To Succeed, President Advises Following Your Passion

Success is about more than salary and the title on your door. It's about finding the fit that brings a satisfying, meaningful life. When you pursue your passion to find the right fit, the salary and title are likely to follow. Dr. Mildred Garcia, president of California State University Dominguez Hills and author of Succeeding in an Academic Career, (Greenwood Press, 2000), spoke in September at Purdue University's Conference for Pre-Tenure Women. “To serve the underserved is my passion,” she said. That's a close match for the campus she has led since 2007: one quarter African American (more than any other Cal State campus), one quarter Latina/o and smaller proportions white, Asian American or Filipina/o. She's the first Latina president in the entire Cal State system. Garcia grew up in Brooklyn NY as the sixth of seven children in what she called a “poor but proud Puerto Rican family.” After her father died when she was 12, her mother supported the family as a factory worker. Garcia loved to learn and wanted to teach. “The only inheritance a poor family can leave is a good education,” she said. She earned her associate degree at New York City Community College of City University of New York (CUNY), then went on to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in business and education. Her first teaching job was at a community college; she's also worked at comprehensive, master's, research and for-profit universities. “If I had it to do over, I would not change my trajectory,” Garcia said. She picked up new knowledge and skills at each place. She learned about research, service and social justice. It's part of the academic knapsack she uses daily. “Have you taken the time to scrub your soul, to determine your desires and expectations? What makes your heart soar?” she asked the pre-tenure women at the Purdue conference. It's important to have a clear sense of who you are and what drives you. What are your skills, strengths and strong talents? Match your goal to your passion. Her heart soars at seeing the transformation that occurs in first-generation college students (as she was) and those from underserved populations. She's a teacher above all. While she has done extensive writing and research, it's something she had to learn to do. A group of women across the country helped her overcome her fear of writing. “Through them I learned I had to write for my own self. Nobody else could be me. It liberated me to find my own writing voice,” she said. Now she writes half an hour a day. In some ways Cal State Dominguez Hills is a far cry from her origins in East Coast community colleges. But the ethnic mix and challenges to student success are familiar. What is your passion, and what kind of college or university does it point toward? Community college, liberal arts college, Research I, historically black, tribal or proprietary? The United States has the most diverse system of higher education in the world, with more than 4,800 schools of many different types. Early in their careers, many choose to stay in their comfort zone or to follow the model set by their mentors and advisors. That may or may not be wise. “Seek an environment that best uses your skill, talent and passion,” she said. Consider a school's mission and focus. At a research university, grants are important. Choose research if that's what you love. If teaching is your passion, don't stay at a state university; switch to a community college where you'll teach four or five courses a semester. One friend is a graduate of Columbia University NY, a woman of color whose dream is to work with diverse first-year students at an urban community college. Parents drop off students and eventually they start taking classes too; so mothers and daughters may graduate together. Another friend is a bio-cultural anthropologist at the University of Texas whose parents picked cotton, exposing their open cuts to pesticides. That background led their daughter to do research on health, biology and culture. “Women tend to go where they're asked. Where you work is about you,” Garcia said. Where do you want to live, a city or a farm field? How important to you is it to have ties with the community or a hairdresser who can deal with your hair? One who missed being with blacks made sure there was a local NAACP chapter at her next job. If you're the only woman in the department, you'll need a community outside the university where you can safely let your guard down. Keep in touch with a community of women. “We use the phone (not Twitter) to support each other,” she said; they like to hear each other's voices. One friend was an engineer who wanted to be in a highly rated research institution. That put her in a highly male environment where she was the only woman and the only African American. She chose to practice “transformative resistance,” working to transform the culture to make it more open to people like herself. Before you accept an offer, think about the institutional and departmental culture. Women get overburdened by requests. How many women are in senior positions? Garcia once spent five years in a department where she never felt fully accepted, only twice being invited to the department chair's house for dinner. Specific things she advises to investigate: Once you've done the research and decided the school and department match what you're looking for, negotiate. Determine what the offer should include for you to be successful. Salary is key; find charts on the local cost of living. Will the college pay your moving expenses, benefits package or daycare? Are there internal grants to help with laptops or lab space? If the school or system has no money, you can still ask about early tenure, sabbatical or helping your partner find a job. “Determine what you need before you say yes,” she said. Decide what's absolutely necessary, what's maybe and what would just be nice to have. Know your options before you're offered the job. Women and people of color negotiate far less than do white men. You're in the strongest negotiating position of your career once they want you and before you accept. Each department has its own politics and culture; your interactions with colleagues and the chair are critical. “Discuss the rules of game once a year,” she advised. Write down a research plan with the chair. Garcia has coffee with each new faculty member, leading to some joint publications. Know yourself and what drives you; then follow your passion. Success is sure to follow.

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