Tiffany Townsend works with faculty, staff, and students to increase access to higher education for all
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Tiffany Townsend grew up with dreams and goals to change people's lives.
She believed that becoming a clinical psychologist was the best way to bring help, healing, and understanding to others.
As she continued her journey into academia, she wondered how she could make a greater impact, especially for underserved students and scholars of color in higher education institutions.
“I started thinking, 'How can we increase access? How can we have a broader impact?'” Working together during the COVID-19 pandemic “We realized we didn't have to be in the same place to do all the work,” said Townsend, Purdue Global's chief diversity officer and vice president of organizational culture. “I started thinking differently about my work, my work environment, and how technology can increase access.”
These different ways of thinking and acting are paying off.
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A dream and clinical journey across the United States
Townsend, a native of the Washington, D.C., area, earned a bachelor's degree from Spelman College in Atlanta and a doctorate in clinical psychology from George Washington University.
Her first faculty appointment was in Penn State's clinical psychology program, where she trained students to become researchers and clinicians. Townsend was attending Georgetown University School of Medicine when she received an offer that intrigued her.
Townsend was approached to manage the American Psychological Association's Office of Minority Affairs.
“At first, I didn't think I would be interested,” she says. But she quickly reconsidered. “I wanted to explore and learn more about the management side of academia and nonprofit organizations. I started doing applied research in communities of color and realized how impactful it could be. And I recognized how underrepresented scholars of color were, especially those doing research. While working with APA, I was able to have a broader impact. This position has given me the opportunity to impact more lives and help more people.”
In her new role, Townsend could open doors for more scholars and researchers of color.
However, the academic administration continued to make calls.
“I missed out on higher education,” Townsend said. “I considered myself a researcher because that was part of my professional identity.”
Townsend returned to academia as chief diversity officer and associate professor of psychological sciences at Augusta University.
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Tiffany Townsend and her family at a recent community event. (Photo provided) Image download
As the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic continues into 2020 and 2021, and as administrators and society struggle to ensure equity for all students under all circumstances, Townsend will I saw the situation change.
Then, a job posting caught her eye.
Purdue Global, Purdue's online university for working adults, was hiring a chief diversity officer. It was that student population that Townsend wanted to increase access to higher education and upward mobility. Her strong ties to Purdue and the online school also impressed her.
Purdue Global's student population is currently:
- 59% of students are over 30 years old.
- 40% of students are from underserved populations.
- 52% of students have children or other dependents.
- 50% are first-generation college students.
- Approximately 10,000 students are military-affiliated, including uniformed military personnel, veterans, and eligible dependents.
“That’s why I was interested in Purdue Global; doing this job allows me to reach more students, especially non-traditional students,” Townsend said. “If what I really want to do is equity, what better place to do it than at an institution whose mission is to serve traditionally underserved students? Probably not.”
From the beginning
In addition to establishing a vision, Townsend has a goal of building inclusive excellence, which includes being thoughtful and intentional in everything we do for our students, staff, and faculty. A focus on equity improves the quality of the institution as a whole.
“We're creating something new. Purdue Global is like an opportunity like never before in my career to leave my mark and help build and change things from the ground up. I felt it,” she says. “My team has been instrumental in developing this culture of excellence since its inception, and it is part of the fabric of the university.”
Several initiatives led by Townsend are underway to explore collaboration and community building. Purdue Global recently received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop a plan to ensure equitable access and support the success of Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and low-income students. Key to this plan are strategies that help create a sense of community and promote persistence and eventual graduation for all students, regardless of their background.
Purdue Global was also announced as a member of the first cohort of the Gardner Institute, a group of 11 institutions across the country that transforms the first two years of students' college education and helps them be more successful on their path to a degree.
“We need to look at the entire student journey, identify pain points and opportunities, and work with disciplines to identify strategies to address those points,” Townsend said. “We make decisions based on data. Best practices include using data and analytics to inform our efforts, building on this research and producing original academic papers, and This includes disseminating the results to other experts in the field.”
Another goal is to build a community, which can be difficult for online higher education institutions.
Townsend and her team are looking for new ways to engage with students and learn together, especially when it comes to building connections.
“It helps students feel more involved in the institution, and it also helps them build community and relationships,” she says. “This is critical to making sure our students feel supported and that we as an institution are rooting for their success.”
The future is now
Townsend continually monitors the present while planning for the future. Townsend is on the road with her two children, participating in as many activities as possible. She is an active member of her Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and Jack and Jill of America Inc. She and her husband enjoy reading and also enjoy spending time with her father.
But much of her work is about children and their ability to access higher education and careers in the not-too-distant future.
“We are here to support our students' success. We find that if we can make them feel like they belong, they are even more successful. It's about how you create fertile soil in which success can grow,” she says.
For her, student success is when students achieve their goal of earning a degree, which can lead to increased employability and upward mobility that improves family and community outcomes.
Townsend relies on data to make decisions, and one of the data points she monitors is the enrollment cliff and demographic shifts in higher education.
“Traditional students no longer resemble what we typically think of as college students. We will need to change the structure of universities to support students,” she says. “We have to fundamentally rethink higher education. We have to build it with student diversity, needs, competitive markets, and the global economy in mind. It forces us to think outside the box. It will make you think.”
One of the highlights for her is attending Purdue Global's graduation ceremony, where students and their families celebrate their comeback.
“You feel the emotion. You know how important this is. And you say, 'This is worth it.' This is why I do it.” That's why I feel this work is so important,” Townsend said.
And as for her own return?
That was when she made the leap from academic faculty to administrator for the American Psychological Association.
“It was important to me to help develop the next generation of leaders and open doors to underrepresented students, because I understand how important education is to their quality of life. Because I do,” she says. “I know what education means to me, and I want to give other students that opportunity as well.”
About Purdue Global
Purdue Global is Purdue's online university for working adults with life experience and college credits. No matter where you are in life, we offer students a flexible path to earning an associate's, bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree based on work experience, military service, or college credits. Purdue Global is a nonprofit public university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and supported by Purdue University. For more information, visit https://stories.purdue.edu/purdue-global/.
Writer/Media Contact: Matthew Oates, 765-496-6160, oatesw@purdue.edu, @mo_oates
sauce: Tiffany Townsend
