Kristen Dobson

Over the past fourteen years, my tenure in higher education has been characterized by a steadfast commitment to fostering equitable, quality education for all students. Amidst a landscape rife with challenges ranging from socio-political tensions to financial insecurities exacerbated by the recent pandemic, the imperative for inclusive leadership in education has never been more pressing.

In my roles at California State University Channel Islands (CI), I have been privileged to advocate for policy revisions and institutional effectiveness through active participation in committees such as Curriculum, General Education, and Center for International Affairs. These engagements have equipped me with the tools necessary to effect tangible change within my institution and beyond.

Collaborating with counselors as the Special Populations Coordinator for Academic Advising, I coordinated initiatives aimed at enhancing support for students facing probation or disqualification. Through professional conferences and partnerships with other institutions, we implemented best practices to better serve our diverse student body.

As Lead Curriculum Analyst, my collaboration with staff and faculty at CI extends to local colleges and universities, facilitating articulation and curriculum alignment discussions. These efforts, including recent meetings on legislation impacting student persistence, underscore the critical need for inter-institutional communication in ensuring student success.

As a member of various educator groups like CI Connect and the Critical Learning Collective, I have been inspired by the dedication of my colleagues to fostering courageous conversations around injustice and inequity. I have also had the privilege of teaching both undergraduate and graduate students in my local community and I believe I learned as much from my students as they have from me. Their experiences exemplify the criticality of institutionalizing positive change to prevent regression into cycles of inequity.

So as I stand at the threshold of pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, my journey is deeply rooted in a commitment to fostering inclusive learning environments where every individual has the opportunity to thrive. My passion stems from a recognition of the transformative power of education and a desire to address pressing challenges within higher education leadership, particularly in our local community.

In pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership at ASU, I am committed to exemplifying the ASU Charter, which emphasizes the university's fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural, and overall health of the communities it serves and the communities it reaches through innovative online teaching practices. Like CSUCI, where I have spent nearly ten years as both staff and faculty, ASU's commitment to inclusivity and community engagement resonates deeply with my own values and aspirations as an educational leader. I am eager to collaborate with fellow faculty, students, and community partners to advance research and discovery of public value and to contribute to the holistic well-being of our communities through the opportunities of higher education.