Clemson University Education Program Director to Discuss 'Leadership and Contemporary Social Issues'

by Devany Severin, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805

Baylor University's Academy for Leader Development and Civic Engagement will host Dr. Roy Jones, lecturer and project director for the Eugene T. Moore School of Education's "Call Me MISTER" program at Clemson University, from 6-7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 25, in Kayser Auditorium on Baylor's campus. Jones will discuss "Leadership and Contemporary Social Issues."

As program director for the Call Me MISTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models) program, Jones works to increase the pool of available teachers from a broader, more diverse background for South Carolina's lowest-performing elementary schools.

In its fourth year, the program combines the resources at Clemson University with the instructional programs offered by three small, private and historically black colleges in South Carolina - Benedict College, Claflin University and Morris College - to provide the opportunity for young men to receive a degree in elementary education. The Call Me MISTER program also provides tuition assistance, an academic support system to help assure their success and a cohort system for social and cultural support.

"It is important for students that are interested in leadership to be abreast on critical issues that face leaders today, said Melissa Gruver, graduate assistant in the Academy for Leader Development and Civic Engagement. "This is an excellent opportunity for our students to interact with an innovative leader who is developing leaders to serve in underserved populations."

Previously, Jones was associate professor in the division of education at Claflin University in Orangeburg, S.C., and in 2000 he was the campus collaborator during the early development of the Call Me MISTER program at the university.

From 1990 to 1998, Jones served as director of employment for the Charleston County School District and was responsible for the district's teacher and classified recruitment programs.

Throughout his career, Jones has implemented and directed numerous programs in higher education and has presented countless workshops, seminars, forums, and panel discussions surrounding racial and cultural issues in education.

Jones received his doctorate degree from the University of Georgia in 1981 and a master's degree from Atlanta University in 1977.

The lecture is free and open to the public. 

For more information, contact Gruver at Melissa_Gruver@baylor.edu.