Program Faculty
The program faculty brings diverse expertise to student advising, curriculum design, and its delivery. The expertise of the faculty includes leadership, governance, student services, vocational education, community college issues, and issues related to individuals with disabilities. The faculty collaborate in program planning, and are actively involved in ongoing projects, research, writing, publications, grants and local and national and international education efforts.
Marilee J. Bresciani, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Marilee J. Bresciani, Ph.D. is Associate Professor of Postsecondary Education Leadership at San Diego State University, where she coordinates the masters in Student Affairs/Services in community colleges and higher education, the certificate in institutional research, planning, and assessment, and the masters and doctorate in community college leadership. The curriculum at San Diego State University emphasizes student learning centeredness, integration of the curricular and co-curricular learning paradigms, and analysis, planning, and responsible practice of leaders in a socially just and global environment.
Dr. Bresciani’s research focuses on the evaluation of student learning and development. She uses grounded theory to explore how systems and processes contribute to student learning centeredness, which includes the study of leaders’ roles in these systems and processes.
Dr. Bresciani has held faculty and higher education administration positions for over 20 years. In those positions, she has conducted enrollment management research, quantitative and qualitative institutional research, course-embedded assessment, and academic and administrative program assessment. Previously as Assistant Vice President for Institutional Assessment at Texas A&M University and as Director of Assessment at North Carolina State University, Dr. Bresciani led university-wide initiatives to embed faculty-driven outcomes-based assessment in the curriculum. She has led reforms in outcomes-based assessment program review, assessment of general education, quality enhancement, and assessment of the co-curricular.
Dr. Bresciani has been invited to present and publish her findings on assessment and is a leading author of two books on assessing student learning and outcomes-based assessment program review. She has edited a book on good practice case studies in general education assessment and is currently at work on identifying good practices in assessment of student learning in student affairs/services. Dr. Bresciani has developed and delivered several courses on assessment of student learning, and serves on the editorial board of the NASPA Journal. She is a reviewer for the Australian Quality Assurance Agency and is also a managing partner in an international assessment and enrollment management consulting firm.
Dr. Bresciani holds a Ph.D. in Administration, Curriculum, and Instruction from the University of Nebraska and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Hastings College.
Dr. Marilee Bresciani can be reached at mbrescia@mail.sdsu.edu
Frank Harris III, Ed.D.
Assistant Professor
Frank Harris III is an Assistant Professor of Postsecondary Education and teaches primarily in the Master of Arts with a specialization in Student Affairs program. Previously, he served as Associate Director of the Center for Urban Education at the University of Southern California, Rossier School of Education.
Dr. Harris’ research focuses on college men and masculinities, gendered trends in postsecondary learning environments, and equity in outcomes for historically underrepresented and underserved students. His scholarship has been published in the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Journal, New Directions for Student Services, the Journal of Men’s Studies, and the Journal of College Student Development. His chapter, The impact of fraternity membership on African American college men (co-written with Dr. Shaun R. Harper), appeared in Michael Cuyjet’s edited book, African American Men in College (Jossey-Bass, 2006), the most comprehensive volume on African American male collegians to date. In 2007, Dr. Harris earned national dissertation of the year awards from the American Educational Research Association (Division J – Postsecondary Education) and the Association of Student Judicial Affairs.
Dr. Harris’ professional experiences encompass a wide range of administrative areas including: sponsored research projects administration, student affairs administration, new student orientation programs, multicultural student affairs, academic advising, and enrollment services. He participates actively in several national professional associations for research and practice in higher education and student affairs through conference presentations and committee service including: the American College Personnel Association (ACPA), the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE), and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). In 2006-2007 he served as chair of the NASPA Region 6 Men and Masculinities Knowledge Community. He is co-instructor (with Dr. Jason Laker) of Guy Things: Men, Masculinities, and Student Development, a national online course through ACPA’s E-Learning Series. Dr. Harris is also a faculty affiliate of the African American Male Student Retention and Success Community of Practice for the International Center for Student Success and Institutional Accountability (ICSSIA).
Dr. Harris completed a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies at Loyola Marymount University and a Master of Arts in Speech Communication at California State University, Northridge. His Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration is from the University of Southern California, Rossier School of Education.
Dr. Frank Harris III can be reached at frank.harris@sdsu.edu.
Fred R. McFarlane, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair
Deparment of Administration, Rehabilitation, and Postsecondary Education
Dr. McFarlane is Professor and Chair of the Department of Administration, Rehabilitation and Postsecondary Education and Co-Director of the Interwork Institute at San Diego State University . His vision and leadership skills, along with those of Dr. Ian Pumpian, led in 1990 to the creation of the Interwork Institute.
Dr. McFarlane specializes in the following education content areas: leadership, organizational development, program development, communication skills, ethics, and public policy. He has over 50 publications in referred journals, monographs, and book chapters, with a current focus on public policy, personnel development, and distance education. He is much sought-after as a rehabilitation professional, academic advisor, vocational expert and personal and professional mentor.
From 1996 to 2002, Dr. McFarlane served as Chair of the Commission on Work and Employment for Rehabilitation International. He is an internationally respected consultant who has presented over 130 lectures and speeches at local, state, regional, national and international conferences and seminars on topics ranging from education development to performance management, and from ADA to disability management. He has presented throughout Europe , in Brazil , Israel , Japan , Korea , Mexico , Thailand , New Zealand , and the Pacific Basin .
Dr. McFarlane graduated with his Ph.D. in 1972 from the University of Georgia . After graduation he accepted the position of professor and administrator of the Rehabilitation Education Program at SDSU, and was elected as Chair in 1985. He received the 2001-02 "Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Faculty Contributions to the University." He has been listed in the "International Dictionary of Who's Who," "Who's Who in American Education," and "Who's Who of Leaders in America ." He has been a member of the National Council of Rehabilitation Education since 1973 and a member of their Board from 2001 to 2004.
Dr. McFarlane is currently focusing efforts on advancing the concepts and principles of "universal design"—a mainstream approach to the process of designing and creating environments, products and services that are usable, to the greatest extent possible, by most people throughout their lifetime, regardless of their age or ability. His vision and imminent goal is to establish community and university partnerships to fund, design and construct a building on the SDSU campus that incorporates the principles of universal design.
The building will serve as a model for architects, builders and product manufacturers to learn and experiment with universal design, and will assist manufacturers to design and test new products to insure accessibility. The building will have demonstration areas for persons with disabilities to experiment with accessible products and services, and will house design, research, education and training for all aspects of universal design.
Dr. Fred McFarlane can be reached at fmcfarla@mail.sdsu.edu
Adjunct Faculty
Cynthia M. Avery
Director of Student Affairs Graduate and Undergraduate Curriculum and Leadership Programs
San Diego State University
Cynthia came to SDSU in the summer of 2000, and has served in a variety of roles. Currently she oversees graduate and undergraduate curriculum and leadership programs. In addition, she coordinates the internships and assistantships for the program, is working on the development of the SDSU Center for Leadership, and is working with Associated Students on the design and development of the renovations for Aztec Center. Prior to SDSU, Cynthia worked at the University of Georgia and SUNY Albany. A New York native, she received her BS in Management Science from the SUNY College at Geneseo and her MS Ed in College Student Development from Alfred University. She recently received her Ed D in Educational Leadership from UCSD and SDSU. Dr. Avery’s research interests include Equitable Educational Outcomes, Social Capital, and Leadership Development. Outside of the office and classroom, her passion and time is dedicated to her busy family including her husband and four children.
Dr. Cynthia Avery can be reached at cavery@mail.sdsu.edu or (619)594-2832.
Marty Block
President
San Diego-Imperial Counties Community College Association Board Alliance
Dr. Marty Block recently retired from SDSU after 26 years of service. This spring he continues to work part-time as an annuitant in the Office of Diversity and Equity, investigatingcomplaints of discrimination and sexual harassment. Block has served as a director in Student Affairs, as an assistant dean in the College of Education, as an adjunct professor in public administration, the department of Management and the College of Education, as the university president’s designee on the Associated Students Council and as an acting ombudsman. After serving eight years as assistant dean of the College of Education, in 1994 Marty began an 11-year run as director of the Office of Compliance and Policy Analysis and, then, the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities. In 2002, he founded and has since directed the national Higher Education Law and Policy Institute. He has served two four-year terms on the San Diego County Board of Education. His service included a two-year term as president of the statewide California Association of County Boards of Education. He co-chairs the statewide caucus of low-funded college districts.
He can be reached at 619-594-3057 or martyblock628@cs.com.
Sandra Cook
Executive Director, Enrollment Services
San Diego State University
Dr. Cook has worked at San Diego State University since 1993. Before her current position as Executive Director of Enrollment Services, she was the Director of the University Advising Center for seven years. She received her B.S. in Psychology and M.A. in Urban Studies from Loyola University in Chicago. Dr. Cook received her Ph.D. in Higher Education from Loyola University in Chicago as well. She has received many awards including the Presidential Leadership Award and the Outstanding Faculty Award, both in 2006.
She can be reached at scook@mail.sdsu.edu or 619-594-5384.
James R. Kitchen
Vice President for Student Affairs
San Diego State University
He provides leadership for the 17 departments within the Division as well as the Assistant Deans for Student Affairs in each of the university's colleges, and for the Associated Students.
Dr. Kitchen received his B.S. in Physical Education and his M.S. in Education from Eastern Illinois University. He received his doctorate in Higher Education Administration at Northern Arizona University and went on to hold leadership positions at UNLV and the University of Kansas before coming to San Diego State University.
Dr. Kitchen may be reached at 619-594-5211.
Renee Barnett Terry, Ph.D.
Dean of Student Affairs
Revelle College, UCSD
Dr. Barnett Terry was born in Virginia and raised in Connecticut, and is one of thirteen children. After earning her bachelor degree in education from the Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, CT, she completed her Master's degree in College Student Personnel at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and her PhD in Education at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM. Actively involved in the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) at the regional and national levels. She has served as Dean of Student Affairs at Revelle College since September 1993. Her passion is truly one of commitment and dedication to serving students, undergraduate student learning and student excellence and engagement in college!
Dr. Barnett Terry may be reached by e-mail at rbarnett@ucsd.edu or by
telephone 858-534-3493.
