeline
o Chris: timekeeper
o Rere: recorder
o Jireh: brief
 Recording Starts (5 min)
o Welcome listeners/Intro to podcast: Chris
 Read abstract
 Hosts introduce themselves (names, pronouns, salient identities)
o Host Introductions for Dr. K: ReRe
 Read bio
 Dr. K greets listeners
o Intentions: Jireh
 Quick icebreaker/check-in
 Essential to be present in this space and be with one another
 “If you could describe how you are feeling right now in a color, what would it
be?”
 Interview Questions
o Past (Jireh’s set): 10-15 min
 What is a certain moment that made a huge influence on you today?
 How does your positionality and salient identities show up in the work that you
do?
 (insert Espino quote, pull from readings)
 As a person of color, how do you sustain yourself in this role?
o Current (ReRe’s set): 10-15 min
 How do you decide what is the right course of action for DEI Strategic Initiatives
that validates everyone’s opinions, while also validating your own?
 How do you incorporate culturally responsive teaching into DEI Initiatives that
benefit and further the education of the university?
 Culturally responsive is defined as “using the cultural knowledge, prior
experiences, frames of reference, and performance styles of ethnically
diverse students to make learning encounters more relevant and effective
for the students”
o Future (Chris’s set): 10-15 min
 What does institutional stability look like for institutions with less funding?
Community Colleges or schools in less wealthy areas?
 What are some other programs such as BMIs that can begin to help our students
in and out of the classroom?
 Closing and last thoughts: Chris (5-10 min)
o Expressing gratitude to Dr. K for their time
o Everyone shares one takeaway from this chat

Last question for Dr. K: How do you take care of yourself/what does self-care look like for you? (Jireh)
o Closing messages (Chris)
  Thank you to Dr. Paige, SDA program, and Dr. K
 “You, Who, and Me”
 Recording ends
o Rere will end recording
 Post-Interview Follow-up/Check-in (5-10 min)
o Students and Dr. K chat about how it went
o Follow-up thoughts and questions

REFERENCES
Brooms, D. R. (2018). ‘Building Us Up’: Supporting Black Male College Students in a Black
Male Initiative Program. Critical Sociology, 44(1), 141–155. https://doi-
org.proxy.seattleu.edu/10.1177/0896920516658940
Espino, M. M. (2018). Positionality as prologue: Encountering the self on the journey to
transforming Latina/o/X educational inequities. Teachers College Record: The Voice of
Scholarship in Education, 120(14), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146811812001413
Galloway, M., Callin, P., James, S., Vimegnon, H., & McCall, L. (2019). Culturally Responsive,
Antiracist, or Anti-Oppressive? How Language Matters for School Change Efforts. Equity
& Excellence in Education, 52(4), 485-501.
Schuh, J. H., & Jones, S. R., Torres, V. (2017). What is Ethical Professional Practice. In S. S.
Saunders & C. M. Wilson (Eds.), Student Services: A Handbook for the Profession (pp. 89-
106). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, Inc.
Steele, T. (2018). Toxicity in the work environment: Retaining staff members of color at a
predominantly white institution. College Student Affairs Journal, 36(1), 109–123.
https://doi.org/10.1353/csj.2018.0007