Bridges to Success Equity Webinar Series

The Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development is hosting a series of webinars to discuss important topics around equity in Missouri higher education. The monthly webinars will feature presentations from higher education and community partners from around the state. White papers will be released to coincide with certain webinar topics.

Don't miss these opportunities to continue to make Missouri more equitable for all students. Sign up to receive Equity Updates from MDHEWD. Enter your email address, then select "Equity" from the list of subscription topics. If you have any questions about the Bridges to Success Webinar series, please contact eduvents@dhewd.mo.gov.

Upcoming Webinars

Stay tuned for the next webinar announcement.

Previous Webinars (by Year)

2023

• April 13: "Beware of Potholes: Navigating Minority Transfer Students' Obstacles to Bachelor's Degree Attainment"
  • Presented by: Olivia Mendez-Alm, Assoc. Director of Admissions, Transfer Advising, UMSL
• July 13: "Access and Equity in Mathematics Education"
  • Presented by Dr. Ann McCoy, Professor and Dean, College of Education, University of Central Missouri
  • 7.13 Presentation Slides
• Sept. 2023: Bridging the Gap: Path to College Success
  • Presented by Megan Elsen, Assoc. Director, Academic Support and Mentoring, UMKC; and Sadie Billings, Academic Success Coordinator, UMKC

2022

• January 20: "Access to Outcomes: A New Era for Career and Technical Education"
  • Presented by Emily C. R. Witt, M.Ed, CCMA, Chief Administrative Officer, St. Louis School of Phlebotomy
  • 1.20 Presentation Slides
• February 10: "Hire Education: Exploring the Role of Unconscious Bias and Search Committee Preparedness in the Recruitment and Selection of Diverse Faculty and Staff"
  • Presented by Dr. Antoinette Boyd, Director of Career Services at Maryville University
  • 2.10 Presentation Slides
• March 17: "Bridge to the Stars: An Equity-Minded Early-College Experience for Broadening Participation in STEM"
  • Presented by Daniel H. McIntosh, Ph.D., Chair and Professor - Department of Physics & Astronomy, UMKC; Director of STEM Innovation - Missouri Institute for Defense and Energy.
  • 3.17 Presentation Slides
• May 24: "Multicultural Scholarship Program: How predominately white institutions can leverage equity to create student success and an inclusive & equitable campus environment" (no video available)
  • Presented by Dr. Ashley Storman, Manager of Diversity, Equity, & Recruitment at the New Honor Society; and Chinyere Turner, Program Coordinator at Maryville University.
• August 3: "Leveraging Community: How MOBIUS Can Help Support Your OER & Affordability Efforts"
  • Presented by Christina Virden, E-Resource Coordinator, MOBIUS Consortium

2021

• January 14: "Geography and Access: Rural Student College Enrollment"
  • Presented by Matt Newlin, Ed.D.
  • 1.14 Presentation Slides
• February 11: "Understanding Equity Across the Student Experience"
  • Presented by Dr. Angie Besendorfer, Chancellor, WGU Missouri & Dr. Jason Levin, Executive Director, WGU Labs
  • 2.11 Presentation Slides
• March 11: "Supporting Student Success and Equity During COVID-19: A Women's College Success Center Perspective."
  • Presented by Alicia Sparer, Student Success Center Assistant Director, Stephens College
  • 3.11 Presentation Slides
• April 15: "Best Practices for College Access Past, Present, and National Pandemic"
  • Presented by Dr. Natissia Small, Assistant Provost for Access and Academic Support, University of Missouri - St. Louis
  • 4.15 Presentation Slides
• May 13: "Education for an Equitable Recovery: Meeting the Demands for Community and Technical College in Missouri"
  • Presented by InsideTrack
  • 5.13 Presentation Slides
• June 10: "Degrees When Due: Using Data to Drive Student Success Strategies for Adult Learners"
  • Presented by Leanne Davis, Associate Director of Research and Policy, Institute for higher Education Policy (IHEP)
  • 6.10 Presentation Slides
• July 29: "The Learner's Journey: Accessible Postsecondary Training through Work-Based Learning"
  • Presented by Jeanna Caldwell, Apprenticeship and Work-Based Learning Manage, MDHEWD
  • 7.29 Presentation Slides
• August 19: "The Journey Back: Best Practices in Supporting Student Completion of Degree and Study Programs"
  • Presented by Sara Horn of ReUP Education
  • 8.19 Presentation Slides
• September 16: "Creating Postsecondary Aspirations in Middle School for Underrepresented Students"
  • Presented by Candace Villanueva Greer, College & Career Manager with PREP-KC
• November 18: "Using Agilities to Explore Careers and Expand Opportunity"
  • Presented by Leigh Anne Taylor Knight and Ann Zimmerman of the DeBruce Foundation, with Megan Elsen and Susi Krulewich of UMKC
    

2020

• September 24: "Equity Mindedness in the Era of COVID-19"
  • Presented by St. Louis Graduates
• October 26: "2020 Equity in Missouri Higher Education Report"
  • Presented by Erik Anderson and Sam Bezjak
  • 10.26 Presentation Slides
• October 27: "A Student's Story"
  • Presented by Kiona Sinks, Elevate Consulting
• October 28: "The Role of Education in Civil Rights Enforcement: Civilian Oversight in the Aftermath of Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd"
  • Presented by Kimberly Taylor-Riley, Commissioner, Civilian Oversight Board for the City of St. Louis
  • 10.28 Presentation Slides
• October 29: "MOCAN: Here for You, Here for Your Students"
  • 10.29 Presentation Slides
• October 30: "The Pipeline to Equity"
  • 10.30 Presentation Slides
• November 19: "From High School to the Future: Current Challenges, Opportunities, and Initiatives to Close the Gaps in Missouri"
  • Presented by: Takako Nomi, Associate Professor, St. Louis University; Michael Podgursky, Director, Sinquefield Center for Applied Economic Research, St. Louis University; and Zekita Armstrong-Asuquo, President, Gateway Global Data Logistics Co.
  • 11.19 Presentation Slides