Table of Contents

Brenda Jarmon. Lift Every Voice -- African American Students Surviving in Higher Education. PART I. ENTRANCE INTO THE ACADEMY. LeKita V. Scott. Introduction; Kamau Oginga Siwatu. The Paths and Opportunities to Gaining Admission to the Graduate School of Your Choice; Tim Wilson, Nelson Soto and Jami Joyner. Deciding If and How to Pursue Doctoral Work; KaaVonia Hinton-Johnson. "Dreams Hanging in the Air Like Smoke" -- A Personal Reflection Influencing Enrollment and Persistence in Higher Education; Randal D. Pinkett. Five Degrees to a Ph.D. -- Positive Detours Along the Path to the Doctorate. PART II. ADAPTING TO THE ACADEMY. Stephen Hancock. Balancing Act -- A Reflective Practice; Catherine Cushinberry. Maintaining My Identity -- Enhanced by the System, but Not Lost in It; Felicia Moore. In the Midst of It All -- My Experiences in Science and Science Teaching, a Feminist Perspective; Anthony Graham. Pressing Toward the Mark -- An African American Man’s Reflection on the Doctoral Process at a Predominantly White Institution; Terrolyn Carter. Enduring the Race -- A Diary of My Graduate Years; Jonda McNair. "Walk Tall in the World" -- Reflections from a Scholar of African American Children’s Literature. PART III. SURVIVING THE ACADEMY. Courtney Johnson. The Mask -- A Survival Tool; Lisa Watts. The Sankofa Bird of Ghana; April Peters. Making the Academy a Home for the Brave; Tamara Duckworth-Warner. Choosing a Mentor and Other Lessons of the Hidden Curriculum of Graduate School; Tarcha Rentz. The Role of Mentorship in Developing African American Students and Professionals; James Minor. For Better For Worse -- Improving Advising Relationships Between Faculty and Graduate Students; Carolyn Hopp, Vincent Mumford and Franklyn Williams. The Role of Mentoring for Future Academicians; Anna L. Green. Conclusion -- The Ph.D.. A Process, not a Product. APPENDIX -- Preparing for the Professorate.

About the Author

Anna L. Green is a native of Opelousas, Louisiana. She received her B.S. in Psychology from Xavier University in New Orleans, her M.S. in Educational Psychology from Clark Atlanta University, and her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Florida State University. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the School of Business and Industry at Florida A&M University. She is co-editor of Sisters of the Academy: Emergent Black Women Scholars in Higher Education (Stylus Publishing, 2001), and President of the Sisters of the Academy (SOTA) Institute --www.sistersoftheacademy.org LeKita V. Scott Director of Foundation Relations and an adjunct instructor at Syracuse University. A native of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Dr. LeKita Scott Dawkins is a founding member of Sisters of the Academy (SOTA) Institute (www.sistersoftheacademy.org). She is co-editor of Journey to the Ph.D.: How to Navigate the Process as African Americans which is a timely guide and source of information for men and women of color considering the journey towards a terminal degree. Dr. Scott Dawkins possesses a passion for exploring the recruitment, retention, and advancement of ethnic minorities, particularly those in the field of fund-raising/development and those in graduate programs. She received her BS in Elementary Education from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, her MEd in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M University, and her PhD in Educational Leadership from Florida State University. Brenda Jarmon is Associate Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Social Work, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee.

Reviews

"(The authors) offer students at every step of the process, advice, information and guidance for a successful stint in academia. (The book) is a helpful resource for any African-American student seriously considering the pursuit of a Ph.D., or for those currently in the midst of their doctoral program. The book also serves as a valuable asset to current faculty (of all races), as a means for continuing the critical dialogue surrounding the recruitment and retention of African American students in doctoral programs. The essays incorporate a variety of writing styles from informal and conversational to more technical and theoretical. There is also a strong premise throughout many of the composition of the importance of spirituality as a means for surviving. and thriving, on the road to the Ph.D.."Black Issues in Higher Education (now Diverse)"The vast collection of personal experiences in the Journey to the Ph.D. should kindle a student's desire to continue their efforts obtain a prized terminal degree while maintaining a reality-based view of the experience. This collection of seventeen personal accounts provides a guide to the selection of an institution, instructions on how to navigate through that institution, and what to expect from the experience. Thus it affords direction to the novice as well as the experienced scholar. Students and advisors alike will connect with the clarity of the experiences shared within this text."NACADA Journal"As a graduate of a doctoral program at a predominately white institution, I applaud the authors and editors of this publication for bringing to light the joys and challenges faced by African-American women and men who struggle to find their place in the Academy. The authors' comprehensive look at the process from matriculation to graduation is sure to fill the information gap for many who are moving toward or considering the journey toward a terminal degree. My best lessons about survival came from colleagues in the field. This publication is, in and of itself, a lesson in survival."Brenda Conley, Chair, Education, and Associate Professor, University of Maryland, University College"The value of this book cannot be overstated. For those men and women of color considering pursuing an advanced degree, the book contains useful information that aids the reader in making an informed decision. For those already in doctoral programs, there is sound advice on how to successfully navigate through the university's waters."Debra Austin, Assistant Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness, Florida State University"This book provides information that will help both the people who offer professional training and those who seek it to better understand the critical elements of a successful professional training experience. The contributors provide insights that merit our attention."Bruce W. Tuckman, Professor of Education and Director of the Academic Learning Lab, The Ohio State University"Pursuing a degree is an awesome undertaking. This book provides all those involved in graduate education--students, faculty, staff and administrators-with a checklist for successful recruitment, retention and graduation of Black graduate students." Tamara C. Bertrand, President, National Black Graduate Student Association, Inc."This timely book reflects a myriad of voices whose experience as Ph.D. students capture the attention of all those who are serious about helping to change the academy. I highly recommend it to all who want to survive and/or make a difference in the academy!"Lee Jones, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Instruction and Associate Professor for Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, The Florida State University"Pursuing a degree is an awesome undertaking. This book provides all those involved in graduate education--students, faculty, staff and administrators-with a checklist for successful recruitment, retention and graduation of Black graduate students."Tamara C. Bertrand, President, National Black Graduate Student Association, Inc.