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Author Angela
McGlynn Looks to Higher Education as Solution for Underserved and
Nation as Whole
4/12/11
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West
Windsor, N.J. - There is much documented evidence that America
is falling behind internationally. According to Angela Provitera
McGlynn, of Kendall Park, N.J. (formerly of Princeton), professor
emeritus of psychology at Mercer County Community College,
the solution lies with higher education.
In her new book, Envisioning Equity: Educating and Graduating
Low-income, First-generation, and Minority College Students,
McGlynn sees the need to educate America's traditionally
underserved populations as "the right thing to do - for
these students as individuals and for our nation as a whole."
The book will be published by Atwood Publishing in May.
McGlynn observes, "America's competitive edge is threatened.
The reason is simple: too few Americans are earning postsecondary
degrees, which are increasingly becoming pre-requisites to
a middle-class life." She believes that educating more
young people so that they will become productive citizens
who can live comfortably and contribute positively should
be a key goal for the nation.
"So,
what can college professors do to promote academic success?
What can college administrators and public policy makers do
to get more students through the educational pipeline to a
college degree?" McGlynn asks. These are the questions
she tackles in her new book.
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MCCC
Professor Emeritus of Psychology
Angela Provitera McGlynn
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In
the first chapter, McGlynn examines demographic risk factors and
college degree completion rates, state by state, and as compared
to other countries. She then lays out strategies for teaching first
generation and minority students, starting with establishing a positive
environment from day one in the classroom, and for utilizing teaching
methods that are interactive and learner-centered. She discusses
the importance of assessment and ways to create a successful bridge
between high school and college.
McGlynn, who retired from MCCC in 2006, is the author of three others
books: Teaching Today's College Students: Widening the Circle
of Success, Atwood Publishing, 2007; Successful Beginnings
for College Teaching: Engaging Your Students from the First Day,
Atwood Publishing, 2001; and Living With Yourself, Living
With Others: A Woman's Guide, co-authored with Florence Rhyn
Serlin, Prentice Hall, 1979.
An MCCC faculty member for 35 years, currently McGlynn is a national
presenter on issues related to teaching, learning, and diversity,
and a corporate trainer for Transformation Associates, LLC. She
will be featured at the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity
this summer in San Francisco , where she will discuss improving
college graduation rates for low-income, first-generation, and minority
students.
McGlynn has published numerous scholarly articles on a wide range
of topics, including more than 120 articles for the journal, The
Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education. Her most recent article, published
in the March 21 issue, is entitled "Divided We Fail,"
in which McGlynn discusses the work of Coleen Moore and Nancy Shulock
of the Institute for Higher Education and Leadership Policy. In
the article, McGlynn suggests way to improve community college graduation
rates and close racial/ethnic achievement gaps based on Moore's
and Shulock's research of the community college system in California.
McGlynn earned a B.A. in Psychology from Rutgers University, a Master's
degree in Psychology from Temple University, and she studied towards
a Ph.D. at The New School for Social Research in Manhattan. She
was also the recipient of a National Endowment fellowship to study
in Princeton University's doctoral psychology program. She holds
a certificate in family therapy from Trinity Counseling Service
in Princeton and previously practiced individual, group, relationship,
and family therapy.
Among her MCCC publications are Celebrating Diversity: Enhancing
Harmony on Campus; Teaching Tips: Improving College Instruction;
and Classroom Atmosphere: Improving the Teaching/Learning Environment.
Additionally, she published the Instructor's Manual accompanying
Kagan and Havermann's Psychology: An Introduction, 5th edition,
1984.
For more information about McGlynn's new book, visit the Atwood
Publishing website here
or Professor McGlynn's website here.
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