January 25, 2021
Inclusive Excellence spotlight: Kathleen Greene
Dear K-Staters:
One of the major themes in our draft strategic diversity and inclusion plan is Inclusive Excellence. At the core, inclusive excellence signifies that diversity, equity, inclusion and excellence are not mutually exclusive but rather one and the same. At a more granular level, inclusive excellence calls for close attentiveness to student experience itself, including the impact of race and ethnicity, the influence of physical ability, sexual orientation, gender expression, socio-economic background and first-generation status on their learning experience and ensures that every student fulfills their potential. As a major theme in our diversity and inclusion plan, we will work to create a universitywide resource on Inclusive Excellence work of our faculty, staff and students. In this spirit, as CDIO, I will work to identify one faculty, staff or student each month to highlight their work in the area of Inclusive Excellence. At this time, please join me in recognizing Dr. Kathleen Greene, director of Educational Supportive Services and the McNair Scholars Program, as our first Inclusive Excellence honoree.
Dr. Greene has served as director of Educational Support Services since 1994 and director of the Ron McNair program since 1995. Throughout her K-State career, Dr. Greene has worked across all university constituencies to design and implement practices and procedures to build a diverse student body and to create a campus climate in which students from diverse backgrounds can work, learn and grow in a supportive and inclusive environment.
As a director of Educational Supportive Services, Dr. Greene supports all colleges across the university in increasing access and success for underrepresented students through development of programs and services designed to support the recruitment, transition and retention of historically underrepresented students. With a focus on closing equity gaps and enhancing inclusion of all populations in access to opportunity and success, Dr. Greene's tireless grantsmanship has garnered more than $20M for K-State supporting an indeterminable number of underrepresented, underserved and historically excluded students with achieving their undergraduate and graduate degrees. Throughout her K-State tenure, Dr. Greene has served some 10,000 participants of Educational Supportive Services (7,000), Student Support Services — Polytechnic (2,760) and/or the McNair Scholars Program (500). The persistence and graduation rates of eligible program participants have been nothing short of commendable.
Over the years, Dr. Greene and her team have met or exceeded program goals in exemplary fashion. The research and scholarly activities rate of 100% for the 2019 McNair Scholars Program far exceeded the program goal of 90%. The program also had a 91% continued, acceptance and enrollment into graduate school. Since the McNair Scholars Program began at K-State 166 participants have received graduate degrees, with 43, or 26%, of degrees earned at the doctoral level. Additionally, the fall 2020 Educational Supportive Services Program’s persistence rate of 81% and the 2014-2015 cohort six-year graduation rate of 68% both far exceeded the program goals of 73% and 60% respectively. Dr. Greene's work in this important area has played a pivotal role in moving our needle on equity and inclusion and is by all means "Inclusively Excellent."
Respectfully,
Dr. Bryan D. Samuel, CCDP/AP
Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer