Division of Student Success
Student Success: Leading your learning outside the classroom, through a holistic approach with individualized efforts
The Medgar Evers College Student Success Division is comprised of the Office of Student Success, Athletics and Intramurals, Counseling, Accessibility and Accommodations, Health and Interfaith Services, Student Life, and the Center for Women’s Development and Male Development and Empowerment Center. The Division also includes the Transition Academy, which serves students who experience housing and/or food insecurity.
The mission of the Division is to address students’ psychosocial needs by providing resources and advocacy that effectively complement their academic growth and development. We support students’ rights and responsibilities and facilitate student leadership opportunities, including participation in intercollegiate athletics, peer mentoring, service-learning, and engagement in clubs and organizations. In addition, we coordinate college-wide mental and physical health education and provide services and accommodations to our campus’ differently-abled community. The Student Success Division also offers immediate assistance to students who are transient or in financial crisis and connects them to external resources available via our community partners. As a supplement to all of the aforementioned, we provide skills and knowledge that prepare students for the professional world. Our overarching function is to spearhead the implementation of policies, programming, and initiatives that serve students in myriad ways. Utilizing a holistic approach, while employing individualized efforts, the Student Success Division leads student learning outside the classroom and facilitates student success within and beyond Medgar Evers College.
The Dean’s Message
The Medgar Evers College Division of Student Success welcomes you to the 2021-2022 academic year. You are part of a community that has celebrated more than 50 years of knowledge, social justice, and excellence. We hope that you are ready to become fully immersed in campus life, and participate in the exciting events scheduled to take place during the upcoming year.
I’m personally encouraging you to visit our Department of Athletics and Intramurals to inquire about joining a team or learn about a plethora of volunteer opportunities and student activities via our Office of Student Life. Are you interested in being part of a supportive group of peers that allows you to engage in self-reflection while learning how to carve out your own special place in the world? Then visit the Center for Women’s Development or Male Development and Empowerment Center. And if you’ve found that balancing your academic, personal, and professional lives has become challenging, Counseling and Psychological Services is here to help. In addition, the Office of Health Services is available to provide resources and information about health and wellness from the inside out. And if you or a friend has a disability-whether visible or not-the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations is ready and willing to provide assistance. Lastly, support for any student experiencing housing and/or food insecurity is available via the Transition Academy. And you can always visit the Office of Student Success for assistance with all of the above. To obtain directory information about every office in the Division, as well as our other campus offices, check out our Cougar Compass, which is right here.
Our overarching goal is to spearhead the implementation of policies, programming, and initiatives that address students’ psychosocial needs. We hope that this year allows us to serve you in the very best ways possible. Once again, welcome to a new year as part of the #MedgarEversFamily. Best of luck with your learning within, and outside the classroom.
Sincerely,
Dr. Alexis McLean
Dean of Student Affairs
About Dr. Alexis McLean, Dean of Student Affairs
Dr. Alexis McLean is the Dean of Student Affairs at Medgar Evers College (CUNY). She is responsible for supporting a robust student life agenda that promotes the growth and development and academic success of every Medgar Evers College student. She oversees programming, policy implementation, and personnel administration for the entire Division, including Athletics, Student Life, and Counseling, Accessibility and Accommodations, Health, and Interfaith Services. She also has direct oversight of the College’s Men’s and Women’s Centers and coordinates the structure of an environment conducive to the personal, social, and intellectual growth of students. This includes providing leadership regarding campus advocacy efforts that address students’ non-academic needs and/or challenges, especially housing and food insecurity (via the Transition Academy). Previously, Dr. McLean was a Doctoral Lecturer in the Department of Special Programs/Percy E. Sutton SEEK Program, where she provided students with academic and personal counseling, and taught courses focused on helping SEEK students acquire the psychosocial skills needed to succeed in college and upon graduation. She also served as SEEK’s Associate Director, and spearheaded SEEK’s advisement and curriculum matters, and professional development initiatives for MEC’s core advising units. In 2015, Dr. McLean founded POWWER! ™ (Passionate Outstanding Women Who Effortlessly Rock!), which highlights extraordinary women who have advanced in their field while simultaneously serving and shaping their communities. Recent honorees include Assemblywoman (and MEC alum) Diana Richardson and Dr. Juhanna Rogers of “The Great 8.” Dr. McLean’s research interests primarily focus on access and success in education, the role of institutional agents at educational institutions, and race and ethnicity in higher education, particularly as they relate to Black students’ experiences. This includes the impact of hip-hop pedagogy in counseling courses, and inquiries about the ways in which Black women navigate the doctoral completion process. Her research has allowed her to facilitate numerous workshops, and present and speak at the city, state, and national level. She recently co-authored and published A Seat At The Table: Womanist Narratives of Black Mothers in Doctoral Programs, which focuses on how the intersection of race, gender, and motherhood impact Black women pursuing a terminal degree.
Dr. McLean holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University, and a Master’s in Mental Health and Wellness, and Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from New York University.
