When the Conference Planning team and the Academy Board met to consider themes for the upcoming 2023 Conference, there was a consensus that we wanted to focus narrowly on ideas and project that were targeted toward closing specific gaps that many college students of all ages had experienced on their journeys toward earning a degree. We identified a number of specific gaps that our members experienced and we completed an environmental scan of the literature on student who has been “left behind”. This led to the development of the Conference theme and the call for proposals.
At that point we already had a relationship with a number of institutions and organizations that had similar goals and current projects aimed at reaching this goal. Thanks to our Past President, Joann Horton, one of these relationships was with Complete College America. As you can see the statements below their reason for existing, Mission, and Vision are laser focused on the goals we had identified. The consensus was it seemed appropriate that we connect with their staff to recruit our keynote speaker. Read on to learn about our colleague and keynote speaker Dr. Nia Haydel, vice president for alliance engagement & institutional transformation.
REASON FOR EXISTING
We believe higher education has a choice: to continue to reflect the racial, social, and economic injustice in society—or reimagine our systems to be engines of equity, prosperity, and hope. At CCA, we’re building a new system that restores the promise of higher education.
MISSION
Complete College America (CCA) is a bold national advocate for dramatically increasing college completion rates and closing institutional performance gaps by working with states, systems, institutions, and partners to scale highly effective structural reforms and promote policies that improve student success.
VISION
CCA envisions a nation where all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or familial educational achievement, have equal opportunities to access and complete a college education or credential of value because postsecondary institutions, policy makers, and systems of higher education welcome, invest in, and support these students through and to an on-time completion.
Keynote Speaker Dr. NIA HAYDEL, PH.D. Vice President for Alliance Engagement and Institutional Transformation
Growing up in New Orleans grounded Nia in understanding and appreciating the value of the moment, as well recognizing that life is not a dress rehearsal. Unsurprisingly, gumbo runs through Nia’s veins and enjoying good food and good times is her most treasured past time. She finds joy in hanging out with her husband and children, exchanging jokes, watching movies, cooking New Orleans favorites, and making memories.
A product of a Catholic school upbringing and surrounded by New Orleans public school educators, she learned that all schools were not equal, but the standards to succeed were universal. Couple this with a chance encounter with two 1960s civil rights trailblazers, and a new age social justice warrior (or so she would like to consider herself) was born. Keeping with the meaning of her name, the Kwanza Principle Purpose, she has centered justice as her core principle. She believes systems should create equitable opportunities for all regardless of whose they are and where they reside. The unfairness she has observed across all aspects of society shapes how she walks through this world influencing her life choices both professionally and personally. Nia is dedicated to living her truth (“Words Matter” & “Don’t Take it Personal; It’s Never Really About You”).
She genuinely believes that education is freedom and working for CCA allows her to address the broken systems that continue to traumatize our Black, Brown and under-resourced communities particularly in relation to education. Her passion around these issues is palpable and she would like others to join her on the freedom train!
Dr. Nia Woods Haydel has dedicated over 20 years to envisioning, planning, and executing strategic initiatives designed to elevate the student experience through her experience in academic affairs, enrollment management, intercultural relations, and student affairs. Prior to joining CCA, Dr. Haydel held several roles at Dillard University, most recently serving as the Dean for University College and Director of the Thompson/Cook Honors Program. In this role, Dr. Haydel led the institution’s retention and student success initiatives, oversaw the implementation of the institution’s predictive analytics platform, and redesigned the academic advising model to complement the platform and optimize outcomes. Previously, Dr. Haydel held several positions at Georgia State University, Oxford of Emory University, and Texas A&M University. In her faculty and administrative role at Georgia State University, she created and launched the acclaimed Panther Retention grant, which has served as a national model for higher education emergency aid programs. She earned a Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies from Georgia State University, an M.S. in Higher Education Administration from Texas A & M University, and a B.S. in Psychology from the University of New Orleans. In 2017, she was selected as a Fellow for Complete College America and has served as one of the most in-demand content experts for institutions focused on implementing successful and equitable strategies for college completion.