CEHS Staff & Faculty Play Integral Role in First MEGA Symposium

Montclair State University’s inaugural Male Enrollment and Graduation Alliance (MEGA) Symposium was held on March 3, 2023.   

MEGA, housed within the Office of the Provost, is charged to examine and develop a plan of action to improve (cis/identified) male student outcomes from prospects to active alumni status with a focus on Hispanic/Latino and Black males. 

MEGA’s Three Focus Areas:

• Data Collection & Analysis

Develop a sustainable plan to review, collect and analyze enrollment, retention, and graduation data and other data points connected to prospective and current students and alumni.

• External/Internal Partnerships

Explore and deepen current and future partnerships related to community engagement, resource allocations and the development of enrollment and post-graduation talent pipelines.

Develop a framework, identify membership, and facilitate ongoing communication with an advisory team with external community stakeholders.

• Engagement/Awareness Activities

Coordinate programming and engagement to directly impact prospective/current scholars and includes a nationwide collective of educators, administrators, thought leaders and best practices.

The March 3rd event hosted over 150 Pre-K to 20+ educators, administrators, and students, and included a variety of panel presentations, breakout sessions, and other opportunities for networking and collaboration. The highlight of the event was the moving keynote given by Dr. Terrell Strayhorn, Professor of Higher Education and Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies at Illinois State University.

The success of the event was documented in several places, including a feature in Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

Dr. Carolina E. Gonzalez, co-lead of MEGA and CEHS Assistant Dean for Administrative, External and Student Affairs, worked tirelessly to coordinate the event with Dr. Daniel Jean, co-lead of MEGA and Assistant Provost for Special Programs, EOF and Academic Success. Dr. Gonzalez’s involvement in MEGA has further developed CEHS’ commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice. Additional CEHS members serving on the committee were Christopher Cottle, Mia Kirk, Dr. Michael Hannon, and Dr. Roman Liera.

Be on the lookout for upcoming events and opportunities to get involved with MEGA. If you have questions about the alliance, you can reach out to Dr. Gonzalez, gonzalezca@montclair.edu,  and Dr. Jean, jeand@montclair.edu.