New SHU program aims to support students of color

FAIRFIELD — Sacred Heart University's doctor of education in educational leadership program has been accepted into the Holmes Scholars Program — which aims to support students of color.

David Title, the program director of Sacred Heart's educational doctorate program, said that means students of color in the program will get access to the resources of successful academics in the field for mentorship, support and professional learning. He noted the Holmes Scholars Program is a component of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

“This is a national organization that has a lot of alumni who are practicing, successful professionals of color,” he said. “We know that our doctoral students of color do experience some challenges in completing their degree that students who are not of color don't. This is another support that we can put in place for our students.”

Sacred Heart's doctoral of education in educational leadership program was started in 2019, with the first degrees being issued this May, Title said. About 25 percent of the 56 students in the program are people of color.

Title said SHU started a doctorate students of color affinity group this school year, where students could gather, support each other and get additional mentoring. He said getting accepted into the Holmes Scholars Program is another part of that effort.

“Not every doctorate student of color will become a Holmes scholar,” he said. “There's an application process. There's commitments, so it's going to be a subset of our affinity group.”

According to a statement from SHU, the Holmes Scholars Program has existed since 1991, when it was started by the Holmes Group — later called the Holmes Partnership — a consortium of universities working to address the underrepresentation of minorities among America's educators.

Title said only doctoral programs were accepted into the Holmes program, adding it requires the university to provide resources to support it. Being accepted into the program, which starts in the fall, he said, was very exciting.

Title said Holmes scholars go to a national conference every year put on by AACTE, where a full day is dedicated to the program. He said students will meet with other Holmes scholars as well as with successful professional of color in the field for mentoring and support.

“They also, both at this conference and before this, start to make connections with their peer group and these other resources, which they can draw upon for support as they continue their doctoral studies,” he said. “They will have access to mentors.”

That's something that can be challenging to provide at the university, Title said, because they want these mentors to be professionals of color. He said the university does not have enough professionals of color to do that without putting all students with the few it has.

“It broadens the opportunities for mentorship and support,” he said. “They will have access to training sessions on how to do research or how to overcome typical problems in your doctoral program that they have experienced. The overall goal is they will learn from successful professionals of color as they go through their doctoral program.”

Title said the scholars program will also act as a network for graduates as they look for jobs. He noted the program also has a Washington week, where Holmes scholars go to Washington, D.C. to meet with members of Congress and learn about advocating for education-based issues.

“It gives an opportunity for elected officials to hear directly from professionals of color who are their constituents,” he said. “It's an opportunity to take the first steps in advocacy and the politics of educational advocacy, which are intricate and challenging for everybody.”

Title said there is a lot to the program, and he is excited to take it on. He said he thinks it will help SHU recruit potential candidates of color to its educational doctorate program, and aid with its retention and success rate.

“We want to get more candidates of color with (educational doctorates) out to serve as role models for future candidates of color,” he said.

The will help achieve diversification of educational leadership in schools and school district, Title said, adding doctorates open the door to higher-level leadership roles. He said it will also help in creating more diversity in universities, which almost unilaterally require doctorates.

“It's part of a bigger initiative on diversity and equity in schooling generally,” he said.