Sowing relationships. Reaping resilience. 

In the first event in a series of intimate deep-dive conversations with subject-matter experts, Mentor Collective co-founder and CEO Jackson Boyar speaks with Dr. Jennifer Brown. Dr. Brown was recently selected as Cal Poly Pomona’s Provost and VP of Academic Affairs, after a national search for a leader in holistic student belonging and effective student retention initiatives. Their discussion will explore actionable, innovative steps that higher education leaders can take to close equity gaps in their community.

The U.S. Surgeon General recently issued an advisory about the epidemic of loneliness. According to research in psychology and medicine, loneliness contributes to mental illness, physical illness, addiction, disability, and premature death. And since the loneliness crisis is most acute in young people, higher education leaders have an important role to play in helping students build community, strengthen resilience, form relationships, and develop help-seeking behaviors. With Dr. Brown’s extensive background in community-building and student success programs, we know her perspective on this topic will help us connect the dots on equitable solutions to the loneliness crisis.

• How inclusive excellence can serve as a guiding principle for equitable, inclusive student success initiatives

• Concrete, actionable steps leaders can take to build systems that support social connection on campus

• The most innovative strategies for creating institutional change at every level