Director of TRIO programs leads national discussion on supporting first-generation students

FORT WAYNE, Ind.—For more than 10 years, Purdue University Fort Wayne has hosted a TRIO Student Support Services program offering various kinds of assistance to students who are the first in their families to attend college.

TRIO is a federally funded program committed to the dream of education for all Americans regardless of race, ethnic background, or economic circumstance. TRIO motivates and supports students in their pursuit of a college degree with programs that include mentoring, encouragement, counseling, financial guidance, tutoring, and other support necessary for educational access and retention.

Its current director, Shubitha Kever, who is also Purdue Fort Wayne’s associate diversity officer, has spent time this last year sharing her knowledge nationally of how to support and assist TRIO students and staff through recent social justice movements.

“We are grateful to have such a dynamic person to lead our TRIO programs here at PFW," said MarTeze Hammonds, the university's chief diversity officer. "In her multiple roles, Shubitha continues to provide local, regional, and national expertise to TRIO and university professionals on topics such as understanding the overall benefits of TRIO programs, social justice issues and how TRIO can help students understand them, along with other diversity, equity, and inclusion topics. As a TRIO alumnus myself, it is important to see strategic, intentional, and servant leaders like Shubitha impacting so many lives."

“Shubitha is a campus and community treasure,” said Carl Drummond, vice chancellor for academic affairs. “The work she leads is transformative to the lives of students so easily overlooked, undervalued, and marginalized by traditional metrics of academic success. The fact that the students she works with out-perform the success of our most advantaged students is a testament to her knowledge, skill, and singular dedication.”

At a recent webinar sponsored by the Council for Opportunity in Education, which falls under the U.S. Department of Education, Kever presented the program, "Involving Everyone in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts." The presentation, which was available nation-wide, outlined how TRIO professionals can better support students and staff struggling in light of current social justice movements and issues happening in the world around us.

“We’ve seen our TRIO students are more directly affected,” said Kever. “Social justice issues are oftentimes very personal, lived experiences of our TRIO students. For this reason, the effects of police brutality, the pandemic, and economic inequities have disproportionately affected our students, and this has caused a great deal of added stress that can negatively impact learning."

Kever added, "As TRIO professionals, it’s not only our job but also our duty to inform ourselves about what’s happening in the world around us and how it impacts our students. Once you are aware of these systemic issues, you can work to actively dismantle them and create an environment more conducive to student success.”

Kever offers the following suggestions on what other TRIO leaders can do in their programs to help their students and staff:

• Get and stay informed
• Get trained on privilege, bias, stereotypes, and oppression
• Take care of yourself
• Define your values and live them
• Understand and use privilege for positive changes
• Reach out to others
• Have empathy, grace, compassion, and flexibility
• Seek out experts or partner with others working on social justice education
• Assess programming from a diversity, equity, and inclusion perspective
• Intentionally incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion into program objectives
• Make space for students to discuss and process their thoughts, emotions, and experiences related to current social justice issues

Kever’s work as director of TRIO programs has resulted in over $2 million in continued funding of federal TRIO programs on campus, and has included additional support from both federal and private sources to assist TRIO students with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information about Purdue Fort Wayne’s TRIO programs, and Kever’s participation in training programs on the national level, contact the TRIO office at 260-481-0220 or [email protected].

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