Biography

As a college administrator, Dr. Barber has assumed various leadership positions, including Associate Director of Transfer Admissions and Computer Systems, Director of Residential Education, Director of Financial Aid, Director of New Student Programs, Director of Multicultural Support and Assessment, and Research Assistant for the Division of Student Affairs. In these positions, he was particularly concerned with advancing research and evaluation methodologies that contributed to the development of evidence-based policies, programs, and practices to enhance the success of students in transition (e.g. first year of college, transfer experience, students of color). Thus, his doctorate in educational policy, research, and leadership culminated in a qualitative study that explored the social perceptions of African American community college transfer students at a predominantly white university in the Northeast.

Throughout his career as a college administrator, he developed a number of creative and innovative initiatives that helped to establish standard of excellence for supporting student transitions and facilitating educational success for students in transition (e.g. first year of college, transfer experience, students of color). One of these initiatives was “Jazz for Success.” An innovative faculty-driven CD, “Jazz for Success” employed an easy listening music format that provided timely information, creative ideas, and academic strategies to encourage first-year students in their transition to college (see streaming server). At the 2005 conference of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, for the state of Massachusetts, “Jazz for Success” was selected “Program of the Year”. It was also selected as the NASPA Region I (New England) Exemplary Program of the Year. In winning these honors, “Jazz for Success” was considered for a NASPA “Excellence Award,” at its 2005 National Conference.

Another initiative was the development of a comic strip entitled “College Norms.” With Jon Maxwell and Craig Rousseau as the illustrators, College Norms appeared in the UMass Dartmouth Torch from September 1991 – May 1994. Dr. Barber intentionally named the comic strip as an identifying appellation designed to acknowledge its original intent – to discuss and illustrate the normative behaviors, developmental issues, and transitional adjustments experienced by college students. At the March 1994 Region IX Conference of the National Orientation Directors Association (NODA), “College Norms: A Comical Essay on the Realities of College Life” received the “Most Creative Orientation Publication” award.

To assist colleagues with enhancing their leadership, scholarship, and advocacy for student affairs administration, Dr. Barber has facilitated conference workshops and/or written scholarly articles, sponsored by theNational Orientation Directors Association (NODA), the Association of College and University Housing Officers International (acuho-i), the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), and the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, where other creative and innovative initiatives, like Jazz for Success and College Norms, have been used to enhanced college student development, learning, and success.