Sojourning in a University Academic Vineyard: a Reflection on Teaching, Research, Service and Collegiality

Publisher Marketing: This book chronicles my 15-year sojourning at one of America's historic institutions - Shaw University, founded in 1865 and located in North Carolina, United States of America. It focuses attention in two major areas - academic advising and multicultural education because of the influence these two areas can have on students' retention and graduation. Research reports on my studies of students' evaluation of their academic advising program and advisement of special student populations such as student-athletes constitute the book's academic advising component. Exploration of the experiences of the university's female faculty, the experiences of traditional and non-traditional students taking classes together, and the educational and cultural experiences of white students living and studying as a minority group in a predominantly black institution covers the book's multicultural education thrust. The personal satisfaction or psychic incomes which I acquired from my students, faculty colleagues, and administrators are documented in a variety of personal notes, greeting cards, and emails. I hope that the book will inspire others to write about their experiences and update the studies I did and others addressing new problems relevant to the improvement of education at this great institution, as it continues pursuing its motto "Strides to Excellence: Only the Best."