>> She's the first woman to serve as Berea College president and the institutions 167 year history in July, Cheryl Nicks and began her tenure as did 10th president and Brea and pledged to uphold its great commitments.

Learn about her and about Berea College.

Now on connections.

♪ ♪ Thank you so much for joining us for connections today.

I'm Renee Shaw since its founding in 18.

55 by Kentuckyian John G Fee and abolitionist a preacher and educator Berea College has built a strong liberal arts program of national repute at a critical time and higher education.

Doctor Cheryl Nixon has reaffirmed a commitment to serving Appalachia and providing interracial education.

She comes to Kentucky by way of Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, where she was the provost and vice president for academic affairs.

She also served as associate provost, English Department chair and graduate program director at the University of Massachusetts.

Boston.

She's worked in both rural and urban settings and takes pride in providing opportunities to students who often think higher education is not for them.

And we're delighted to welcome to Kentuckyian 2 connections.

Doctor Cheryl it's great to have you.

Thank you so much for having me.

Yes, just a privilege to be here with you.

Well, we're so glad you're here and you're still kind of in your infant.

See here.

You've got a little bit more than a month under your belt.

And I asked you before we recorded have at Kentucky allergies greeted you yet.

And I think they're giving you a grace period.

Not.

Yeah.

Haha.

You a beautiful time when we transition shortly to to fall and the colors, particularly in the eastern part of the stage, a spectacular and our college nestles up right against the Mao.

And so I know we'll have beautiful views every day.

Yeah.

>> I can't wait to see the hills and the mountains when they're closed and all the red and yellow.

Yes court.

It is quite the scene.

So we'll be glad to see you traverse.

All of those those terrains.

Well, let's talk about you and your Give a little bit of it.

But it certainly doesn't tell your whole story right?

Tell us more about why and how how you got into the higher education space and what brought you to Berea.

Well, I wound up getting really excited about education because I worked as a literature.

Professor really loved literature was one of those kids that would read, you know, under my covers with a flashlight, quite literally found my love of education that way through through reading and then became a professor wanting to convey that love of literature to my students.

But I soon discovered something more important than that, which was just opening up the doors of education themselves to students that often felt like they weren't capable.

They came from a B.

>> A background where they didn't have anyone else in the family that had gone to college.

Maybe they we're struggling with some preparation, couldn't quite kind of succeed in class and thought maybe I'm not worthy of higher education.

Working at a place like University of Massachusetts, Boston, where I was there for about 18 years that served the city of Boston and served recent immigrants into the city and served especially students are English was not their first language.

And I was an English professor who so I I learned very quickly that my joy of teaching it was best to serve students that really needed support really needed help really need to just some confidence that started me down the pap of doing educational administrative work and to help an entire department.

The entire school.

Then an entire college say we can do better for the students, right?

We can open up the doors of education wide and provide opportunities to all students said became very passionate by educational access and opportunity.

>> And it's not always about the tuition costs, although that is a significant barrier from any particular for their first generation college student or English is not their primary language, right.

And so when you think about what access looks like now versus when you are at the university 18 years ago, how different is it?

One of the different dynamics at work now?

>> I think you've hit on of a couple of them right away.

One is cost.

I think we see the national spotlight is on what is this high cost of education and the fact the students are taking out increasingly large loans.

So that cost will be with them for a long time.

And again, Brea College has no tuition, a promise of free tuition.

So Brea has a solution to that.

And I wish more of higher Ed had that same solution.

>> Yes, so I love it.

When you go in the Brea College Web site and it says something about no tuition period, no kidding.

White cost $0.

And because people can't believe it was that that's true.

Yeah.

And again, that was part of our founding.

We have had no tuition from the very beginning because of that idea.

Everyone should feel access.

Everyone should feel opportunity no matter what your socioeconomic background and again, areas just a unique and special place that's had that in its lifeblood from the very beginning.

But I think more and more of higher Ed is now happening to double down on this question and say, how can we do better with the cost of higher ed and how can we do better with the fact the Sooners have to take out loans for higher Ed?

So I think that's one big area that is is hitting higher Ed right now and the other if we want to talk about very different area, I would sneer students, mental health coming out of COVID might be another thing.

The higher it is very much talking about right now.

How can we better serve students that are coming into higher Ed after a really disrupted high school experience.

Right?

And they need to get a lot of support they need a lot of counseling they need again, just just caring.

I would even say a loving educational experience after COVID.

Right?

And so many have says suffered significant learning loss and that time, particularly if they were in those upper grades and transitioning to college.

And so the emotional and social well-being, I think that's become more of a vigorous conversation.

Post COVID.

But are you saying signs that higher ed institutions should really be more open to conversations?

>> And provide greater access to mental health services for students.

Is that a long time coming in your view?

I think so.

I think there were hints of that pre-covid that the conversation was shifting in that direction because national trends we're showing that students were having mental health concerns before COVID.

Now, I think like in many cases we all know this COVID, sir, pushed that even further.

And I think what's good is that our culture has a little at writ large and our students are being more demanding about saying higher Ed should have better solutions here.

So I think the idea of the classroom being more supportive, the idea of a campus being more supportive.

Having better wrap around services so that whether you're in your residence hall weather in your classroom.

Well, they're in a student club that everyone is is sort of knit together to provide a supportive environment for students.

I want to remind you of something that's it was said about you.

The Berea College Board of Trustee Chair said of your selection.

>> Our president must be a true believer.

An advocate for equality access and the transformational power of education.

I'm deeply pleased to say to Doctor Cheryl Nixon is all of that and more.

Haha.

I was really delighted by the last and it's like all of that and more.

There was of the soul but chords to say she's just really it.

>> When you and when there's lots of praise for you already.

And I know you're in the honeymoon period.

And doctor who lost who I got to know personally and had a great affection for an affinity for who did wonders for the University for 11 years.

>> You know, you've got some pretty good shoes to fill exact.

How do you feel about that presidential transition and what are some lessons that or advice he left for you?

So it's been wonderful to follow again in these great footsteps and know that I've got.

>> Just a wonderful future ahead because of such a strong and really getting president rule apps did amazing work and has set up an ability for me to just follow through on some of that, some some of the advice that he left me was that to remember that the president doesn't change Berea Berea change is a precedent.

And and I I really take that to heart that what I'm there to do is to really listen to what Breon needs.

Listen to what are you want?

What is the next chapter that will build together and again, much of higher at right now is is.

Having uncertainty about who it is.

Where should we go?

>> Brea doesn't have the uncertainty.

We have this great historic past.

We were bill on the on the premise of Racial equality, gender equality, men and women educated black and white, educate together and saying that we're going to serve students in need everyone who comes to Brea is a socioeconomic need.

Is Pell eligible?

Doctor Ross really talk to me about that.

A lot of what it is doing is being a good steward of those values.

And so I need to do is really talk to campus and say what is the next chapter in those values?

Those values are bad rocks.

Those values are not going anywhere.

They're not going to change.

What might change is telling refresh and renew our commitment to those values.

We might come up with new ways to express those values.

But I need to listen to campus faculty staff, but especially students know what is the future.

We're going to build on that from foundation together.

>> And you're doing a listening tour right now.

Right?

And you're doing that active listening to solicit that feedback.

One of you heard so far that she marked down as oh, yes, ha.

I get that.

And let's move with that right?

Right.

What I'm doing.

A listening learning and community building to our so that I'm listening.

But I also need to learn from my students.

>> And learn from faculty staff and then also use just that very fact of coming together to create community.

Some hearing a lot from students about all the fantastic ways that they want me to come out and actually be with them and serve.

Learn with them.

So one of the great elements of bring a college is that we have a work program.

We're all of our students work 10 hours a week on campus.

That's part of how they contribute to our wonderful community and also are able to graduate without debt or without having again, what we're talking about earlier that worry about finances.

So they want me to come out and do some work with I'm looking forward to going out and being with them in some of their meetings all around the work that they do.

>> But then work side by side with them, whether it be in the computer lab or the library.

We have a farm.

We have a forest.

I actually want to get out on the farm.

And yeah, pigs at CR horses and and do some of that work side by side with the students there coming up with some ideas like that.

Yeah, we also the students of also had some great ideas And this also is echoed by some staff of.

>> Why don't to double down on the beauty of our campus and continue to think about what a gorgeous campus we have and create more spaces for people to take some mental health breaks.

Like I was just saying, we're right there.

Some gathering spaces that people could come together in community.

>> Just to talk or just to take a rest, just to even be alone in solitude, jot down some notes and journal are just wonder at the beauty of the trees around them.

So some creating some special spots on campus like that.

>> This is not a great idea.

If we're talking about having a special community, let's let's create some nice pieces that capture that feel right.

So I think there's a lot of head like that will start to hear more ideas like that.

Sure.

Start to put it.

Well, let us know when they go into the farm because we want to we want to see that right in excess ability that you're giving the students write a man that has a lot of messaging behind it.

You know, not that you are being available, but >> look, once you get to the ranks of doctor Cheryl Nicks and you need to still be amongst the people that you're serving.

>> I I completely agree that I think that that's the best way to service to try to be side by one of the messages but, you know, I'm getting a lot of opening speeches, right, right?

Is that Brea has a great motto and we we put it in the shape of a circle and you can even see where.

And I said, you know, this circle capture sort of who we are.

>> Which is we're very much equal at Berea.

That's our one of our founding principles is is racial equality.

Tender of college.

And we need to feel that we are equal together and that's why a good classroom often sits at seats in the circle.

All right.

So you can all see each other all hearing each other.

Listen to each other equally.

And I feel that's part of what I need to convey by.

But getting out amongst the students and staff and faculty in feeling like I'm there side by side with them right now, not just up up at the podium.

Yeah.

Although the potent speeches are very important, arrived there just a part of the job >> At Fort Lewis College, you oversaw the creation of an academic hub and this goes back to the experience, particularly for maybe first generation or where of English is not their first language and also launching a nursing program.

And I think about particularly where we are now with health care needs, particularly in Appalachia, Eastern Kentucky, where there's a dearth of providers and yet there are the statistics of the health dilemma.

Is that disproportionately affect that region?

I mean, it's like the 5th most unhealthy and the nation.

I mean, how how do you plan to parlay some of that maneuvering previous two-year time at Berea into what Berea can do to help uplift the health status of those who live in around those communities.

Right.

>> I think that the main thing again, is listening to what is really needed.

So the just what I'm saying about our campus doing the same with the community writ large, which would be get out into the region and seeing what is the health care that you need understanding that more fully is a counseling services, that dental services.

What is it that is needed?

Is it the opioid epidemic?

Let's let me understand that.

And then how can Berea answer that call and answer that need?

And I think good leadership is taking ideas and moving them into action and figuring out what's the right action that we can put behind that those needs.

And, you know, I think a lot of that is figuring that out, right, listening.

But but then be able to say there concrete steps that we can take to do this and do it together.

And so I think that's again doing at a Fort Lewis was a real need for nursing program.

It has a nurse in part so we wouldn't replicate that.

I would love to know what would be the version of that that the Appalachian region tells me but tells for Lewis that it needs and we can see how we can answer that answer that call.

Yeah.

And I think being able to say we we don't look at the barriers are the hindrances to getting something off the ground quickly.

We will say we can do it together quickly and give each other some grace.

And we need to just make some changes.

But let's try and get this happening together that that's kind of the messaging that I would want to give give to people as we can.

We can do this.

What has surprised you most and your time in Kentucky so far?

Well, I think that it's not a surprise, but it's I guess you could say it's a pleasant surprise.

The southern has been hospitality is People have been so warm and so welcoming and so kind of embracing is the word that I would say everyone wants the to greet me and make me feel welcome.

And they're just trying to give the signals of just even the way you wanted to learn about me for some right.

We weren't asking questions just about Berea, but you are asking about myself and that type of thing.

Every conversation have people want to get to know you a little bit.

And they want to kind of listen and hear what I what who I am.

That is so warm and refreshing.

I would have to say, well, I will say brands just by their nature.

I'm curious, you know, wildly curious anyway and some would say meddling.

Haha, right.

But there is a sense of community.

I mean, not just at the college, but the community itself.

It's really, right.

Manatee and all of the wonderful art and everything and good food at the Boone Tavern.

>> All right.

That's going to say that community over food.

So yeah, how often having meals at Boone I love Spoon Bread.

Now opted is no way he was either.

But now it's like you got to watch that because that's probably not on a more >> I just want to bring up the point about you having been at both urban and rural institutions and and we, you know, we can have preconceived notions about what each does and how well it does.

But, >> of course, as we've mentioned about this, such a critical time in higher education and the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling about race not been used as a basis of admission and colleges.

Perhaps this is not even an issue that Bree and needs to address.

But you have seen to double down on that commitment toward racial equality.

Yes, I think at a time when things are called into question, that is where you look at the the core values of the institution and you double down on them, whether they're difficult to put into action or not.

>> And so I think the questioning of the role of diversity in higher Ed is being raised about why the Supreme Court decision and it is a time to say diversity is a value in higher Ed.

All sorts of studies have shown that when you get people together, not just in higher Ed, but in a corporate setting and you bring different viewpoints together.

You come out with a better product.

And I think that we want to be true to that value.

And again, Brea was founded with that at its core.

That was the principle that John G founded the institution on was to say we need equal opportunity Inter racially to education.

Now Brea is able to answer the Supreme Court questions very easily because we do have a holistic application review.

So some ways that institutions were working on race and education was more of a check off the box sort of looking at We haven't done that upper area and a lot of institutions were moving away from that anyway.

But now is a good time to say how can we be true to the idea of access to education, opportunity to education.

All are welcome to education.

Like those are founding values for, I would all of higher, Ed, right?

How do we continue to be true to that?

Even with the recent Supreme Court decision?

And I think a lot of good ideas are coming to the fore.

All right.

There is a lot of conversation about dei when it comes to the higher Ed space and maybe even a redefinition or reframing of what dei means.

So much more place like Maria, that is really work to serve disadvantaged students, income based >> D I is a part of that as well.

Diversity is not just literally black and white.

Alright, diversity definitely means socioeconomic diversity.

That's what Bernie again was built on was to say.

>> Students that normally could not afford college have a place in college.

I think that's again saying everyone deserves the right to be educated.

So I think it's defining diversity in very broad ways.

No matter what your political views are, conservative or liberal, no matter what your skills and talents are, whether you're an artist or a scientist that those are forms of diversity to.

We want all of them to come together in that classroom.

And again, just envision that classroom is like a circle.

We want to share all of those ideas and those strengths and those talents that everyone can bring to the table.

That's what's going to get us moving forward.

And I mean us quite broadly, both that classroom, that college, but also as a nation, you know, that's where we'll find our strength is that everyone can bring their talents to the table.

>> And Maria could be a model for how other institutions, even if there publicly funded.

>> Perhaps I would hold off some of those commitments that youth, the set forth.

I would hope so because again, I think that we're very lucky in that we had that founding vision from the beginning.

And we've been working on these.

>> Values for over And we've had challenges to them before.

I went and learned a little bit of our history.

Went to the archives and in our archives, we have a document that shows how one John Feeny founded the institution with a group of like-minded people.

He was literally marched along with the whole community community to the Kentucky border.

And so we do not want you in the state.

You must leave.

And there's a document.

I thought it was just donthe, right?

There's a document that shows it was not just him was the whole community was asked to leave 94 people.

Wow.

What really struck me was a list of names and this said the name and family, the whole families were told to leave.

And I realized these people had strength in saying education is should be open to all and they laughed.

But then they came back.

And so I think, you know, a Cambria Suh had difficulties has overcome them in a way that I think can be inspirational.

So that strength of spirit that are found or had that really permeates Brea.

And I would love hasta help all of higher Ed in Kentucky.

But even nationally say let's find that strength and those kind of inspirational values together.

I think higher Ed needs.

Remember, we need to be inspirational.

We need to say these values are difficult.

They are also inspiring.

They can be at affirming they can be aspiration.

Ul.

Let's remind people that's part of education to right is, you know, to light up people's eyes and say, yes, I want to go to college because I will, Wolf.

I hope self and my trains found out who I am now on the other people.

We're being our best selves together where we'll be strong for each other.

You know, even if we have some adverse inning, we could do it together.

You know, I think we just want to come back to saying some of those things like we probably out loud and And I think that that's where, you know, again, hoping I can find my stride along with my community at Berea and then hopefully even lead on that.

>> Right.

Well, I think you debris along, as I will say, as the kids say, rolled deep, They are committed.

>> To college and in the communities and several are close friends of mine, I will say, but they love Berea College for what it afforded them in terms of the collegiate experience.

But just the overall development as a human right and understanding your place to be a contributor and appreciating the world in which you live.

kudos to all the great work that goes on.

So I have to ask you 2 minutes remaining.

That's what do you want to accomplish in your first?

I want to say 100 days that you tell me the milestone.

>> I think that having this listening and learning that brings some sense of building community.

>> That brings joy into the community.

I think coming out of COVID, everyone feels a bit weary, right.

And I think of all those great values that I was just listing off.

>> I actually think celebration and joy is a really important value for us to rediscover.

>> Just being together and having a fun conversation.

So I do want to have a sense that we have great celebrations together on campus and then coming out of that that we wind up pivoting towards doing some strategic planning on campus and discovering I don't want to name one thing right now, but it could be what you said like, what's our one health concerned that we want to solve together?

I want to discover what those things are together and have some fun.

While we're while we're doing it well, yes, I'm hoping that you are joyous while you're here and have a joyful experience and we want you around a long time.

>> And we're so very glad that you spent some time with us today.

And hopefully this is just the beginning.

Yes, thank you so much.

And it's been a pleasure.

You can learn more about Berea College in go on their website there.

Some information there and their previous programs that we've had about the college that you can visit on our website at KET Dot Org.

KET in touch with us.

You know, we have Kentucky edition every week night right here at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central where we inform connect and inspire you about the great state in which we all live.

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All of that information is on the screen right now.

It's been great to connect with you today and hope to see you right back here at the same time next week until I see you again.

Take really good care.

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