Kimberly Ferguson-Scott

​​Addressing the unique challenges faced by students from different backgrounds requires a collective effort, making partnerships in education more important than ever. Few understand this better than Kimberly Ferguson-Scott, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.

Kimberly sat down with Interview Co-Host Max Webber to share her reflections on her personal and professional journey, creating opportunities to engage students, and the role of civil discourse in fostering a collaborative environment.

Kimberly's Journey

Max: Can we start with a quick introduction to yourself and your institution?

I’m Kimberly Ferguson-Scott, and I’m the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. I've been here since January of 2020. It’s been an exciting transition in terms of being able to work in an institution that has many students from diverse backgrounds, including first-generation and international students. We have about 7,000 students, mostly in our undergraduate programs, but we also have graduate programs and a flourishing science, marine and technology school as well. 

Max: What drew you to a career in higher education – and student affairs specifically?

I was recruited to a school that was in the middle of the cornfields in Ashland; joining was a personal decision for me. I grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and I moved to Ohio the day after I graduated from high school. I was supposed to go to the Georgia Institute of Technology, but I went to a community college for my first year instead because my family didn't want me to go far away from home. I still wanted the four-year college experience, so one day I decided to go and visit Ashland University – a small school in the middle of the cornfields in Ohio. That was really my first introduction to diversity; I’d grown up in a predominantly Black and African American community, and at Ashland I met people who were very different from me, such as people from the Amish community. I was one of 60 students of color who were recruited at the time, and on the first day I told the Dean of Students, “I want to do your job!” What really encouraged me to get into the field was the fact that out of those 60 students, 30 had left by the end of the year. Since then, I’ve worked in a variety of private and public institutions in a number of student affairs roles. For me, it's always been about creating an engaging experience that allows all students to flourish, no matter their background. 

Max: What are the key things to keep in mind when trying to create a sense of inclusion and belonging for all students?

The number one thing is to let students know you – they should be able to see you around campus and know how to reach out to you if they need support. You need to create opportunities to engage with students wherever you can. One interesting challenge our students and staff have been addressing is that, in the past, many students did not feel engaged with our governance system. So we’ve been doing a lot of work around creating shared governance, from working with the Student Government Association to engaging the Faculty Senate in all of our processes and procedures. We’ve also created a general Student Affairs Committee which advises us on issues facing the student body, and we bring in a diverse group of faculty, staff and students to share their insights. That also gives us an opportunity to hear what's working well, what challenges we are facing, and how we can be more forward-thinking and aspirational.

Max: Political polarization has been increasing, especially ahead of the upcoming election. How can we encourage students to engage in civil discourse across divides?

In the last three institutions I've worked at, I have seen protests and civil unrest on campus. For me, it’s about three things; communication, civility, and advocacy. If you don't make those a part of your student affairs program, you're not going to be successful. You need to be visibly engaged and focus on teaching students about advocacy. Protest is all about optics; in the end, you have to be able to come to the table and discuss solutions. It needs to be a collaborative process. In addition to teaching advocacy, we need to help students understand how to practice civility – that’s the only way you can get people on different ends in the spectrum to find common ground. I've also been a supporter of the sustained dialogue initiative, having gotten it off the ground here. We’ve come a long way, but we're still putting policies in place and making sure faculty and staff are engaged in our processes. You can’t do this job without building partnerships; it’s crucial to understand who you serve so you can do your best to meet their needs.

Max: Students have busy lives, and many of them have commitments outside of their studies. How do you make sure your key messages get across to all students?

You have to meet students where they are. If we want to put out a program, we work closely with student organizations to make sure we are meeting demand. We have a huge range of student groups, from fraternities and sororities to multicultural organizations like our Muslim Students Association. If you want students to turn up, you have to be able to outreach and engage them, and that means building partnerships. We’re in the process of developing our new strategic planning, so we have invited students to the table to talk about the reasons students withdraw from the institution. What we’re hearing is that when students leave, it’s  because they don't feel a connection to the institution. So we’re asking students to help us solve these issues. A lot of what happens on campus is by word of mouth; students need to know you’re listening and making decisions that are in their best interests.

Max: What’s the best piece of advice you've ever received in your career?

Don’t be afraid to take a step back so you can get a broader view. Sometimes, you’ll be called on to do things you don’t know much about; so make sure you have a plan, and surround yourself with people who are experts in that field.