By Genoa Barrow | OBSERVER Senior Staff Writer
Education champion Dr. Colette Harris-Mathews is campaigning to join the Los Rios Community College District Board of Trustees. She looks to fill the Area 5 seat, being vacated by longtime trustee Pam Haynes, who is retiring after 25 years on the board. Dr. Harris-Mathews, a Sacramento native, has her own long history with Los Rios, having served and represented the local college district in the classroom and beyond in several leadership roles. Before retiring in 2020, Dr. Harris-Mathews was a dean and professor of ethnic studies and communication studies at Cosumnes River College, interim president of the district’s Black Faculty and Staff Association, Region F Board of Governor for the Faculty Association for California Community College, and founding faculty member for CRC’s Umoja Diop Scholars program. She also heads Harris Mathews Consulting, a communication, organizational development, leadership, and educational firm.
Dr. Harris-Mathews is running against Ralph Merletti, a former adjunct instructor of geography in the Riverside Community College District. Should she be elected, Dr. Harris-Mathews would be just the second Black woman to serve on the Los Rios board of trustees in its nearly 60-year existence.
The OBSERVER recently sat down with Dr. Harris-Mathews to talk about her campaign, efforts to close the achievement gap, representation, and her overall passion for higher education.
Q: Why are you running?
A: I am running for the Area 5 seat to advocate for student success across all racial groups and advance community colleges in the greater Sacramento area. This is the work I’ve done my entire professional career and since retiring from Los Rios in 2020.
Q: What are your thoughts on how Black women are or aren’t represented in education leadership/administration?
A: We simply must do better. We can see the disparities of experiences of African American women in administration. African American women are asked to do more, be more and give more despite being more qualified for positions. One should not have to sacrifice their personal well-being to be successful in their career.
Simply put, African American women are often asked to solve complex problems regarding racial achievement disparities while also doing the day-to-day work of the university or college.
I see my role in education as continuing to widen the bench of those coming behind me. I can look back and see students who are now community college adjunct professors, administrators, and college presidents. Students who see diverse trustees can see themselves as a trustee, administrator, faculty member or staff member.
Q: Community colleges educate a lot of Black students, why do you think there haven’t been many other African Americans, or African American women, on the Los Rios board?
A: Representation matters in education. Pam Haynes has been the sole African American woman on the Los Rios Board of Trustees for more than 25 years. She and others have worked to diversify the board, which is an elected office. Because the board is an elected position, it takes a strong background in education, an understanding of policy, an ability to navigate the political waters, and you must be able to raise money to run for office.
The collection of these qualities to run for office has made it difficult for African American women to pursue public service on community college boards. Groups like Emerge California, the California Black Women’s Collective and Black Women Organized for Political Action have worked to increase the number of Black women and women as a whole to run for political office. I am a graduate of Emerge California and a member of the California Black Women’s Collective and BWOPA. Women, like Pam Haynes, are mentoring and helping other Black women to run for political office across the state. Community colleges are seeing an increase in Black trustees, but the numbers are elusive to capture. Once elected, I will also serve to recruit and mentor other trustees and women running for political office.
Q: Community colleges have changed over the years. What are your priorities for an ever-evolving system?
A:
Issues/Policy
Dual enrollment: Dual enrollment legislation such as Assembly Bill 288 must be fully implemented and expanded to increase enrollment in our colleges, engage students in higher education and increase transfer/graduation rates.
Access/equity: All students must have access to community college classes that meet their educational goals, and we must disrupt systems and policies that cause inequities in transfer and graduation rates.
Enrollment/community college pipeline: Students must see college as an avenue to their future opportunities. The pathway to well-paying jobs and viable careers must be realized through every community college class, major and transfer degree.
Career/Graduation/Transfer
Student success can be realized in career education opportunities, increased graduation, and transfer rates. Transfer policies such as Senate Bill 1440 and Assembly Bill 1291 must be fully realized to simplify graduation and transfer paths.
Career Education
I hold a deep resolve to foster and drive career education. As the economy in Sacramento rebounds and thrives, Los Rios will continue to play a key role in fulfilling opportunities in clean tech innovation, life science growth, electric vehicle innovation, engineering, agricultural business, allied health, and entrepreneurial growth.
Economic
Los Rios graduates and transfer students make a tremendous impact on fulfilling jobs, careers and innovation in the greater Sacramento area, California, and the global economy. I support education outside of the walls of academia through internships, service-learning projects, and study-abroad programs. I see the impact of community college students studying abroad, participating in internships and service-learning projects, and traveling to Africa, Asia, and Europe to appreciate realized student learning outcomes.
Q: Much focus will be on the presidential election. How important is it that voters not overlook local races like yours?
A: Local elections matter. The national race is extremely important, but down-ballot races impact your day-to-day life. I am aware and paying attention to national races, but our immediate interest must be the Sacramento mayoral race and other local elections. These races impact where we live, the quality of life we have daily, and our direct future in Sacramento. I am a native Sacramentan and I want to ensure that we have a clear K-20 education (kindergarten through graduate degree) system and path to great schools and colleges.
Q: You’ve received Pam Haynes’ blessing and endorsement. How have you interacted with her over the years?A: I’ve known Pam for more than 25 years. After a 10-year career in the private sector, in 1998 I started in the Los Rios Community College District as an adjunct faculty member in the communication studies department at Cosumnes River College. Pam was appointed to the board in 1999. Pam is an active member of the Sacramento community. I’ve known her through community organizations such as the Sacramento Urban League, the MLK March and advocacy efforts to close the achievement gap. Our initial interactions were professional and collegial and have grown to one of mentorship and admiration.