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Ashante Connor

Associate Vice President of Inclusive Excellence and Special Advisor to the President, Office of the President

Office:: Overlook
Email:: connora@montclair.edu
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Profile

Ashante S. Connor, Ed. D. serves as the Associate Vice President for Inclusive Excellence and Special Assistant to the President. This strategic role allows Dr. Connor to work collaboratively with University leaders and stakeholders to define the desired culture promoting a positive work and learning environment in alignment with the University's values and goals. Dr. Connor has achieved success through a multifaceted approach that combines effective community, empathy, accountability, and action. Under her direction, the Office of Inclusive Excellence and Institutional Equity will provide training and development opportunities focused on emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, effective communication, and diversity and inclusion.

Previously, Dr. Connor held the title of Director of Equity and Title IX Coordinator which focused on Diversity, Equity, Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Title IX, Sex Discrimination, Equity in Hiring, and training compliance initiatives and programs.

Dr. Connor was charged with ensuring the equity lens is prevalent in University polices, practices, and procedures, and that the University's anti-discrimination training programs and policies comply with New Jersey State and federal regulations. She also will be responsible for responding to claims involving staff and faculty members and overseeing the Title IX Compliance Program.

Dr. Connor enjoyed 15 years building a comprehensive portfolio in Culture, Climate, Diversity, Equity, Belonging, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIBA) initiatives, Human Resources, and Higher Education Administration. Prior to her time at Montclair, she has spent more than 10 years at William Paterson University and Berkeley College serving in various capacities, including Deputy Title IX Coordinator, Student Activities, Director of Student Development, and Assistant Dean of Student Development and Campus Life.

Dr. Connor serves Chair of the Commission for Campus Sexual Assault with the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education (OSHE) and former Co-Chair of the New Jersey Title IX Administrators Working Group.

Dr. Connor earned her Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership & Higher Education, from Abilene Christian University. She earned her Master’s of Science, in Human Resource Development, from Towson University and her Bachelor's of Arts, in Public Administration, from Kean University. Dr. Connor enjoys traveling, fine dining, and spending time with her husband, son, and two Pitbull pups.

Specialization

Dr. Connor is morally and socially committed to providing a working and learning environment that is free of discrimination, harassment or bullying, and is inclusive and welcoming to persons from all racial, ethnic, social and cultural backgrounds.

Dr. Connor is a Restorative Justice Practitioner who utilizes trauma-informed, multi-partiality, and restorative practices to resolve conflict and dispute. In her work, she developed her passion for serving contemporary college students and employees from diverse and marginalized backgrounds.

Office Hours

Fall

Monday: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Tuesday: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Wednesday: 8:30 am - 4:30 am
Thursday: 8:30 am - 4:30 am
Friday: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Spring

Monday: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Tuesday: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Wednesday: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Thursday: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Friday: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

Links

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Research Projects

Fizzing Out: A Correlational Study of Burnout and Worklife Perceptions Among Student Affairs Professionals in the Mid-Atlantic Northeast Region of the United States

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine level of burnout and the employee perceptions among student affairs professionals (SAPs) in the Mid-Atlantic Northeast Region of the United States. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Areas of Worklife Survey (AWS) collectively known as the Maslach Burnout Toolkit was electronically completed by 323 student affairs professionals at institutions located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The research designs utilized demographic and inferential statistics including Pearson Product Moment correlations. The response rate was high enough to make statistically significant associations. The scores obtained from the MBI and AWS subscales were compared overall and along six independent variables including workload, reward, functional position, length of time in student affairs, institutional type, functional position, geographic regional affiliation, and length of time in current role. The MBI results suggested moderate to high levels of exhaustion and depersonalization among the student affairs professionals who participated in this study.