Fort Valley State University News May 25, 2011 Just Do U Spotlight: Dr. Dawn DeVeaux Fort Valley State University students, faculty and staff know Dawn Della DeVeaux as a vivacious, compassionate advocate. The administrator is passionate about higher education. The student ombudsman and assistant to the vice president of academic affairs revealed her ultimate career goal when she interviewed with writer Christina Milton. In 2008, an American Council on Education study found that only 23 percent of college presidents were female, and African-American women comprised a smaller percentage. DeVeaux shares how she hopes to change the statistics by becoming president of a university. You're positioning yourself to be a college president. Could you demystify the process for our readers? What steps are you making to become one? One of the reasons I've wanted to be a college president for the last 14 years is because I have a real passion for young, middle age and older people get through undergraduate and graduate school. Thirteen years ago, I did my dissertation on African-American female college presidents and that energized my desire to become [one]. These leaders allowed others to see what a higher education could do for them. Many times, the president is synonymous with the university. The president is the ambassador of the university and does everything that must be accomplished for [that institution]. He is the chief fundraiser, the public relations person, academic person and financial person for the whole college. The main reason I want to become a president is to be a servant for students. Most importantly, I want to allow women of color, to look and say, "Wow, there's a woman of color just like me and she's the face of the university. If she can do it, then I can do it too." I want to leave a legacy by showing what woman of color can achieve in the academy. What skills do you bring to the table as a female administrator at FVSU, and what would you bring to the table as president of a university? Anytime you do something, a part of you intertwines in it, because you bring your own history, your own narrative. I'm a product of a HBCU. I've worked at a community college and in all types of settings. I am also a sister, daughter and a mother. I have a real passion to see people do well. When I first started teaching, I was 25 years old. Students would say, "Professor DeVeaux, I would like to bring my child to school for summer school, because I have no daycare." I said, "Of course you can. We'll arrange to have [your children] sit there and color with you, as you're taking the test. As long as they're not distracting, there's no problem." I got permission from the administration and everything worked out well. Having a heart of humanity led me to do that. I didn't have children at the time but, I saw what barriers there were for women trying to get a college education, and I didn't want to be a hindrance. What is your current title and what kind of work do you perform for FVSU's offices of Academic Affairs and Student Affairs? I'm fortunate to work for Dr. Terrance Smith [FVSU's vice president of student affairs and enrollment management] and Dr. Julius Scipio [FVSU's vice president of academic affairs]. For the Office of Student Affairs, I serve as the ombudsman, which means that I am an advocate and help mediate cases for students. On the academic side, I'm the assistant to the vice president of academic affairs. Therefore, my job is to assist Dr. Scipio in any way possible with any work he assigns to me. Are there any cases that tugged at your heart? I have a real passion to see African American men to do well in school. During my 20-plus year career, I had the privilege to administer the GED in two jails in Virginia. One was a white jail on the one side of town, and the other was an African-American jail on the other side. When the white inmates received their GED, about 80 percent of the time, they would receive an early release. When African-American men received their GED, they were required to complete their sentences. Because of this experience, I felt as though there were not as many opportunities in place, economically or socially, for black men. Today, when a student tells me he's the first generation to go to college, and that everyone's depending on him, it makes me feel so happy to help him navigate the system. Can I always solve their issue or problem? No, but I try to have a compassionate, loving spirit toward students. I try my very best-no matter how difficult the case-to help them. I don't want students to just see me in financial aid, or when they're having a judicial or academic problem. I want them to see me in their environment, on good terms. I enjoy walking around campus, like our president, Dr. Larry Rivers, to get to know our students. In my job, every day is so different. Whether it's coordinating a memorial service, assisting with graduation and student orientation, or eating in the cafeteria with students three times a month, every layer is so amazingly interesting. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.