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Tuesday, November 14 from 4 to 5 pm, Quad (or GCC Lobby if raining)

Tuesday, November 21 from 4 to 5 pm, Griffin/McKinley Lounge

Tuesday, November 28 from 4 to 5 pm, PAB 3rd floor atrium

Dr. Karnell McConnell-Black (he/him), better known as Dr. K,  is the vice president for student life at the college.  He has over 14+ years of experience in higher education. Dr. K has a bachelor’s degree in communication, a master’s in education, and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy. He identifies as a queer Black cis-gender male and hails from Dallas, Texas. As the first in his family to attend college, Dr. K has committed his life and career to supporting students from minoritize and underserved communities. When he is not working, Dr. K spends his time watching HGTV and BRAVO with his husband Kelly, playing with his Miniature Schnauzer, Charlie, and developing his new found woodworking skills.

Professionally, Dr. K has served in a variety of roles including coordinator of orientation and first-year programs at Loyola University Chicago; director of student involvement, leadership, and orientation; and vice president of student affairs and dean of students at Westminster College. He also serves as the immediate past president for the Association of Orientation, Transition, and Retention in Higher Education (NODA).

Dr. K’s professional philosophy is guided by an inclusive excellence praxis that centers the student experience as fundamental in defining the success of the institution (Kuh et al., 2005). As a result, he brings a focus to how senior-level administrators balance the market needs of institutional sustainability and the impact of student-centric measures that enhance a student’s ability to navigate the world post-college. Additionally, he illuminates the meaning-making processes that underserved students engage in when navigating non-academic elements of college (i.e. outside of class college experiences).